Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. —2 Peter 1:10
If you want to grow in your relationship with Christ, then you can’t just sit still and do nothing. To build a godly life requires diligence, determination, and intentionality. It calls for a conscious, wholehearted effort to add the necessary components and graces to your life.
You’ll never become the person God wants you to be by just haphazardly wandering through the Christian life. If you do that, you’re settling for mediocrity. There can be so much more vitality, power, and fullness of God, but it requires intentional, wholehearted, systematic effort.
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul says the successful athlete runs his race diligently. He’s disciplined in all things, and he does it to receive a perishable wreath. However, as believers, we “run” for an eternal prize (vv. 24–27).
Don’t begin your race this year by sprinting off the starting blocks and then stopping a few weeks later. “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7 NASB). That’s a worthwhile purpose.
Make it Personal
How can you be intentional about growing in your relationship with Christ throughout this year?