Yesterday, I had many phone conversations, and visits, and a trip to another state. Yes, this was ONE day. Now, before you go judging the use of my time, understand one thing: I take the commands from Scripture to care for one another very seriously! And yes, sometimes that can be taxing on one's day (I didn't get to bed until late), and yes, it can take a lot out of someone. But it is worth it. Many of us intend to do good. Many of us intend to be the people God calls us to be through the scriptures, but good intentions don't mean anything if they're not followed through. Intending to is easy, and we expect a lot of forgiveness for our good intentions. Being intentional requires thoughtfulness, sacrifice, and a bit of our time, treasure, and talents.
Why am I bringing this up? Am I boasting that I'm better than you? By no means. I still fail at intentionality, sometimes hour by hour. I just can't escape the fact that the Word of God says that I must Love God and my neighbor, not with broken promises backed by good intentions, but by intentional acts of sacrifice. We're not called to be good followers of Christ some day. We're not called to love God with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength some day. We're called to do so now, and that requires us to come after Jesus with everything we are. Are you thinking about serving someone? Do it. Are you thinking about being more involved in church? Do it! Are you thinking about calling or visiting someone? Call them! Get together! We are never given any more time than what we're presented with now. Don't look back at your life and see a trail of broken intentions. Intentionally sacrifice before the Lord, and be the blessing He's called you to be, and watch how blessed you become in the process!
2 Peter 3:1-18
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 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.
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