Today we read the relatively short book of 2 Peter as a letter to the church at large and believers everywhere. The verses that stood out to me are 2 Peter 2:5-7, 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. Faith must be more than belief in certain facts. It must be accompanied by action and obedience in God’s will for our lives. God empowers us and enables us to act on our faith, but He also gives us the responsibility to learn and grow. We should never be surprised or resentful of the process.

Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. This sounds like such a simple statement from Paul, and yet it is sometimes difficult to fulfill. It is easy to take shortcuts or to skip steps or to simply do the wrong thing because it is easier. It is hard to not follow a crowd who may be doing something that lacks integrity or is morally wrong. But it takes courage and perseverance to stand firm in our beliefs and to be obedient to God and faithful to our relationship with Him. We must never tire of doing what is good because that is the commitment in our relationship with God.