Everything We Need to Live as Christ Desires
By Jennifer Slattery
“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.” 2 Peter 1:3
This was the one time I absolutely couldn’t mess up. In the throws of a life-or-death battle, my mother-in-law needed an incredibly amount of support and encouragement. And I wanted—needed—to be that for her, but fear of failure twisted my stomach. Battling chronic illness, I knew how I got when fatigue invades. My patience grew thinner, my smiles less frequent, and if pushed past my limits, my pain spiked, at times to unmanageable proportions.
But my concern didn’t center on me. I understood precisely what was at stake for my mother-in-law. I’d seen cancer destroy others half her age with twice her physical strength. To fight this battle well, she’d need to remain positive and focused. Plus, after a lifetime of taking care of others and asking for very little in return, it wouldn’t be easy for her to receive help. In fact, if she thought for an instant I was struggling, she’d likely try to bear her burden alone.
Something she absolutely couldn’t do, not while recovering from surgery and undergoing chemotherapy.
Therefore, I needed to be strong, loving, patient, kind, giving—as reflective of Jesus as humanly possible. Overwhelmed with my insufficiency, I prayed, “And if I fail, Lord?”
As if in answer, the words from 2 Peter 1:3 sprang from my Bible, giving me hope. I sensed Him saying, “In Me, you are well-equipped. I’ve given you everything you need to live and love as I desire.”
Holding tight to that promise, I was able to care for my mother-in-law with love and grace, relying not on myself but instead, the strength God provided. If you’re a follower of Jesus, He gives you the same promise. No matter what you’re facing, you have the power, in Christ, to live a godly life.
Jennifer Slattery is a writer, editor, speaker, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She writes for Crosswalk, is the author of eight contemporary novels, and helped write Wholly Loved’s Bible study based on the life of Sarai (Gen. 12-23) titled Becoming His Princess, releasing in the spring/summer of 2019. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall outings with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Visit her online at jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com.
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Originally published Friday, 28 December 2018.
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