2 Peter 1:5-7 (NET) - For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love.
Everyone is facing challenges right now.
I receive so many messages stating that these are “difficult times”.
As human beings, we both dislike change and want easy answers.
We just want the challenge to be over.
We want things to be like they were before.
2020 reminds us that answers do not come easy.
Even the beginning of 2021 has brought additional challenges and issues.
In life there are no quick fixes or easy answers.
Scripture reminds us of many people who endured much.
Yet they kept their faith throughout their challenges.
Faith is a wonderful thing.
But having faith does not mean we will get quick fixes or easy answers.
That is why my thoughts turned to the passage above from 2 Peter.
It reminds us that our life on earth is more about the journey than it is the destination.
We begin the journey with faith.
But that is just the beginning of the journey.
Faith takes us to excellence, then knowledge and then self-control.
We then move on to perseverance and to godliness.
Godliness then leads us to brotherly love and unselfish love.
That is quite a journey.
But we do not travel alone.
God is with us every step of the way.
We must therefore experience not only a change of mind but a change of heart as well.
The Psalmist reminds us of that.
Psalm 95:2-3 (NET) - Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving. Let us shout out to him in celebration. For the Lord is a great God, a great king who is superior to all gods.
We must give thanks to God in all circumstances, even difficult ones.
For God is indeed great and He will see us through the difficult times!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 22, 2020.
I will be back here on Friday, February 5, 2021
