Observation: What I notice in the closing words of this letter is a theme of patience. Just as the audience of first century Christians is trying to wait patiently for Jesus' return, the author reminds them that this delay is actually God's patience with the world. Every extra day we get is another day to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, and to seek his peace. God's patience is our salvation.
Application: I saw a meme the other day that got me thinking. It said, "I'm not resilient, I'm just dissociating from reality." That kind of stung, honestly.
So, I'm a pretty optimistic, laid-back person. I rarely seek out drama. And yet, with this temperament, for me, comes some self-doubt: why am I so convinced things will work out? Am I just in denial about the big problems facing my family, the church, our country, and our planet? Is it inappropriate to continue to be hopeful in a hopeless time? Is this just complacency in disguise?
I don't have a good answer to that question. I wish I did. I believe the future of this world is ultimately in God's hands, but God has given us a scary amount of freedom to mess things up in the meantime. I am not pinning my hope on Jesus returning before the effects of climate change get even more disastrous, or COVID-19 claims even more lives. To bet it all on God's miraculous intervention in a certain way at a certain time is foolish.
What I get from 2 Peter, though, is that my attitude or yours has no bearing on what God expects us to do in this moment. Whether I'm feeling panicked or cautiously optimistic today, my job is the same. To be at peace: not cool and collected, but seeking to bring the peace, acceptance and reconciliation of God to those around me. To be thankful for another day of life: for God's patience with me, to spend another day trying to figure out my walk of discipleship. And to grow in the gifts and knowledge of my Lord. Seeking peace. Giving thanks. Growing in Christ. I can do that however I'm feeling or whatever the headlines say. There will never come a day when any of these three are bad ideas, not when any of them is beyond my control. Maybe it's not perfectly calming, but it does help me with clarity.
Prayer: God, help me strive to be at peace. Help me be grateful for your patience. Help me grow in you. Amen.
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