In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of you souls.
1 Peter 1: 6-9
We like to focus on the beginning and the end. of things. Right? Whether we are watching a movie or reading a book. The beginning grabs our attention and the ending sticks with us. Christians focus so much on the day they accepted Jesus through faith and the end where one can look back in the rear view mirror at their lives. And this is because humans focus on outcomes or what we accomplished.
Our legacy.
The two letters of Peter fully illustrate the impact of the Christian walk especially the "middle" or montage phase to further the movie comparison. Peter wrote the letters toward the end of his ministry so he could easily focus on the "outcomes" achieved for the Kingdom. But this passage is not accomplishment driven. We see how the committed walk transforms the follower of Jesus. How a life lived pursuing God's plan in lieu of worldly security or comfort forges our faith.
Peter also identifies perhaps the most critical outcome of our walk. God is less concerned about what we do or achieve or more concerned with who we become.
I found this very encouraging. In a year of such uncertainty, it seems that everyone is concerned with the outcomes and what the next year will bring. However, I think we could miss crucial moments in the daily walk with God. It's comforting to know as well that God isn't concerned by this year's outcome or our own outcomes, he is more concerned with the day to day relationship He has with us.
My biological mom has two sisters. When my mom passed away when I was 7, none of them took me in. Both of them legally relinquished their next-of-kin rights for me. So I was adopted by a seemingly perfect un-biological family. That adoption failed 6 years later and I was placed back in the childcare system from age 13-18 till I graduated high school. In this time one of my mom’s sisters adopted a little girl from another country. Let me repeat that. My biological aunt and uncle adopted a little girl after they said no to taking me in.
Let me show you how the Lord is different. He doesn’t look at everything you’ve done or could potentially…
Yes, faithful endurance is so important. Even when we drift or lose our way, we must come back to the Father. He will use even our wandering to strengthen our faith, but we must not lose sight of the hope that we have. Who we are in Him is much more important than what we do, especially if we do all the "right" things without actually loving God.
-Kelly Miller
Great devotional Dr. Sullivan!! I agree that Christians today struggle with only looking on the beginning and end goals of our walk with Christ. I also struggled with this; I forget about how the trails God has put me through has shaped me as a better believer. Of course the beginning and end are vital in our walk, but its the middle that shapes us into who we are! This devotional was a reality check! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing Dr. Sullivan. Personally, this is a great reminder to look towards the things to come. You mentioned that it is human nature to look towards the beginning and the end, and while this is true, I find it is easy to get hooked on the beginning and then get caught up in today. Sometimes I find myself watching a T.V. show that I really like and after a few seasons, it gets boring. The Office is one of my favorite T.V. shows, but most would agree the 8th season wasn't that great - haha. In the same way, it is easy for me to forget there are better things to come (an essential part of my…