As the New Year approaches, people are looking for ways to get more out the coming year than the previous one. Many people are seeking to become more productive, as they grow spiritually and develop a closer relationship with God. A passage from II Peter 1:5-8 in the New Living Testament offers a formula which, if applied, can lead to greater spiritual growth and development::
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The passage lists 8 character traits, which a believer is encouraged to diligently employ or exercise, beginning with faith, which is believing, trusting with the assurance that what God has promised He will perform. To faith one is to add or supplement with virtue, meaning excellence, resolution, Christian energy, which in turn develops knowledge or intelligence. In exercising knowledge, one develops self-control which in turn produces steadfastness or patient endurance. This quality develops godliness or piety (true vital relationship with God) which in turn yields brotherly affection which produces the ultimate expression of God’s desire which is Christian love (agape). The following chart illustrates the cumulative effect when a believer “adds it all up”:
Begin with diligence, making every effort to respond to God’s promises.
Starting with Faith, add the following
+ Virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy)
+ Knowledge (intelligence)
+ Self-control
+ Steadfastness (patience, endurance) To read a related article on patience click here.
+ Godliness (piety—gives God the right place and worships God in the right way)
+ Brotherly affection
+ Christian love
The Bottom Line_________________________
Neither barren = flourishing, productive
Not unfruitful = fruitful, bountiful
When you add it all up, the bottom line is that you will be not become barren but in contrast, become flourishing and productive. Those applying these principles will not become unfruitful but on the contrary, will be fruitful and bountiful. The overall result will be a more fruitful, productive life in 2010.
The following are related articles regarding the New Year
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