Adding to your faith...

In 2 Peter 1:3-11, there is a set of characteristics that Christians should develop in their lives.  It reads, "make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV)

It's not enough that we just have faith in God; that is just the beginning.  We are to continue to grow into a life characterized by love.  The problem is that many of us get saved and then we want to get others to also have faith.  We invite them to church and we recite Bible verses to them and such (which are all good things), but we don't SHOW them the love.  We never took the time to become mature in Christ and live out our godly lives in front of them.  We didn't "win them over" with our compassion, love, and godly character first.  We have to remember that we will NEVER "make it" in our Christian walk until the day we see Jesus face to face.  We must keep trying to be more and more like Him until that day!

So many churches are looking for the special marketing campaign to get people to come to their church instead of focusing on these virtues and trying to expand them in the lives of their own people.  I'm convinced that if there were a church of people displaying the characteristics of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, godliness, brotherly-kindness, and love,  the world would FLOCK to our doors! 

So, what about you?  Where is your faith?  What about your self-control?  Brotherly-kindness?  What areas do you need to work on to be productive and efficient in the Kingdom of God?