“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness... For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness (virtue), and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, BROTHERLY KINDNESS…” 2 Peter 1:3, 5-7

Mrs. Jones, a elderly woman obviously of meager means and not at all attractive, arrived at the pastor’s study and asked to see the pastor about making arrangements for her late brother’s funeral. Mrs. Jones was told the pastor could not be disturbed because this was his prayer and study time and it must be guarded from interruptions.  She would need to make an appointment, but because he was a very busy man, he would not have any available time for a couple of weeks. The pastor’s assistant offered to have one of the other staff contact her, if she liked.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness... For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness (virtue), and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, GODLINESS…” 2 Peter 1:3, 5-6

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness... For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness (virtue), and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, PERSEVERANCE…” 2 Peter 1:3, 5

Norway’s Ansel Lund Svindal won the gold medal in this year's Winter Olymipics in the super-G, overcoming a disastrous fall in a race last year that could have kept him from competing in the Olympic Games this year.  Rather than give up or get discouraged, Ansel put himself through a rigorous recovery and training process determined to compete for the gold medal.   Every Olympian understands that pain and persevering through intense pain is part of the price for being able to compete at this level of competition and have any hope of Olympic gold.  By focusing on the gold, they gladly persevere to be counted among the best in the world.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness... For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness (virtue), and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, SELF-CONTROL…” 2 Peter 1:3, 5

You have probably watched enough movies or plays to recall situations where one of the characters has lost it emotionally and is unable to function.  Usually, one of the main characters in the story reaches over and grabs the out of control person by the collar and shouts at them, “Get a grip on yourself!”  The faith additive Peter lists as self-control expresses that same idea.  It is about “getting a grip on yourself.”