I grew up in both a farming community and in a farming family. Working the soil and harvesting the crops was deep in my dads DNA. His green thumb was apparent in everything plant he touched. Together with his dad (my grandpa) and myself and my brother - we worked the fields and produced many fruit bearing crops. I spent many days in the fields with them as they prepared the soil for the most effective crop - whether it be watermelons, pumpkins, squash, apples or peaches, etc. One of the things I learned was that you just don't plant a seed and come back in a few months to gather the harvest. We had to turn the soil, pull the weeds, irrigate the furrows, trim the branches, spray the crop, mend fences, and the list could go on and on. Peter tells us that if we want to have a strong walk with The Lord - we need to supplement our faith with eight different ingredients. It's not just coming to the altar and "accepting Christ" but it is supplementing our faith with these virtues that will casue our faith to grow and flourish. Take a look at the things we are to add to our faith:
- Virtue - This is a picture of excellence. It is giving attention to your faith 100% - not on a part-time basis or when you feel like it. It is making faith a high priority in your life. Virtue is a moral quality - a character value.
- Knowledge - Our faith cannot grow unless we add this virtue to our faith. We must have knowledge and we must apply that knowledge to our life in order to grow. Our Christian faith will never prosper unless we get into God's Word and learn what He has to say about our faith.
- Self-Control - Our faith will never grow unless we learn the value of self control. This is learning that I must say "no" on some things and I also must say "yes" on certain things. In other words - I am living life with purpose and only partaking of that which is good for me. It is learning moderation and balance.
- Steadfastness - I see so many people who don't get grounded in their faith and don't apply the virtue of steadfastness to their life. This is being faithful and grounded - especially when the storms come. It is anchoring deep into the principels of God and His word. It is faithfully going to church and faithfully spending time in His Word and in prayer. It's not being persuaded by every wind and doctrine.
- Godliness - This is walking in holinesss. It is following God and not your own whims and desires. It is making a choice to please God rather than yourself or others around you.
- Brotherly Affection - 1 John 5:1 tells us that we really don't love God unless we love our brothers and sisters in The Lord. Over and over we are exhorted to love one another and to exercise kindness to one another. We are called to live at peace with all men. This is so important.
- Love - I can only love with God's help and strength. I can only love when I am filled with the love of the father. This is looking past someone's flaws and mistakes. It is loving them even if they don't love you in return. It is God's love in us loving others.
We are exhorted that if we add these ingredients to our garden that we will not only grow but we will flourish in abunance. May I encourage you today to make an effort to bring these supplements into your life and allow God to grow your life into that man or woman of God that He intends for you to be. I don't want to stand before God someday and for Him to show me what my life could have been and what it actually was. I want to hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant."
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