DAY #9: “IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PROCESS”

2 Peter 1:5-9 says, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”


Up to this point in our devotions, we have discussed the personal aspect of touching the next generation. We have seen God’s desire to change us through His word so that we can have an impact on the generation to come. Now we will discuss the process that we must all go through in order to have that lasting influence.  There is a process that must take place before we can be fruitful and influential in the next generation.

I’m not sure if there is anyone in the New Testament who had a more visible need of this process than Peter.  He was the one who constantly questioned Jesus. He was the one who rebuked our Savior. He was the one who thought so much of his faith and ability to stay steadfast, that he called Jesus a liar when Christ said that Peter would deny Him three times. It is Peter that cut off the soldier’s ear in the garden, and then was ready to quit after the resurrection. 

Yes, Peter was in desperate need of this process, but I submit to you that we are all in desperate need. What Peter is describing in this passage is a necessary part of the needful growth in every believer. If you and I have any desire to touch the generation that follows us, we must allow God to have His way in our lives. It was through this sanctification process that Peter went from being one who denied Jesus and was done with ministry, to one who preached at pentecost and became a building block of the church.  

This process is what God desires to see all of His children go through, but it is only as affective as the passion that pursues after it.  The Bible uses the word diligence to describe this pursuit of growth.  All diligence is from the greek word spoudē, which means eagerness and zeal. It was used to describe someone who was in a hurry. Peter is telling us that a casual approach to growing in Christ is not going to work.  Only what is pursued with urgency and passion will bring forth the kind of fruit that will touch the next generation.


GOD’S MAN CHALLENGE:
Hunger and thirst after the process today and be changed forever!

GOD’S MAN PRAYER: 
God, Humble my spirit and give me the desire to grow in Christ. Amen!