“You therefore, beloved…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17-18
As a younger boy, I remember on more than one occasion my parents saying to me, “Don’t get too carried away!” They would say this when I would get overly excited about a new toy or when swinging a stick at a piñata at a birthday party. As such, my excitement was so great it would carry me away from safe and responsible actions.
As we get older, we run the risk of something else carrying us away. According to God’s word from 2 Peter, we run the risk of being carried away by the world in which we live. By the ways of the world. By the thoughts of the world. By the environment of the world in which we live. And the thing that carries us away is not excitement but fear.
Fear can produce many things in us like uncertainty and anxiety. But in the words of 2 Peter, it also can make one “lose your own stability.” Here we begin to doubt what is right and what is wrong. We begin to question our true identity as God’s children. We begin to wonder how firm God’s promises are toward us when it comes to His work in our lives. (A few other examples might come to your mind here too). But the point is that this life seeks to carry us away and the result is that we lose our stability in Jesus…and our lives are not lived as they could be.
And so, God’s word says to us as His children, “Don’t get carried away!” And the thing that prevents us from being carried away is growing in “the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In other words, the solution to us not getting carried away is growing in God’s word. Growing in God’s word where we receive God’s promises. Growing in God’s word where we receive God’s wisdom. Growing in God’s word where we receive His power through the working of the Holy Spirit. Growing in God’s word where we find stability as God’s children…to live.
So, as a new year of Christian Education comes upon us, God’s children of all ages (this includes adults too) seek to gather around God’s word. (If you have not been doing this, I really encourage you to do so). This is what God’s word calls us to do for our benefit, so this is what we do. This is what we do, because we are God’s children of ALL ages. Upcoming opportunities to grow in God’s word include:
- September 7: Confirmation Classes begin for 5-8 graders from 4-6pm
- September 11: A new Sunday School year starts for ages 4 years – adult. Please note: This year we are offering a HIGH SCHOOL Sunday class as well.
- September 11 & 14: Small Group gatherings discuss the book “God at Work”
- September 18: Youth Group Kickoff at 5:30pm – picnic and planning event
Make plans for these events as God’s word grows our stability in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Pastor Tuma