What makes us effective in Christ?

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.
— 2 Peter 1:4-8

As we pray daily for a Christian revival to sweep across our nation, we remember our own personal need for Christ. Sometimes it can be easy to pray for the needs of others and overlook our own spiritual needs. Take time to renew your relationship with Jesus.

After we married, my wife and I made the decision to have a date night every week, like we had done before marriage. It can be easy to assume that your relationship with your spouse will always be strong because you covenanted your lifelong love on your wedding day. But that’s not how relationships work. Every relationship requires a regular investment of time.

We are God’s servants, but we are also His friends and His sons and daughters. We are not supposed to only work for Him; we are also meant to cultivate an intimate relationship with Him. We want to have a consistent open line of communication and understanding, not letting misunderstandings or hurt feelings clog the flow of love and faithfulness between us and the Lord.

You and I will be most fruitful when we are increasing in our own walk with God, and that takes intentional effort to grow personally in Christ. Get alone with God to make sure you and the Lord are strong together, and then you will be maximally effective for His work on this earth.