"Now for this very reason also,
applying all diligence,
in your faith supply moral excellence,
and in your moral excellence, knowledge;
and in your knowledge, self-control,
and in your self control, perseverance,
and in your perseverance, godliness;
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness,
and in your brotherly kindness , love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,
they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the
true knowlege of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted,
having forgotten his purification from his former sins."
2 Peter 1:5-9
I have always been rather a "black and white" sort of person, if something is right then that is what I want to do, if it is wrong then let's stay away from it. I like facts and I like to know where I stand. I don't appreciate hinting or indecisevness very much. That is one reason I get a lot out of scriptures like this one. It tells me some things that I need to be working on in my life, things like self-control, brotherly kindness and knowledge. Those are character traits that I can pursue and try to have in my life and if I do that then the result is already promised: I won't be useles or unfruitful so in other words I will be useful and fruitful in service to my King. Also if I don't do those things I am showing to the world that I am blind and shortsighted and have a poor memory - I am not remembering what Jesus did for me!
So I encourage you to join me as I strive to live a life that is useful and fruitful in God's Kingdom.
