Stumble-Proof

7/27/2009

2 Peter 1:10 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; New American Standard Bible

These days we hear the term, ‘recession-proof’. Many are looking for a way to beat the recession and maintain the financial standard of living they’re used to. Bicycle sales and repair are recession-proof. In good times bikes are toys and in bad times they are transportation. Food is recession-proof provided the vendor can maintain his margins and make a profit. Mortuaries are recession-proof because dying doesn’t stop when money gets tight; dying doesn’t stop – period.

Peter urges us to be diligent in making our calling and election sure – that isn’t to check up on God, it’s to check up on the condition of our hearts to make sure we are maintaining our end of the bargain in loving obedience. And then Peter makes the magic statement: “…for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble…” By practicing (or living the Kingdom way) we will never stumble in our relationship with the Lord – our walk with Him will be stumble-proof.

I must be diligent about His calling me and choosing me by living according to my relationship with Him! That means I must live simply and guard against the pull of the culture around me. That means I must not allow my guard to be down in spiritual matters or in walking in the disciplines of the Christian life; I must have moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These things must be the hallmarks of my life and the fruit of my relationship with Christ. Or I’m just kidding myself. And I don’t want to do that…

Father in Heaven,

As You have called me and chosen me, I thank for Your grace to walk victoriously in the things that Peter describes. I pray to be Your good disciple, and for courage to tackle the things in me that get in the way of my diligence in holy practice. Most of my problems are not external but internal and I pray for the internal help of the Holy Spirit to lead me – stumble-proof – in the way I should go – I’m trusting You for that in Jesus’ Name, amen.