I was reading my devotional and came across a verse that shouted out to me so loudly that I had to put pen to paper (which takes a LOT of effort for me at 5:30 in the morning!). 2 Peter 1:5-8 reads, "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Wow! That was a GIANT "Aha!" moment for me.
I can remember growing up at Christmas time and we would drive out to my Grandparents in upstate NY to open gifts together and of course, stuff our faces with food (How else were we gonna stay warm in the middle of winter in upstate NY)! It's funny, it's not my gifts I remember the most but my father's gifts that stuck in my mind. Every year my grandfather would give my dad a new tool for his tool box. The latest and the greatest with all the bells and whistles. I never understood it but my grandfather was intent on stocking up my dads tool box. He'd get a big smile on his face (which is rare for my Italian, mafia-looking Grandpa) when my dad would open his gift then resume the serious, Godfather look shortly after. This memory came rushing back to me when I read the verse from 2 Peter because maybe our heavenly Father does the same with each one of us (minus the somber Soprano demeanor). God has a spiritual toolbox for each one of us. We might get different models of different tools but something tells me (actually, 2 Peter 1:5-8 tells me) He gets us the ones with all the bells and whistles!
By grace we are saved and by faith we believe. The apostle Peter lists out for us the tools that will help us add to that faith. Why? Because he wanted us to build a wall around our hearts with these tools. To guard our hearts against false teaching. Against a shaky foundation. Against the Enemy. Goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love. God gave us these tools when he poured out his love for us on the cross. It is through His son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, that these tools were made available in our spiritual tool box, so to speak. It is then our responsibility as a believer to take these tools and build a wall against the Enemy and at the same time build a strong foundation to (and here's the kicker) CONTINUE building on. "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive..."(2 Peter 1:8). How do we increase the measure of these qualities? We use them! Do our muscles not atrophy if we just sit there and do nothing with them?
My dad could have packed away each one of those tools, said, "Thanks, Pops!", and never broke them out again. They would just sit there. Creating nothing. Being ineffective. Unproductive. Or he could have looked at each one as an opportunity to build something strong. Something long lasting. Something that would demonstrate the awesome power of that tool.
So, what are you building with your tools? Are you building a wall around your heart to protect you from the enemy and his tricks? Are you building one another up? Are you building anything to show the AWESOME power of the tool and the One that gave it to you. Are you in the Word? Are you reading the Instruction Manual for your tools? Maybe you need to start there if you're not sure how to use your tools yet...and that's OK. But know that God gave them to you and He's crackin' a smile EVERY time you take them out to use them!
Lord, today I pray your Word will reach down far in our hearts. That it will dig down past the tough skin this world has put around our hearts. I pray you will show us how to use these amazing tools that are begging to be used for some good. For Your glory. I pray that you will allow us victories in using your tools, that you've so graciously given to us. Thank you, Lord for giving us the opportunity to show the world what you've given us.
Amen
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