For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance
(2 Peter 1.5-6)
Peter’s take on faith is not about ideas or opinions. It is rooted in an Old Testament perspective. God meets with people through His glory and goodness. He embraces us and then commissions us. He touches us with the weight of His loving presence and then sends us to express the heart of it to others. This is goodness.
To add knowledge is not to get theoretical. It is about recognising God as He is. The God who makes and keeps promises. Who fulfils them in and through Jesus Christ. Knowledge is about recognising the fullness of God.
And knowledge is about recognising ourselves: fragile and fallible. Faint and often failing. We will never know God without also knowing ourselves. We need to recognise our need of God. His fullness. Our emptiness. To see His willingness to fill and shape and enable us. This is knowledge.
And self control is regulating the reality of who we are. Safeguards and sentinels. Realising how easily we can go out of control. Our appetites. Our fears. Our fantasies. Embracing fellowship and accountability so that we can continue as conduits of God’s Kingdom. This is self control.
And this is not easy. When things are going well, it’s fine. But what about when we get weary? When we are confronted with our own limitations and the hugeness of others’ expectations? Or trip up and make a mistake? An overwhelming sense of failure can overwhelm us like a wave, threatening to engulf us. And we just want to crawl away and hide.
And this is when perseverance is required. Perseverance in keeping getting back on the path. To get up again, dust ourselves down, and keep going. Remembering that He said it would be tough at times. But it’s the journey that really matters. The journey into life.
And keeping focus. Remembering it’s Jesus who travels with us. His path we walk, through the Holy Spirit. Keeping our eyes on Him. This is perseverance.
A prayer
Father, thank you that it all begins with your glory and goodness reaching out to me. Embracing me. Filling me by your Holy Spirit.
Lord, I want to keep going.
Help me to keep focussed on what lies ahead: the fullness that I’ve tasted through Your touch on my life.
Help me to go forward, one step at a time.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
