In Increasing Measure

I love growing. I read so many self-improvement books because I value personal growth. I want to know what I'm aiming for in life and gather all the wisdom I can. I like writing in my journal personal growth goals, and today, I ponder this question:

What does it mean to become a better person?

As a Christian, I love the fact that God manages and empowers our improvement. God changes us and "conforms us to the image of Christ." Right this very moment, something is at work in us; we "are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18).

I remember what this transformation looks like. I recall 2 Peter 1:5-8 which outlines the best improvement model of any I've read anywhere. It goes like this:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature. . . 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 to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I have decades and decades ahead of me for growth. It's so exciting! With God's divine power (that's the key, the big secret), I make every effort to grow. Each day offers a new chance to increase faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.

I do wonder how to "make every effort." I think about things in my natural pathway that offer opportunities for an increase in goodness, knowledge, self control, etc. Those things that challenge me most of all are the very things helping me possess in increasing measure a new kind of character.