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Seeking the perspective of Jesus

“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,”

2 Peter 1:5-6 NASB

Early in my life, I was introduced to the words “Cause and Effect.” Cause and effect is the relationship between two things when one thing makes something else happen. “Cause and effect” can be seen in the physical realm; the head of a golf club, when properly contacting a golf ball (cause), will produce a good shot (effect). “Cause and effect” can be seen in health issues, such as a poor diet and lack of exercise (cause) producing excess weight gain (effect) or visa-versa. We can see cause and effect in morality issues, such as adultery (cause) producing heartbreak and marriage breakups (effect). We can see it in legal matters such as breaking the law (cause) producing a penalty or punishment (effect). We see “cause and effect” in the spiritual realm, as well, for disobedience to God’s precepts and commandments will produce an effect called consequences. My early education on “cause and effect” began when I learned that disobedience to my Mama would create the effect of regret and the pain of a switch. I learned that lesson well. In all of the above effects I have listed, there is one thing in common with all of them. Our choice is an essential part of the effect, either at the front end or to the end result, and sometimes both.

Now some of you will likely say, “I had no bad choice to make, as my trial and problem came upon me without something I did,” and you will be right in saying so. There are many times those sicknesses or tragedies or many other trials come our way, and they are not a result of something bad we have done. Job’s friends didn’t believe this, as they grilled him over and over with their perspective that he must have done something wrong and was being punished by God. Unfortunately, some Christians still think this. Do you sometimes find yourself thinking that way as well? I’ve got news for you. It’s just not that simple, for bad things also happen to good people. However, the question for all who are feeling pain, deserved or not, in their life is this: “Will you choose to allow a blessing to emerge from the ashes of your fiery trials, or will you choose to allow it to destroy you?” There is still a “cause and effect” to consider when a trial comes upon us. It is not where the trial comes from that matters, but where will it take us? This is where our choice comes in.

In the above passage, we see a “cause and effect”, as we make a series of choices that will lead to God’s reason for the discipline and pruning that any growing Christian will go through. This series of choices will move us forward toward God’s goal for our life. However, if we choose to be stagnant in our journey, it will create in us an internal conflict that will keep us in an unfulfilled condition. So, what are the choices? Look at them:

• “applying all diligence in your faith” Faith is not a once done enough suggestion by God. He would have us grow in our faith. He would have us mature in our faith, and He tells us how to do this, but it is our choice to take these next steps. The steps are stated in the next verses.
• “in your faith supply moral excellence” There are three roots of temptation in mankind’s life; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the boastful pride of life. Lust of the flesh is obvious. However, there is also a lust for material things that entice us. Lastly, pride is very offensive to God. God is saying that to grow in our faith; we must also grow in our stand against these temptations. But how? It is stated next:
• “in your moral excellence, knowledge” How do we know what offends God if we are ignorant of His word? How do we learn how to resist the powerful temptations that come our way if we are ignorant of God’s instructions found in his word for resisting them? In order to grow in our faith and become the men that God would make of us, our commitment to “Self-feeding” on God’s word is essential. However, knowledge alone will not mature us. Knowledge alone will puff us up and lead us into that “pride of life” thing we so easily fall into. What does God’s word tell us is necessary to avoid this? Look:
• “in your knowledge, self-control” To me, there is nothing more offensive than an arrogant Christian. I sometimes wonder if we can understand the life of Christ and call Him our Lord and yet live such a contrary life by being proud of ourselves and what we think we have accomplished. High on my list of other offensive characters are those who have a great knowledge of God’s word, but they use it as a battle-axe to inflict spiritual judgment on “lesser Christians” and communicate that our King is wrathful and angry. If God still gets angry, I believe high on His list is an arrogant, prideful Christian who represents Him as such. That is why in our pursuit of knowledge is the need for an equal pursuit of humility. What is next?

The above steps are a “cause and effect” process that will bless us and lead us toward God’s goal for us if we choose to follow. They are not the goal but are essential in our journey to His goal. The next step is not our choice to make, but there is still a “cause and effect” that comes from it. When we are in it, it helps to understand that it is God’s choice for us. It is essential to our spiritual growth to become the man God wants to make of us. It is called perseverance.

• “in your perseverance” My wife’s grandmother grew up in New Orleans. When she moved to Mississippi to marry my wife’s grandfather, she brought with her some wonderful Creole cuisine. Best of all was the seafood gumbo. The recipe has been passed down to my wife, and I love it. It is a strange concoction of shrimp, crab meat, sausage, okra, rice, and a bunch of other good ingredients. Each one of these good things, when eaten by themselves, is good. However, when all these ingredients are cooked together over slow heat for a long time, they lose their individual identities and blend into one ingredient, which is the cook’s objective. It becomes gumbo. Similar is the way perseverance works in a Christian’s life. The individual ingredients of faith, moral excellence, knowledge of God’s word, and self-control are all good things on their own, and they are things that we should pursue. However, when the slow, agonizing fire of persevering trials produces perseverance in us, all those good ingredients are blended into our Master Chef’s objective. He then turns the heat off in our life as the trial comes to its end, for His dish is then ready to be served to the world around us. It is His objective for all His men. It is the reason for the discipline and the pruning and trials that we go through. It is called: “godliness”