Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.
~ 2 Peter 1:5-8 (CEV)
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If you are willing, God is gonna grow you -- no doubt! He will help you be and do things you would never in your wildest imagination believe, all for His glory and good purposes. If you are willing...
This year, God has really grown me in the area of "concern for others". He has prompted me to make some simple inroads for community service and volunteerism, and it's been such a blessing to put myself (and some trusty friends) out there, to help where help is needed. Last weekend, we helped a community group called SacRAFT, that provides low-cost teaching materials and resources to teachers. They receive a plethora of donations (an entire warehouse full!) that are sorted and resold at very reasonable prices. So, four of us went into the warehouse and did whatever they needed us to do. Two of us sorted binders, declaring some new for resale, and cutting the others up with an Exacto knife, for repurposing into Shake Tables (a science project), personal "white boards", and other great ideas that I would NEVER have thought of with reused material. The other two used their mechanical skills to put together brand new office chairs that had been donated -- what great stuff given for free to a worthy cause! We met (3) great staff there, and learned a little about them as we shared about ourselves over a great lunch.
We built bridges that day with some people that I know we'll meet again, and God was glorified -- in our helping hands and our open hearts. Like today's verse says, what we know about Jesus is translating into meaning and usefulness. We know that He loves people and is concerned for the needy. Translation: We love people and are concerned for the needy.
Peter challenges us to grow our faith by adding to our knowledge of Jesus the deeper things of Christian living -- living out the life of Christ, with God and with people. You can build bridges today by stepping out of yourself and being concerned for others. Give it a try -- it just might change your life!
Love,
Joelene
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