Just before the Corona virus outbreak disrupted everything, Pastor Craig was teaching our Wednesday night class from 2 Peter 1:1-15. We were given the question “What does each facet of Christian growth mean to you: faith, goodness, the knowledge of God, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly
kindness, and love?” We were given homework that included other questions as well. I worked hard on the lesson and was disappointed when we did not have adequate time during the next class session to go over our answers. I believe the following week was when the Corona virus hit…at any rate, for some reason we were not together. That lesson ended up tucked away in a drawer until today.
Reading my answers again made me sigh. Though what I said was theologically sound, it was also needlessly complicated. My mind drifted back to a time when I was young. One day I showed my Sunday school teacher something I was proud of writing. He took one look at it and asked, “Are you trying to impress people or lead them to the Lord?” I answered that I wanted to lead them to the Lord, of course.
“If that is true, then keep it simple Stupid!” he responded. Here I was, decades later, seeking approval for myself more than magnifying God. I wanted to be accepted by this congregation, who would have accepted me anyway…but even if they would not have, I had no right to put on airs. Doing so was very selfish! I was magnifying my insecurities rather than my Lord.
After writing pages and pages of that lesson over multiple times, the Lord led me to a nearby scripture that spoke to my heart. It was then that I was open and honest with God first, but also with my husband, mother, and pastor. I knew and understood that my Lord’s love was reliable because of the truth of scripture. Still, I struggled far too often with a deep feeling of rejection. For years I tried to be very careful to act and live according to God’s Word and not by the flimsiness of my emotions. But it was still a trap I stumbled into at times. After forty years of loving and walking with Jesus there are still areas of my life that do not adequately reflect God’s glory. I would much rather build a wall and whitewash it with a coat of invulnerability than to share my shortcomings with you; but walls just get in the way. Walls even tend to keep people out. As long as our walls remain intact, we can neither see what God wants for our lives, nor can others see God working through us in a way that helps them.
So, let me try this lesson again. Faith is trust enough to act upon God’s Word. Goodness is the substance God puts in our hearts that is strong enough to boot out what the enemy tries to put there. The knowledge of God is the growth and direction that occurs as we get to know Him through fellowship and His Word.
Self-control is the realization that we need to turn over the controls to God so He can deal with our ‘selves’. Perseverance is when we continue to move forward in our walk with Him, whether by limping or strong strides. Brotherly kindness is giving a hand to one who has tripped or is limping, or just to be a blessing.
Love is what God gives us to cover all the ‘never good enoughs’ and asks that we share it heartily with others. All of these are the building blocks of the wall that will really keep our hearts safe.