If you happen to be wandering through the book of 2 Peter, you might stumble across a verse that I’ve always found difficult:

“God has given us everything for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who has called us by His glory and goodness.” — 2 Peter 1:3

Really? Everything? No matter how far I’ve traveled with Jesus, this seems a completely unattainable verse. For one, I don’t have everything for life. Sure, more stuff would be nice. But I’m not talking consumerism here. I’m talking real needs. I need love: deep and intimate with my wife — God-honoring and respect-filled with my kids. I need friendships: honest, loyal, life-restoring. I need mentors: wise, insightful, ready to invest in my growth. I need purpose, a sense of accomplishment.

John Eldredge puts it this way:

“Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.”

Do I have all that? Any of that? I thank God I have some of it, but not nearly as much as I possibly need.

And then godliness? God has given me everything I need for godliness? To be LIKE God? That seems like a stretch.

So how did Peter come to write this? What convinced him that God had really given him EVERYTHING? How can a simple man, a fisherman at that, find that EVERYTHING through his knowledge of Jesus? O to be fulfilled in Jesus! Completely satisfied — comblé — in my walk with Him to the extent that I need nothing else.

There isn’t a magic formula. It comes from walking with Jesus, from becoming a disciple. But how? The life of Peter, the author of that frustrating/hopeful verse can give us a road map — a direction to work towards.

Not long ago I presented three of a four-part series about Simon Peter at The Westside Gathering and our friend Chris asked me if I could share some of the discoveries from that series here on this wonderfully designed blog. And here I am — collaborating on a blog! My prayer is that this will be helpful and uplifting to the readers. If you’re not much of a reader, you could also pick up the podcasts of the series here (Sept 8th through 29th, 2013). You’ll get to hear my lovely voice. However, the blog will not be identical. I’ll try to make it worthwhile to come back next Friday to see the next part.

Meanwhile, here are some questions to think over:

After a life of following Jesus, Peter was able to write “God has given us everything for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who has called us by His glory and goodness” with conviction.

Do you share this conviction? If so, how has Jesus shown this to be true in your life? If not, is there an area in your life where you need God to provide his strength or wisdom? How can we at Interaction pray for you through this? Feel free to message us directly for more private requests.

In Christ,
Nathan

Related articles

• Simon Peter: Becoming A Disciple – Part 1 (westislandinteraction.net)