2 Peter 1-3, John1

2 Peter 1:5-8

For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I can't think of anybody who sets their goal be ineffective or unproductive at something. But I can think of many examples from my own life where some things came very easy to me and took very little effort on my part. But those "easy" things ended up being areas where I was not only inffective and unproductive, but also unfulfilled and discontented. Honestly speaking, with the exception of a few bursts here and there, many of my years as a Christian were completely wasted because I put forth a minimal effort. It was so easy to talk the talk and have the external walk when people were looking.

Living as God wants does take effort. It's that daily warring between faith and disblief, between love and selfishness, between godliness and worldliness. No wonder it seems I've had the words self-control and perseverance jumping off the pages this past week as I've been reading. This is hard work. But I need to and I will put in the effort so that these qualities do increase in my life. How can I look at the cross and claim Christ and do anything less?