All you Need

Walking with Jesus can at times be really frustrating. Sometimes the Christian life feels like shoveling snow in a blizzard–hard work and not achieving much. Maybe it’s just me? Peter seems to suggest (8) that we can be effective and productive–more than that, we have “everything we need” for life and godliness (3). The secret–if there is one–is knowledge of the grounds of your faith.

Peter says that faith begins with a person, Jesus, who possesses three spiritual commodities that can be found nowhere else: righteousness, grace and peace. You can be right with God, know God’s unmerited favor and be at peace with the Creator of this world today–because of Jesus. Peter also describes goodness, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness and brotherly kindness as attributes and virtues we are to put on (5-7). In fact, we are called to be heroic in goodness! The word translated “goodness” was used to describe the power of the gods to do heroic deeds. Our instruction is to grow as we go, to put feet to our faith and to practice self-control as we walk the Jesus way. We are being called to an enduring patience that will see a harvest; to a growing godliness that enables others to see Jesus in us; to a kindness and love that means that when people look into our communities they see something set apart and holy.

Perhaps it would help today to describe the characters who embody the characteristics that help us grow in effective Christian living. Are you being a hero, a scholar, an athlete, a farmer, a saint and a friend? You already have everything you need. No one is expecting you to look for more outside Christ, but perhaps there is more in Christ that you have yet to discover?

Ask the Holy Spirit in which character and characteristic you need to grow. How can you cultivate this quality? Remember, you already have everything you need!