2 Peter, chapter 1

I am back. It is no secret that I have been searching for a purpose for some time. Those feelings get stronger every day, mostly because I know I am upon a precipice where things are going to drastically change in my life. Soon we will need to get a bigger place to live, likely trade in cars, have a family member move in with us, and we would like to start a family. Right now, it looks impossible to do even one of those things. That leads to tension, as I know all must happen soon. How can I trust God in this when I feel I don’t have a purpose?

That is why I am glad I decided to return to Veritas today. In looking through the archives, I saw that I had written about 1 Peter, but I hadn’t continued on to 2 Peter. It took me mere seconds today to see that there is a calling laid out for us, and that one of the keys virtues in seeing that calling is patience. Patience is something that I have lacked my entire life, but it is what God tries to teach us in these moments.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. – 2 Peter 1:5-9

Peter then delivers advice for us to make our calling and election sure. It is fascinating to see this come from Peter. He was one that was once sure in his faith, yet denied Christ on the night of his arrest three times. To me, that is proof that we need all of the things listed here in order to make our calling sure. I even believe that we need all of these virtues to even see our calling. As Peter states, if we lack just one of these, we become nearsighted and blind.

So how do we seek these in our daily lives? It is easy to have perseverance without some of the others. I have persevered to write this even though I haven’t felt Godly. I have lacked self-control even in times of knowledge. Right now this feels like an overwhelming puzzle in front of me that I cannot figure out. We are promised, however, that we are given everything we need in order to fulfill the calling we have been made for. That is where patience comes in, so I will be patient.