Do You Have All the Add-ons?

Caleb and Chiara have embraced their love for Paw Patrol with open arms. As a firm believer in the significance of play for their development, I found myself unwillingly caught up when Ceaser, my husband, decided to explore the forbidden realm of Paw Patrol toys despite my warnings not to. Now, every evening, my two C’s transform our living room into a Paw Patrol haven, dumping all their toys onto the living room carpet. The colourful pups and their rescue vehicles now reign supreme, creating a lively, though chaotic, environment filled with imaginary rescue scenes and joyful sound effects. Much to my dismay, the enthusiasm goes beyond just physical play and spills over into Caleb and Chiara’s digital space because Paw Patrol isn’t just a cartoon, it’s a YouTube phenomenon. The animated adventures of Ryder and the pups aren’t just on our TV screen. Oh no! The magic continues as videos of Paw Patrol toys are watched in wide-eyed fascination on YouTube. From unboxing videos that unveil the latest additions to elaborate play scenarios acted out by dedicated toy enthusiasts, as parents, we never stood a chance.

Let it be stated for the record that it was not I, but Ceaser, who decided to delve into the world of Paw Patrol merchandise, disregarding my caution about the slippery slope of cartoon-branded toys or anything for that matter. The allure seemed irresistible not just to his children but to him too, leading to an influx of toys that now populate our home. What initially appeared as innocent additions soon revealed a sticky web, leaving us stranded in a cycle with no apparent exit. Each Paw Patrol toy seems incomplete without its array of add-ons, accessories, vehicles, and characters that promise to enhance the play experience. Therein lies the conundrum. Not to mention that a certain someone seems to be fulfilling his unmet childhood dreams through this whirlwind of purchases perpetuating the cycle. Lord knows I wanted to cry foul when he excitedly informed me that he had found a plug to source these gems at ridiculously low prices preowned. Lord why?!! Pray for us because I no longer have a way out of this Paw Patrol madness! I will say, though, that no matter what happens, I will stand firm against this bleeding into our bedding and curtaining situation. No! No, in the name of Jesus!

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 1:5-8 (ESV)

While I believe that cartoon toys and all their add-ons are a bottomless pit just waiting for us to fall into, I can’t emphasize enough the need for us to esteem the add-ons of faith. Yes, faith has add-ons and if we do not pay attention to get them all, our life testimony will be limited. I’ve been reminded of that this past week and I realise that I need to spend time this year purposefully resourcing my life with some of these add-ons. Some have chipped and carry a few dents while others I meant to acquire and got busy focusing on other things that I neglected their importance. As I purpose to give my walk of faith all the bells and whistles it deserves, I hope I can carry you along for the journey and encourage you to do the same.

Outside of the detail that the add-ons of faith are listed in the passage of Second Peter chapter one, I took time to reflect on my ultimate purpose on this earth which is to worship my God and my Father. That being the case, faith is the principle thing because without faith it is impossible to please the Father. But faith is the beginning, an opening to a world of ways to worship God and live this life in a way that honours Him. That being said, what other ways of worship must we be intentional about to please our Father? Here are the seven as listed by the apostle Peter.

Excellence is worship

Virtue is excellence. I shared last week about how our intention to operate in excellence shows our regard for the nature of God, and the fact that we were created in His image. If our God who is excellent, created us and adopted us, then it is safe to say that our excellence pleases Him and represents His nature to the world. Excellence isn’t a set of dos and don’ts, it is a way of life that is submitted to the Spirit of God. This submission is worship. This desire to do all things as unto the Lord, to honour others above ourselves, to step out of our comfort zones to pursue God’s better way, is a desire to live a life of worship unto God. So, I will ask, have you added excellence to your faith? This add-on isn’t just flashy, it’s solid, sturdy and promises favour with God and man if pursued with the right intentions.

Wisdom is worship

A few months ago I came across a Bible verse that I’m sure I had read before but this time it jumped off the page so determined to make me see and internalize it. It is found in Proverbs 2:7 which says, “He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.” This truth has settled my heart in more ways than one because not only does God want to grant me wisdom, telling me to ask for it when I am in need, but He has stored it up just for me. Wow! How precious are we in His sight that He would go to such lengths for us? It is for this reason that I believe that our continuous desire to keep wisdom as an add-on to our faith gives God glory. It says to Him that we desire to think His thoughts. It says to Him that we desire to walk uprightly and that we desire to represent Him and His kingdom well. It oozes worship. Wisdom, however, doesn’t just fall into our laps. Aside from seeking wisdom from God, there is a part that we must play to make this add-on an act of worship. Practice, study, hard work and diligence play a significant role in this act of worship. This indeed is a building block that sits perfectly upon excellence and faith.

Self-control is worship

How we conduct ourselves is a true representation of what and who we value. As a mother, nothing blesses me more than to hear that my children changed the channel, in my absence, because a show came on that they liked, but I’ve told them is not good for them. It means a lot when we are at a party and they come to ask me if they can have soda or candy because they know these are not things I permit them to eat every day. How we conduct ourselves, what we allow to come out of our mouths, who we choose to associate with, places we choose to go, all these things reflect our love and worship for God. While there are areas we are all still growing in, the key is to see growth. This is a partnership with the Holy Spirit as He continues to sanctify us, and this partnership is worship. This desire to align with Jesus and become more like Him is worship. Self-control will keep our faith grounded. Self-control will drive us to the Father, seeking His wisdom so that we might not dishonour Him. Self-control will keep us from being anything but excellent. Self-control will keep us trusting in God even when we are tempted to doubt what He has said to us. Self-control is an essential add-on.

Endurance is worship

I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of endurance. After I have endured, it has a different ring to it, but while I’m enduring… Not a fan! As much as I dislike it, I have come to see that endurance is the test of our faith. It proves our love and loyalty to God. Can a love that hasn’t been tested truly call itself love? I think not. Endurance fortifies our friendship with the Lord and cements our desire to please Him above all else. It proves to us and others that no matter what happens to us, our God will never leave us nor forsake us. Endurance says, “I’ll stick around when everyone else leaves.” It says, “I’ll stay to clean up the mess when the party ends.” It says, “I’ll stay when things are falling apart.” Endurance is evidence of our friendship with God. It is raw, real, unadulterated worship. It keeps us steady even when our faith feels weak. That sounds like a necessary add-on to me.

Obedience is worship

Apostle Peter lists godliness as the fifth add-on to faith. When I think of our journey to becoming more and more like Christ, I think only one act sums up all our submission to this miraculous process… Obedience. Only in humble obedience can we align with the will of the Holy Spirit as He takes us from glory to glory. Godliness is the practice of conforming to the laws and wishes of God. That sounds like obedience to me. Obedience requires trust. When we are children we obey because we have to, but as we grow and mature, obedience takes more than just necessity, it takes trust in the one we are giving our obedience to. Our trust in God is worship. When we say to Him, in word and deed, that we trust Him, His heart is moved. This is amplified when even through the storms of life, we still have trusting obedience to God. And so, obedience as the fruit of our trust in God is a beautiful add-on to faith in the sight of God. It is the add-on that will carry us to, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!” The intro to eternal worship.

Affectionate love is worship

I was raised by a very affectionate mother. For me, love without affection is meaningless. For this reason, to me at least, the last two add-ons to faith as listed by the Apostle Peter, are the same. Brotherly affection is the action that is brought on because of love. Brotherly affection is shown in our honour for one another, our regard for one another more highly than ourselves, our service of one another, our desire to carry one another’s burdens and our forgiveness of one another. There cannot be a better brick to place over obedience than submission to Christ’s mandate to love one another. This not only rises as worship to God, it causes onlookers to stop long enough to see God, presenting them with an opportunity to know Him and worship Him too.

So, as we enter into the second month of 2024, I am examining and reinforcing my faith add-ons. While culture can sometimes pull us off track, Jesus has shown us a better way. This better way is practical and full of grace. This better way keeps us sturdy and excited about kingdom things. This better way is doing regular, everyday, life as worship unto God. Strengthen your faith through the Word, and as you do, add to it excellence, wisdom, self-control, endurance, obedience and affectionate brotherly love. Let these add-ons reign supreme and create a full life to honour God and others.