For me, a sentence requires a lifetime of practice.  

Overwhelming, right? This is how I feel when I read certain sentences in the Bible. In the Bible-reading marathon of a believer, I hope I’m not the only one who lingers on life-changing words, stopped in my tracks at the end of the pack. Aren’t I supposed to be reading through the Bible faster? 

Actually, I’ll take last place in any Bible-reading race. When I find myself in the middle of the day with an unwelcome situation, if I don’t recall what I read in my Bible that morning (it’s a self-imposed quiz), I need to spend more time on that sentence, which first held captive, then rescued and freed, my mind and heart several hours before. 

2 Peter 1:5-7 is a long sentence: “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 me, steadfast self-control causes pause. I genuinely struggle with trusting God to keep exercising self-control when something doesn’t go my way, in my time. 

For instance, health problems (which apparently are incurable, per my growing list of doctors) have plagued me during the last two years. I eat extremely healthy, work out consistently, have removed toxins from what I put in, on, and around my body; I undergo various treatments and lose too much time to medical paperwork and appointments. 

When physical pain still has my number, despite my efforts, I’m exhausted and defeated. Cue: tossing self-control with respect to what I put in my body! Nothing I do works, after all. 

Ah, there’s my problem. The order of the long sentence in 2 Peter 1:5-7 matters. Faith, or trusting in Him, is the foundation to the rest: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith … ” (emphasis added). The source of faith (or trust) cannot be me. A timeless, good God is in control, not created, fallible me. A good God has taken and will take good care of me. 

Without trusting in Him, I can’t follow Him.

Without trusting in Him, I won’t be able to add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection or love. 

And, why add these to my life? Because, He endured unjust suffering and died for my freedom and joy, which are enhanced by goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. 

This is further evidence for me to dedicate more time on just the beginning of a sentence. 

No doubt, I’ll spend a lifetime adding goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. I’ll try to do better at the first part: keeping my faith (or trust) in Him, the One who died for me and who will take care of me, even when I can’t remember a long sentence.