Evening
Read 2 Peter 1vv2-15
Silence is kept for two minutes.
4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.
Reflection
Jesus comes to us as a gift, surprising, unasked for, the extravagant abundance of God giving of his very self. The gift transforms all of creation, including the fundamental aspects of our nature. We are no longer enslaved to our desires because sin has mastery over us, in the words of Peter, “we become participants of the divine nature.” The gift is never in question, God's grace comes to us, what remains to be seen is our response, empowered by God's Spirit. Peter says our response to this gift is striving, “making every effort” to pursue faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. The gift is not a talent to be buried in the ground, but a seed to be sown throughout every corner of our life.
Prayer: Father, Spirit, and Son thank you for the gift of Jesus, the incarnate son. May I receive it fully, may it astonish me anew. As I contemplate and receive this love, may I cultivate a life that, by your grace, strives to pursue all godliness. May I be a person who loves you and loves others deeply. Amen.