2 Peter 1:2-4

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
     His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

I don't know what everyone else got out of this first section of 2 Peter, but I found it to be a very encouraging passage. Often I feel like I need something more to have a "successful" Christian life. For me, the struggle is most often in feeling like I ought to be doing more, especially in being better at connecting with people and forming new friendships. As I shared with my table on Sunday night, I would take a "spiritual superpower" of being able to stretch time to get done all the things that I have ideas to do or else have a superpower of strong charisma that would enable me to connect quickly and easily with people. Somehow it can feel like I'm not doing what God wants me to—and can even feel like I'm not able to do it!

What Peter points to in this passage is encouraging because it reminds me that I don't need a spiritual superpower to be who God wants me to be or to do what God wants me to do. Who I need to be is in Christ and what God wants me to do, fundamentally, is to know Jesus. Through knowledge of Christ, I have been given everything I need for life and godliness! Through knowledge of Christ, I am given God's "very great and precious promises". (As 1 Cor 1:20 says, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ.")

This frees me to live out my life for God because I am no longer focused on myself and my own inadequacies and the spiritual superpowers that I wish I had. Instead it points me to look continually toward Jesus and the divine power that he exercises to give me everything I need for life and godliness. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb 12:2-3)

Recommended Reading: The Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing