8 traits for effective and productive life
Do you want to live an effective and productive life? Of course, you do! Who wouldn’t, right? I discovered in 2 Peter 1 eight traits for living an effective and productive life.
8 qualities in increasing measure
It says that if we possess the following qualities in increasing measure, they will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. If we don’t have these, it says, we are nearsighted and blind and have forgotten that we have been cleansed from our sins by Jesus. Be eager to make your calling and election sure. If you do these things, you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom.
Well, you might say, that’s all about getting to heaven. I have time. Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. I don’t know, but it is wise to keep our eternal destination in mind as we go about living. Besides, by acquiring these traits, our lives do improve.
Identifying the 8 traits
Let’s look at these traits for an effective and productive life one by one.
Nurturing our faith keeps us close to Jesus, who loves us and protects us. Staying close to Jesus helps us stay aware of the devil’s schemes against us so we can do our best to avoid trouble.
Pursuing what is right (righteousness) and good (goodness) keeps us out of trouble also. We know what is right and good because we stay close to Jesus. Deception always corrupts. Run from that.
Knowledge is important. Knowing how to reason helps us to make wiser choices. Learning is never wasted. Education is a valuable privilege some have shirked. Don’t despise a good education. Study God’s instructions in the Bible. Pray for God to give you wisdom.
Self-control means denying ourselves sometimes. It means controlling our impulses and behaviors. Controlling our tongue and tempers could turn away wrath, which is a good thing, don’t you think? Controlling destructive habits and implementing healthy ones such as eating healthful foods in proper servings and exercising, not smoking or taking drugs or drinking excessively, etc., promote a healthier and longer life. All excellent benefits.
Perseverance means picking yourself up after you’ve been knocked down, trying again, not giving up. We all get disappointed and discouraged. It’s normal to grieve, but after you’ve had some time to process and heal, get back in there and give it another shot. You only lose if you quit. Make adjustments, learn from your lessons. Evaluate with others. Pray. With your new knowledge, believe in your mission. Tested faith means stronger faith.
Godliness equals virtue, moral excellence. Honoring yourself and others, taking the high road is always the best way. If others mock or try to dissuade you, be alert. Following the road of disrespect and hate leads to misery. You don’t want to go there.
Being kind to others and loving others exemplifies Christ. The more we become like Him, the better our lives look to God and to people. Kindness and love never can be exhausted. There’s always a need for them. People will return the favors. You can’t out-bless those who are kind and loving.
Learning these takes time
Yes, increasing these traits for an effective and productive life, even in small increments, build and build our character. One can’t help but be successful in life when these traits describe you.
I want to be effective and productive. I fail at living up to these. That’s okay. Everyone does. No one is perfect. God knows our hearts. Just keep working on it. You’ll see progress.
What life lesson did you discover this week? Share it with us!
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4 Replies to “8 traits for effective and productive life”
I enjoy your messages. This week, I was reminded to have patience while waiting in a worrisome situation. I am thankful God gave me peace and comfort.
Thank you, Melissa. It means a lot to me that you enjoy my blogs. 🙂 Thank you also for sharing how God gave you peace and comfort while you waited. That is so encouraging for those who read your comment. I love to hear how God is working in people’s lives and am sure others are blessed by that as well. I pray that you will have good news at the end of your wait. God bless you.
With a number of exciting things going on in my life right now, I occasionally thing “God, I can’t do this.” You’ve been there, too, right? But God’s Word reminds me to persevere. All will get done at the right time, and I believe that.
Yes, Donna, when I get overwhelmed, I think that too. You are right that God has it all figured out. We can save ourselves so much stress by remembering that and just resting in Him. Still, I understand how we try to figure it out on our own. I fall into that trap often enough. Do your best and don’t give up! Everything will work out. I’m praying for you. Thanks for sharing.