Daniel 4 / 2 Peter 1 / Psalm 119:97-112 / Proverbs 28:17-18
Work hard and keep your nose clean is a saying that not many these days may understand. I haven’t heard it spoken in a while, but I found some information on the origin of this phrase. And no, this doesn’t mean to use a tissue or handkerchief to wipe one’s nose.
This phrase originated from another phrase which is “keep the hands clean” which was widely used in England in the 18th century. The phrase meant to avoid corruption and when it became adopted in the US, it became modified to “keep your nose clean” which literally meant to keep your nose out of what doesn’t concern you. This new phrase then became widely adopted to mean avoiding doing anything shady. Source: theidioms.com
When one is working hard, she usually has no time for getting into trouble because there is simply too much work to do. Most think of work in terms of vocation or schooling, but we also have spiritual work to do. We’ve talked before about the fact that our faith is proven by our works (James 2:26). Let’s see what other work we are to do considering what God has provided for us.
2 Peter 1:5 NLT says, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.” In view of what? Verse 3 tells us that God has given us everything we need for living a godly life, and we received all of this by coming to know Him…
Because God has given us everything through Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility. We don’t just receive God’s gift and do nothing with it; that would be the same as burying our gifts and talents and not allowing them to grow. What are the things we are to work to do?
We have received faith and we are to add moral excellence to our faith. To our moral excellence we are to add knowledge, to knowledge, self-control. To our self-control we must add patient endurance, to endurance we must add godliness. To our godliness we must add brotherly affection, and the last thing these verses tell us to add is love for everyone.
This may sound either like a math problem or a construction project. Depending upon which way your brain works, either would be appropriate. Since my husband is a contractor, I prefer to think of faith as the foundation upon which is built moral excellence. The layers after that are added as each previous layer becomes firm and stable.
Or, if you’re a foodie, you might like to see these eight layers as a banana split! Faith is the banana and love for everyone would be the cherry on top. The other six attributes are the ice-cream and toppings.
I’m not saying one must add moral excellence before knowledge, but I also wonder if the writer had a certain process in mind, knowing that each layer would be a firm foundation for the next. Some may work on one attribute at a time, and some may work on all eight positive traits a little each day until they are mastered.
However you choose to work on these eight disciplines, I believe the more important topic is to be aware of them and add them to your heart and life. I can imagine that one could spend all her life on these eight and will have built a great reputation with others, as well as having been pleasing to God.
Where will you start to build upon your faith? Yes, I do believe faith must be the foundation because it is by faith we received Jesus Christ and it is by faith we continue. I encourage you to begin or continue building today!
