Wednesday, August 9, 2023

           In many Bibles, there is a heading that precedes 2 Peter 3.  The heading reads, “The Day of the Lord.”  And in the eighteen verses that follow, the apostle writes about the end of history and the Lord’s return to fulfill prophecy (Jesus’ own words and the prophecies declared by others).  In his own words, Peter gives us some food for thought as we live in anticipation of the Lord’s return and culmination of history.  The Lord’s return will be the grandest and greatest event in the future so it makes sense to begin preparations for that moment and occasion.  He wrote, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 3:11-12a).  We might experience some fright as we initially read his words and see the phrase “everything will be destroyed.”  But remember, the Lord is going to make all things new (Revelation 21:5).  The earth as we know it now and the routines and rhythms of daily life will all change and be profoundly different.  The old will give way to the new.  And the earth and days that we know now will cease to be.  Something new is on the way!  God will bring something new and better and something suitable for eternity and the everlasting life that we will enjoy with Him.
            Peter gave us some important truths to consider.  First, we ask what kind of people do we wish to be?  As followers of Christ, what does that look like?  What legacy and footprints are we leaving behind each day?  We often have to think about what God would like for us to accomplish each day.  God’s agenda could be different from yours or mine.  His expectations might be far different than what we would initially think.  And, frankly, God’s mission for us on a given day might be far more streamlined than the hundred different things that we often push ourselves to do or to complete.  A conversation with someone over coffee might be God’s agenda for you as you encourage and support the person sharing the time with you.  Taking the time to pray with and pray for someone else could be what God expects of you on a given day.  Busyness is not the same as holiness or goodness.  And busyness might distract or divert us from the more important and eternal things that the Lord would like for us to pursue.  A busy life is not always a Kingdom-centered life.  Busyness can even eclipse our view of the Kingdom and where God is at work.
            Second, Peter indicated that “everything will be destroyed.”  That is an encouragement for us to produce fruit that will last and to seek treasures in heaven much more than the playthings of earth (see Jesus’ words in His sermon on the mount in Matthew 6).  If God suddenly eradicated all of the earthly or temporary pursuits that make up your life, what would be left?  What do you produce each day that has eternal roots and reach?  It is so easy to make life about acquisitions and possessions.  We can all fall into such a trap.  We are routinely tempted by commercials and sales pitches to make life about what we can get and gather. But God blesses us so that we can serve Him, bless others and be light for a lost and dark world. 
            Third, Peter gave us two standards to follow in life—holiness and godliness.  The idea is to live differently and distinctly—not just meandering through life with little sense of mission or passion.  God has granted you the gift of today.  What will you do with that gift?  Where will you choose holiness above selfishness?  Where will you choose godliness about indulgence and satisfying mere human appetites?  The Bible teaches us more than once that we do not naturally choose holiness and godliness.  We usually go for the lowest common denominator and think of ourselves first (recall Adam and Eve and their all-too-eager eating of that forbidden fruit).  But Peter challenges us to think of God first.  We always think first about God because God was “in the beginning” (Genesis 1:1).  Every day begins with God because God created and authored that day.  We are stewards of the day but not creators of it.  And as stewards, we want to season and saturate our day with holiness and godliness.  Again, we are looking forward to the day when God makes all things new.  Live in anticipation of that day now!  Practice now for what is already on the way.
            Maybe you could invest in the life of someone younger than you.  Maybe you could benefit from the wisdom and counsel of someone who is older.  Maybe you have never really wrestled with the idea that God has something for you to accomplish today and something else tomorrow.  When we commit days to the Lord, we soon discover that we are committing weeks to Him.  And the weeks turn into years and the years make up a life that is surrendered to Him and the pursuits of holiness and godliness that lead to a life well-lived.  We all want to hear those words of victory and triumph: “Well done good and faithful servant, enter now into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:23).  Have a great day and remember you can worship any time at YouTube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.