“…make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him”
Today’s reading from Peter’s second letter exhorts us to prioritise our relationship with God. If His patience is our salvation, it makes sense that we make every effort not to try it too much. This is not a call to legalism or rule-keeping (although we should remember Peter’s struggles with accepting the gospel of grace and the offer of life to non-Jewish believers which might make him prone to aiming for a structured life of faith).
We have been made at peace with God in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. We should hold on to that today. But we shouldn’t rest on our laurels. It is a waste of a life lived with God if we do not walk closely with our saviour. What does this look like? Love the poor and needy, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, live generously, justly, show mercy and walk humbly with our God. Fine words indeed perhaps, but in fact it’s an every day choice, or even a several times a day choice, are we going to seek Jesus and His kingdom first, or something else? If we seek the kingdom, we will be people of love, and we will show the love of God to those we meet.
Make choices that enable you to live in the peace of Christ today.
Couldn’t be simpler could it?