The Most Difficult Way
Additions to Work on – Part 1

Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:3-11

Key Verse: 2 Peter 1:8

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.

This week we have been discussing how difficult it is to always operate in love.  There are so many situations and difficult people to deal with in our daily lives.  It is a challenging command to love at all times like Jesus did.  If we succeed, we must heed the Apostle Peter’s words in our scripture for today.  He lists qualities that we need to add to our journey with God that will make us effective and productive.  In other words, if we work hard to add these qualities, we will walk like Jesus did.

The first quality listed for us to work on is goodness.  The original language uses the word “arete,” which literally means moral goodness.  The New American Standard Bible translators chose the phrase “moral excellence” to translate this word.

In my opinion, the foundation of loving all people, in all situations, is having moral excellence.  This term leans toward a kind of thinking—a virtuous line of thought.  So when a person is unkind to us, if we have worked hard on being a good, moral person, our auto-response is going to be loving, not hateful.

The second quality Peter tells us to add is knowledge.  This refers to biblical knowledge.  The more we know, the better the chance of responding like Christ in the face of irritating situations!

Father, I want to operate my life in the “most excellent way”…the way of love.  I will work on adding to my faith Christ like characteristics.  In Jesus’ name, amen.