I love the name construction paper. It reminds me of my childhood when we needed to buy and take to school new construction paper. I can't say that we ever built anything lasting. We did build some paper chains to hang around our classroom, and we did cut out some odd shapes of things meant to be stars, squares, and circles. Many resembled my later years attempts to making flour tortillas resulting in what my mother called "maps." Yet, I loved the name for to me construction implies building and building implies moving and growing. Such is the message in today's passage from Peter. Peter says that we are not to lose one single moment in building on that precious gift given to us by Christ Jesus, faith. All believers when we enter into a relationship with Jesus are given the gift of faith. But faith serves as a foundation on which we are to build that which makes us a more effective and fruitful believer. Look at the list (and we studied this not too long ago in an earlier ConCafe) and see what Peter is recommending. On faith the foundation, we add good character, which means we become people of integrity, people whose yes is yes and no is no. People whose word and handshake mean something. Add to that good character spiritual understanding. Paul called this spiritual understanding, the Mind of Christ, which means to see things from a spiritual perspective not an earthly one. It means we seek to learn more about our Lord through prayer, the study of Scripture, fellowship, worship, small group participation, accountability groups, etc. We cannot become content nor comfortable where we are at the moment; we must seek to grow always. Closely related is alert discipline which is self-control. We have the gift of free will, use it to say no to those things that can deviate us from the course set for us by God! Passionate patience means endurance, or not giving up when things seem to go against us. It means being excited and enthusiastic at all times even when people may think us crazy for "hanging in there" while others give up. Add to our faith the gift of reverent wonder, which means seeing the hand of God at work in all things. Make time to look at flowers, the brilliant colors and awesome design. Study a newborn baby. Stare at creatures at work and at play in nature and tell me that you cannot see the presence and power of God in creation. Add warm friendliness to your faith, because a cold, stuck-up Christian is of no service to anyone except to their own thinking. And lastly, the icing is generous love. Anyone who knows the love of God has to share it. Those who wear the label and jewelry of faith but care nothing for no one but themselves is not a Christian. A self-centered Christian - there's no such thing; yes, there are plenty who may call themselves followers of Christ but care nothing for others. What kingdom are they building up, besides their own?
This is the kind of faith that moves us forward and blesses the work of God in our midst. It is a faith that matures. Last night at a charge conference I was leading, we were talking about prayer and several shared how God had answered their prayers. One woman shared how when her son was little, he had been in trouble at school and that evening when the phone rang she began to pray out loud, "Oh God, please give me th patience and wisdom to deal with this problem..." The little boy ran to the phone, picked it up and yelled, "Not right now, she's talking to God!" and slammed it down. That woman's faith has matured because she knew with Whom to talk about in the good and the bad. Never forget that your past life ended last night at midnight. And if you confessed and turned over your sins to God last night, today you awoke with a clean slate of faith. Make the best of the day with acts that bless God and God's people.
A faith that matures is a faith that moves forward on the road that leads to God's eternal kingdom, inviting people along the way to join the journey.
You ready?
PRAYER: Loving and awesome God, may the words shared by Your servant Peter bless and protect my life and my faith. I want an active, maturing faith that makes disciples and grows the throng of those who love you and seek to follow You. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
