God calls His people to be diligent, persevering people. 2 Peter 3:14 says, “Be diligent to be found by [God] without spot or blemish, and at peace.” God wants us to militantly focus on refusing to allow sin to reign in our lives and on being at peace, not rocked by whatever happens.
Be diligent in not tolerating sin in your life. Are you bitter at someone? “Let no root of bitterness grow” (Hebrews 12:15). Uproot it. Forgive. Are you easily irritated? Let’s learn to grow in grace towards others. Don’t allow yourself the liberty of giving into those feelings. Are you fearful? If you are a child of God, hold in your mind that you have been chosen by God to be His own, and you are a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17). What can harm you if you are God’s? All things work together for your good, if you genuinely love and are called by God (Romans 8:28).
Be diligent to be found at peace. So many things threaten to take our peace. What someone says (or doesn’t say) to us. Rejection. Sickness. Traffic. What might happen. But God says that we need to be diligent to not let these things take our peace.
How, if I still feel bitter, irritated, and fearful? “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). If you have given control of your life over to God and have turned from your sin, then God died to take these evil feelings and give you peace instead. So how do we tap into that? Repent and surrender. “God, I’ve been entertaining these thoughts of bitterness. I know these are not the thoughts You’ve called me to dwell on. I’m sorry. I give this situation over to You. I can’t control this, but I know You can. I trust You with this. I’m done. You take over. I know You’re using this to make me more like You, and that’s my goal in all of life. Do whatever You want in my life. I’m done pushing for my own way. In the mighty name of Jesus, I ask for peace right now over my mind.”
Let’s be diligent in letting God actually run our lives by not entertaining sin and by being filled with peace.
