If these qualities are yours…

Happy graduations, with appropriate graduation parties, will shortly be upon us again. Joyous ceremonies, honors bestowed, feasts enjoyed, they all go home to climb onto another learning curve – another steep climb to the next graduation. And they each will begin as “freshman” once more. Whatever the pathway chosen, we spend our lives becoming novices, beginners over and over again. And here we thought we had arrived! In reality, we just got out of the train station to begin a very long journey –   probably with some surprising station stops along the way.

 Growth in the spiritual life can look like that too. An adventure of discoveries along the way, realizing that we each have new learning curves to climb. We are all humbled by the process of continually becoming a “freshman.”

 Listen to how Peter describes the process: “…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, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.”

 Then Peter goes on to explain why we endure these perpetual freshman-status learning curves: “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:4-8, NASB)

 There will be a final graduation. A celebration again of all of the graduations that preceded it: “Therefore, brethren be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” (2 Peter 1:10-11, NASB)

 “Abundantly supplied to you” Graduation with honors. So, embrace becoming a freshman again. Your work will be rewarded.