(2 Peter 1:5 NLTa) In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our new mini-series entitled, “Growing in Grace.” In this series we have learned that we are not mistakes, that we were born for God’s divine purpose, that He made specific plans for each and every one of us before the world began, and that along with the plans, God made provisions for everything we need maximize our purpose and potential in life. God did all of this by His matchless power and His action was completely unprompted. This is a picture of God’s amazing grace.
The Apostle Peter opened his second letter with a powerful thought: God’s grace and peace can be multiplied in our lives as we grow in the knowledge of Him. In actuality, it’s not that God gives us more grace as we grow in knowledge, it is simply that we learn more and more of the grace He has already provided. The more we know of Him and of His plans for us, the more grace we actively and intentionally access with our faith.
We have covered the first four verses in this letter thus far. Over the next few days we will seek to cover verses 5-9. I will share these verses with you daily, as we study this passage in portions.
Peter said, “So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books” (2 Peter 1:5-9 MSG).
Today we will only focus on the opening statement in the passage where Peter said, “So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Don’t waste a minute. You get 1,440 minutes each and every day, and every day you get to decide what to do with them. You can waste them by being idle. You can spend them on something unproductive or of no lasting value. You can donate them in support of a greater cause. You can invest them in developing yourself for your future. You can offer them as a gift to the ones you love in the form of quality fellowship. No matter what you choose to do with your time, the point is that the choice is yours. God has given you the right to decide what you will do with the time He gave you and one day you will have to give account. You don’t know how long you will be on the planet (unless The Lord tells you), so you cannot afford to waste time. Make the most of every minute. What will you do with the 1,440 minutes God gave you today?
2. To grow in grace you must be intentional. You did nothing for God to make plans for you, but if you are going to FIND, FOLLOW and FINISH those plans, you are going to do it on purpose. Peter tells us not to waste a minute in building on what we have been given. What talents did God give you? What gifts were you born with? What is it that others struggle with, but comes naturally to you? You must identify what you have been graced to do and it is then your part to intentionally build on it.
3. Growing in the knowledge of YOU. We have already covered the fact that you will grow in grace as you grow in the knowledge of God. But let me also tell you that you will also grow in grace as you grow in the knowledge of YOU; meaning you become more and more aware of who God has called you to be. The more you learn about God the more acquainted you will become with His character, attributes and nature, and the better prepared you will be to pray and receive from Him. But the more you learn about yourself and your God-given assignment, the more you will be able to walk in the grace wherewith you have been called.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for making plans for me before the foundations of the world. I am not a mistake. I am a child of purpose. I am on this planet for a reason. I am here to make a difference. No one else has my assignment. No one else has my unique flavor. No one has ever been born with my fingerprint. You made me completely unique and You have already given me the grace to make the most of my time on the earth. So Father, I tap into that grace. I grow in grace as I grow in the knowledge of You. The more I learn about You, the better equipped I am to receive from you by faith. I also grow in grace as I grow in the knowledge of ME. The more I learn about the specific and unique assignment You have given me, the more I am able to identify my giftings and strengths, and the more I am able to build on the grace that is already on my life. I don’t lose one minute in building upon what You have given me. You blessed me with 1,440 minutes today and I will make the most of them. I will do the same tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, until I reach the end of my life, having completed my divine assignment and having maximized by purpose and potential. I declare this by faith. I Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
