I’m a huge fan of life hacks. If you aren’t familiar with that term, life hacks are ideas that help improve the efficiency of simple, everyday tasks. Here’s an example: if you toss a couple ice cubes in the dryer with a wrinkled shirt or set of pants and turn it on for 10 minutes, you will get a quick, easy wrinkle release.
Life hacks are all about increasing productivity in the little things so that you have more time for the big things.
God has something to say about productivity, too. Actually, he has a whole flow-chart! In Peter’s second letter, he shares God’s secret “life hack” to becoming productive and useful in your knowledge of Jesus. Sounds awesome, right?! It totally is! Check it out:
As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! and by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature. So, make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-8 NLT 1996
At first glance, it looks like a big mess of text. But, as you slow down and read it all again, the hack emerges:
- Jesus promises that we have access to his glory and goodness to live a life free from sin (v. 3-4) which leads to…
- I make every effort to apply these promises to my life (v. 5) which leads to…
- My faith will produce a life of moral excellence (v. 5) which leads to…
- Knowing God better (v. 5) which leads to…
- Self-control (v. 6) which leads to…
- Patient endurance (v. 6) which leads to…
- Godliness (v. 6) which leads to…
- Love for other Christians and genuine love for EVERYONE (v. 7) which leads to…
- Becoming productive and useful in my knowledge of Jesus!! (v. 8)
Becoming productive and useful in my knowledge of Jesus sounds like the best version of productivity I can think of. At this point, I’m probably stuck somewhere between steps 1 and 2 of Peter’s hack. (In other words, I’m currently an ice cube waiting to be thrown in the dryer.) Where are you at? Regardless of where we each find ourselves today, isn’t it cool to be able to see the progression of what God promises to give us?!?!!!
Prayer: Dear Lord, I look at this list and I think to myself – I WANT ALL OF THOSE THINGS!!!! Please help me be patient and wait on your timing as you refine me and give me the strength and wisdom I need to carry these qualities well. Amen.
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
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