Keep Building: Make Every Effort (Grunting Optional)

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.” (2 Peter 1:5)

What would you say you work at the hardest in your life right now? Your job? Relationships? Studying? Origami? (You never know.)

trees_350Sometimes I think we get the wrong idea about following Jesus. We see it as a one-time commitment followed by a lifetime of trying not to do bad things. We know we should read the Bible and pray and go to church. Fine. But isn’t the point of grace that we’re not saved by works?

Yes, but that doesn’t mean we’re NOT supposed to work at our relationship with God. Paul wrote that God created work for us to do way before we were saved. (See Ephesians 2:8-10.) And here, Peter wants us to work up a sweat in a lifelong building project that adds layers of goodness and knowledge (and more) on top of our faith.

How hard are you working at following Jesus?

Think: Do you ever think of following Jesus as something that should require you to make an effort? What kind of work do you think it takes to add to your faith goodness? And to your goodness knowledge?

Pray: Ask God to give you the desire and the energy to “make every effort” to build onto to your faith goodness and knowledge.

Do: Make a quick Top 5 list of the five things you work hardest at in your life right now.