Knowing Ourselves
Know Your Core Values – Part 4
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:5-11
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1:10
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.
Perseverance is the fourth core value that Apostle Peter lists for us in our suggested reading for today. Oswald Chambers, an early 20th Century evangelist and teacher, wrote about perseverance in his devotional book, “My Utmost for His Highest.” He wrote, “It is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero (Jesus) is going to be conquered.” Perseverance is giving our best to face the tough, and sometimes fearful circumstances, with a deep faith that God’s promises will come true. God promises all those that love Him and are living by His Word, that everything we face in this life will work out for our good and His glory! (Romans 8:28). With that promise in our firm grasp, we push through the toughest of issues!
The next core value that Peter lists is godliness. John Grill’s commentary on this word suggests that godliness is “the fear of God: or giving oneself to the whole worship of God, as prayer, praise, hearing of the Word, and attendance on all ordinances.” In other words, godliness has outward signs that others can see, as well as the inner love of the things of God. True godliness does not do the outward things to impress people but does them out of a deep desire to be more like Jesus. We grow godliness by attending to the things of God, such as prayer, Bible reading, and worship times. As we give our time and energy to these activities, we become godlier in the way we think, talk, and behave. Like all the core values, God is the One that causes us to have the desire to be like Jesus in the first place, we simply make it stronger and stronger by our efforts.
Father, I will grow my perseverance and my godliness, as you help me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.