In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The promises of God call for a response. God has provided everything for us in Jesus, and the only natural response is that we would press hard after him.
Peter gives us a great list of different skills and disciplines that we need to train ourselves in:
moral excellence
knowledge
self-control
patient endurance
godliness
brotherly affection
love for everyone
I think a lot of times we shrink faithfulness down to only one or two of these areas, but true maturity means to excel at all of them.
The crazy thing is that God often allows us into difficult situations so that he can train our character. That temptation that seems particularly alluring? A chance to grow in self-control. The extra long wait in traffic? An opportunity to train yourself in patient endurance. That person who requires some extra care? An opportunity for God to teach you how to love.
Remember this. God has given you what you need. Trials are training. Christlike character is the goal.
Lord, help me to respond to the wonderful promises you have given to me. Amen.
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