Supper Mints

Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1:5-9

“Benji, here’s your vitamin.” Mom handed Benji a chewable multivitamin as he got up from the dinner table.

Benji looked at the vitamin in his hand. “Is this a supper mint?”

“A supper mint?” asked Mom. “No, it’s a vitamin. Why would you think it’s a mint?”

“Because we’re supposed to take supper mints to help us grow.”

Mom smiled. “I think you mean supplement, and yes, your vitamin is a supplement.” Mom showed Benji the label on the bottle. “It has vitamins C, B, E, and lots of other things in it that help you grow strong. We can get these vitamins from food, but we might not get enough that way, so we take supplements like this to keep our bodies strong.”

“Pastor Wilson talked about supper mints—I mean, supplements—at church on Sunday,” said Benji. “Do all Christians need to take multivitamins?”

Mom laughed. “Pastor Wilson wasn’t talking about supplements for our bodies. He was talking about how Jesus supplements—or grows—our faith. Here, I think I still have the Bible passage from Sunday on my phone.”

Mom grabbed her phone and pulled up the verses so Benji could see them. “The Bible tells us Jesus supplements our faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, patience, devotion, kindness, and love,” continued Mom. “Those are the things that help us grow to become more like Him.”

“So how does Jesus give us these supplements?” asked Benji. He held up the vitamin Mom had given him. “I’m guessing you can’t chew them!”

Mom laughed. “Not like that vitamin, but He does give us His Word, the Bible, so we can chew on what He says. He also develops these qualities in us as we pray, spend time with other Christians, and learn to depend on Him in all the circumstances of our lives. As we grow in our relationship with Him, we become more like Him and are able to live out our faith more effectively.”

Benji popped the vitamin he had been holding into his mouth and chewed. “This supplement will help my body grow strong,” he said, “and now I think I’ll go read my Bible to help my relationship with Jesus grow strong too!” – Judith Vander Wege

How About You?

Do you take supplements so your body will grow healthy and strong? How about your faith—do you take supplements for that? Jesus supplements your faith as you grow in your relationship with Him. As you focus on all He’s done for you and learn to depend on Him, He will help you live the way He wants you to and show His love to others.

Today’s Key Verse:
2 Peter 1:8 The more you grow like this, the more productive
and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus supplements your faith