but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18 NAS95)
When I entered the Kingdom at Jesus’ invitation to trust Him, His way of life, and His sacrificial self-giving through crucifixion on my (our) behalf, I thought simply in terms of morality and behavior. Externals. God has revolutionized this into something that I would never have imagined in my early years of walking with Jesus.
I wanted to please God. I thought I’d exchange bad behavior for good. “Just do it!” to borrow a phrase from Nike.
Not so fast. I couldn’t just do it! Will power didn’t work. Deciding I wanted to change and attempting to implement it didn’t work either, no matter the strategy. Transformation demands something other than me at work. God, at last, led me to that conclusion.
Even though I couldn’t figure it out, God kept drawing me closer and somehow allowed me to notice things. I knew in my head that the “Paraclete” came to help me, but I didn’t really grasp it at first. God’s continued influence caused me to observe Him, His invisible presence with me. Something started to happen in the conversation with Him. Actually, I grew in my awareness of His attention getting ways in my life. As this reverse prayer (God talking to me, rather than me starting it) continued to take place, different options appeared before me along with the power to choose something other than my “auto-pilot” response or behavior.
Interesting. All this added to my experiential knowledge of God. Yes, God started (or rather, continued) becoming much more real. Present like a person (not literally, but I hope you know what I mean). The word “grace” took on the meaning of empowerment, assistance from His presence with me. At the same time, something happened with my understanding of God and His advocacy for life, not just my life, but anyone connected to my life. This empowerment allowed me to grasp much more about the love of God, of Jesus, of the Spirit toward me than I had ever imagined.
Growth in what? Growth in the awareness of God’s sure presence with me. Growth in God’s ability to transform the inner workings of my soul with the power to do it. Growth in my understanding of God’s realness, goodness and love. All I needed to do was seek God and He gives Himself. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Really!
For Reflection:
“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:13-14 NAS95)
- How have you learned to recognize God’s empowering presence in your daily life?
- What helps you develop your ability to recognize His initiative in your life?
