Shea Zellweger
2 Peter 3:11-18
Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things,
strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish.
strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish.
- 2 Peter 3:14
There was a common refrain going through my head when it came time to do chores as a child: Why do I have to do this? It’s only going to be undone again later. The logic was, in my estimation, irrefutable: Nicely made beds get mussed when slept in; Playing in a clean toy room leaves it cluttered once more; No matter how many times the floor was swept, there was sure to be more dirt on it the next day. It was an exercise in futility.
As I got older, this reasoning expanded into a general worldview. I was taught that Jesus was coming back soon, and when he came this whole world would be burned up and replaced with a new one. A better one. So what did it matter how we treated the earth? Why show concern for depletion of resources, animal extinction, desertification, or the many other ways we ravage the planet? It’s all going to burn in the end anyway, isn’t it?
When I finally worked up the nerve to share my irrefutable anti-chore reasoning with my mother, she was prepared with a simple refutation: Yes, clean things get dirty again, but that doesn’t make cleaning them pointless. By being diligent in cleaning, we prevented the filth and clutter from building until their presence becomes unbearable.
Peter offers his audience the same exhortation regarding their treatment of the world while they wait for the return of Jesus. Yes, it’s true that “the elements will be dissolved with fire,” but until that happens, we have a responsibility to be good stewards; to keep ourselves and our world as blemish free as we are able. In doing so, we don’t just fulfill the command of Christ. We also make life a great deal more enjoyable for ourselves and for others.
The one who is seated on the throne says
‘I am making all things new!'
- Revelation 21:5
‘I am making all things new!'
- Revelation 21:5
