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Not Enough

  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life 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, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (II Peter 1:3-4)

 

I’ve told the story before of arguing with God (in the logical, not the emotional sense) about not being a jogger, or a poet, or “good enough” or “ready” because I didn’t have something, didn’t do something, didn’t something something necessary to be whatever I was denying. Then this verse says that God has already given me everything I need for a godly life. Oh, maybe He gave everyone else what they needed. Clearly, He missed me in the shuffle. Someone else must have a double dose.

I’m exaggerating - a tiny bit. I suspect I’m not the only one who thinks, “I have everything I need? Is He crazy?” Just to start with, I don’t have, don’t do, don’t something …and the long list begins for how I am ill-equipped to live a godly life. As I considered this claim this morning, it came to mind that a “godly life” probably doesn’t really look the way I think it looks. In my arguments with God, I not only couldn’t convince Him that I wasn’t a jogger or a poet. I couldn’t convince myself. Likewise, when it comes to this claim that I have everything I need, I can’t really convince myself. Paul says God’s divine power has given us everything we need. So, what I need isn’t something I bring to the table. What I need comes through our knowledge of Him and through His glory and goodness, which results in His giving us promises through which we may participate in divine nature.

None of what we are told involves anything inherent in us. In response to our complaints that we are not strong enough, loving enough, courageous enough, faithful enough, patient enough, wise enough, rich enough, free enough, young enough, old enough, educated enough … or something else enough, God has an answer:

                                        “Yes, but I AM.”

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