“To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
August 27, 2023
When people see you, they should be reminded of Jesus. They should also see brotherly kindness. This passage is interesting because Simon Peter by nature was not given to brotherly kindness. He was a debater and an arguer. One of the great pieces of evidence of the new birth is that you are kind. A little girl once said, “God, make all the bad people good and all the good people nice.”
You can’t imitate kindness and love, and you can’t manufacture them. These are the fruit of the Spirit. Throughout your walk in faith, you can use these things as a checklist to say, “Am I growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?”
We need a faith that knows intimately. Then we need a faith that grows: Add to your faith, virtue. Add to your faith, knowledge. Add to your faith these things. Don’t be satisfied. Are you a growing Christian? Remember, to cease to be better is to cease to be good. We all need to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior at all stages in our lives.
Ask another believer to honestly assess how you are growing in your faith.
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”