Peter has an interesting take on the Day of the Lord, the day Jesus returns to judge all things. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives (10-11).
Peter doesn’t become all raveled up, wondering when the Day with be. Instead, with surety he says it will come and then drives to his point, so be ready by living holy and godly lives. Live as God wants a person to live and you have no fear and no worries on the Day of the Lord, should you be alive.
Holy and godly lives… lives that honor God. Lives that witness to the fact that you follow the Lord and live according to His way. True faith -of any stripe or conviction- impacts living.
Okay then, let’s think about our living. One big aspect of life is the use of money and resources. God probes a little deeper. So then how do you and I use the money we receive? Do our bank statements, credit card accounts, investments, etc. reflect faith in Jesus? Is Jesus witnessed to in our expenditures? Conversely, does faith in Jesus cause us to refrain from some expenditures? Is there clear evidence of your faith in Jesus in your use of money and resources???
Our calendar is another life indicator. Would your calendar and use of the 168 hours you have weekly reveal faith in Jesus? Does your PDA offer clear evidence that you are a Christ-follower?
Relationships, family life, work ethic, political views, personal integrity, etc. offer other aspects and lenses through which we can probe our lives to see how our living witnesses to our faith in Jesus.
Go ahead, think about some of these other lenses before you close up your devotions for the day.
O, God, lately in my reading I have been seeing how much faith impacts, or is meant to impact, action. Help me to live in such a way that in big and small, obvious and obscure ways, my life reflects my faith in You. In Jesus’ name., Amen.
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