Never Fall
What is the key to never failing
in life? Your character. What is the key to developing your character? Knowing
Christ.
That
simple principle obviously doesn't originate with me. It comes from someone who
knew a thing or two about failure and then starting over. Simon Peter, one of
Jesus' most intimate partners in ministry wrote at the end of his life these
words: "... if these qualities are
yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:7). A few verses
later, he continues "if you practice
these qualities, you will never fall."
Consider
for a moment the kind of questions an average person who desires to make a real
difference with his or her life asks. I will put it in a way that it might
actually sound in our heads. Am I good at what I am doing? Is this really
making a difference? How long can I hold it together? Ability. Impact.
Integrity.
I
don't think this is a question asked simply by men as opposed to women, but as
a man who is in a period of transition in his life, all these questions exist
in my mind daily. I am at the mid-life stage when I have a great deal of
opportunity and challenge yet before me. However, I face some of the same
questions a student coming out of college or university might face. Am I up to
the challenges that come with this next phase of life? How do I keep my life
from being a waste of energy? Can I finish the race without making a complete moral
mess like it seems the news media daily portrays?
It
is amazing how easy it is to falter and to fail. A big story here in Florida
While
that is an extreme example, it does show that life can be wasted easily,
tragically, and totally unnecessarily. In 2 Peter, Simon Peter is about to die.
He writes his final letter and says that it is possible to get through your
life and not be ineffective, unproductive, or a complete failure. How? By
developing and practicing godly Christian character.
Peter
writes "if these qualities are yours
and are increasing...". He adds "if you practice these qualities you will never fail." That is
the English Standard Version translation of Peter's words which actually read "if you practice these things".
However, it is in reference to a list of qualities that Peter encourages his
readers to develop. He writes "make
every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge, self-control and self-control with steadfastness, and
steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection and
brotherly affection with love."
You
don't need a college degree to grow in these things. You are never too old to
start again. Think about what Peter says. Never be ineffective. Never be
unfruitful. Never fall. You don't have to go back to school. You just need to
begin to make your character the priority project of your personal life.
We
often hear about people honing their skills and perfecting their craft. From
God's perspective, the most important priority is possessing, increasing, and
practicing godly character. How do we do that? Peter says that everything we
need is found in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. He writes "His divine power has granted to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory and excellence."
I
plan to write more about this later. It is just important to start by realizing
this: God has granted to us all that is necessary to be the people that He
placed us on earth to be. It is His gift to us. That gift is not a bursary or
scholarship to a school of advanced academic learning. It is access to the
living school of His Son school
of His Son
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