In the last post, I mentioned that all of our faith-building tools are self-reinforcing. It takes a bit of faith to even bother giving them a try – and then when we do try, we are rewarded with a little progress.  I think this is what Peter was getting at in 2 Peter 1:5-8. Some people view the passage as a set of stairs, but I see it as a spiral, with the “faith” side and “action” side playing off one another, reinforcing one another. I don’t think Peter had in mind we only make one trip around the spiral, either, which I think is what he’s getting at in the last sentence.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have to start with a bit of faith, which leads us to clean up our act a bit, which leads us to seek greater knowledge, which enables a degree of self-control…and so on. But all of them, he says, need to be increasing. With a bit more confidence (faith) we do a bit better in our behavior, and we go around the spiral again.

Let’s get to the remaining tools considered in the discussion groups the other night.  Once again, what they’ve done is suggest lines of inquiry into how to build up faith. And again, the integration points are highlighted with underlining.

• Knowing Jesus – It starts with intentional commitment. Multiple tools support it: communication (prayer), scripture, meditation, song, fellowship.  We allow ourselves to feel (heart) him guiding our decisions (mind). This tool is among the most integrated in the toolbox.

• Worship – Another highly integrated tool. There is a strong link to music (e.g. David’s psalms, Paul singing in jail).  Worship has to include all of “the whole”: heart, soul, mind, strength.

• Mentoring & peer support – There is a big overlap with service.  This tool has a very practical (action) focus. Sample applications: start a prayer group, reading group, or study group; call, send a card, reach out.  Be (soul) what you would want yourself:  an active listener, someone knowledgeable, someone trustworthy.

• Seeing the unseen – Intentionally notice even small things right around us: “God sightings”, knowing to look, feeling His presence.  Crucial: what we see when we look back—seeing in hindsight what God has been doing & therefore trusting what He is doing now and will do.

• Music – Makes a strong emotional connection, linking to what we know:  music teaches, reminds, reinforces. Strong overlap with prayer and with worship. Bible examples show us believers (“faithers”) pouring out their soul in music.

So, now what?  We have ten suggestions of tools to aid us in building our faith (and you will think of others).  All share at least this in common—they have to be undertaken intentionally.  The choice we face is to start somewhere…or not start, just sit where we are.

Primarily we’ve talked about building our own faith.  But note that these same tools can be used to help another to build their faith.  Maybe someone you know could use a gentle nudge to get started, with an offer to do something together.  Oh look!  We’ve just started doing some peer support!

God bless you in your thinking, your emotional well-being, your doing.  And bless you with faith deep within.

Love, Paul

If you have any feedback, please contact me at: paul.zilmer@gmail.com