by Josh Turner
Almost everyone makes New Year’s resolutions. We try to develop new habits, abilities and skills to improve ourselves and become the people we want to be. However, by the time April rolls around, many of these resolutions are distant memories. Think of the diet plans or gym memberships that go unused when we abandon attempts at the next level of fitness.
“Level up” is not a new concept. In fact, the Bible challenges and equips us to grow, or level up, in our faith. Some people can relate to this level up concept from video gaming. In gaming, leveling up is when a character completes some sort of progression that unlocks new abilities or skills. It enables them to keep moving forward toward a goal. In the same way, 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV) talks about our goal of godly living as we level up in our faith. As we continue reading, verses 5-7 encourage us:
For this very reason, 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 o godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.