Make Them Abound

“Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge;
and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness;
and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.
For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.
Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.
For thus will be richly supplied to you the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

– 2 Peter 1:5-11 (WEB)

This passage makes me ponder on my spiritual walk with God.

Have I been diligent in studying the Word of God and obeying God?

Have I demonstrated moral excellence in my personal beliefs, in my talk, and my walk?

Have I continually keep myself knowledgeable about the Word of God and what pleases Him?

Have I consistently demonstrated self-control in matters of my thoughts, emotions, words, and actions?

Have I been patient and do I continue to develop in being patient with myself and with other people around me?

Do I uphold godliness and show it in my beliefs and actions?

Do I show brotherly affection without partiality?

Do I walk in love as Christ love me?

Finally, do I have all of these qualities going on in me since then when I came to know Jesus up to this time when I am continuously growing and transforming to be more like Christ?

Some of these questions are easy for me to answer, while most of them are difficult to confront because I know I fall short.

This passage reminds me of the kind of person God wants His people to be. We are to put all of these qualities together in abundance so that we may not be idle Christians but Christians who are bearing much fruit to the knowledge of Christ.

As we start the week, may we have the goal to be diligently working for our spiritual abundance more than we desire physical and material abundance.

May the love of Christ fill our hearts to overflow and cause us to bring glory to Him by loving Him with all our being and loving others as His love prods us to do.