The Arizona Houseplant Compared to God Supplied Love: 2 Peter Promises by Kirsten Snyder

Have you ever been to a house with houseplants just... everywhere? Have you ever wanted that giant thriving Ficus tree you see in all the hipster mags? Do you buy the Peace Lily because it is stated to be the easiest house plant, only for it to die in a couple of months weeks, then settle back to the same Philodendron and call it good? What if every plant came with a guarantee that no matter what, it would survive and thrive?

My friend's house has gorgeous and varied plants in it. When you walk into her home, I swear, you can feel the extra oxygen hugging you. I have asked her what she does ... something about a misting water bottle and a thingamajig? Really, she comforts. She doesn't do anything special. Which is like, the worst, because I've tried the special stuff ... the self-watering and the scheduled watering days and the sun placement. I currently have a few plants that have hung in there, but I am leery that if I look at them wrong one day, they will all burst into dust.

I was reading through 2 Peter recently. Here, let's just call God's divine nature a houseplant. Let's call it a house full of thriving, perfectly potted and placed houseplants. In 2 Peter 1, we are told we are to be partakers of the divine nature. Now, if you are untrusting of keeping a houseful of plants alive, how are we to be partakers of the divine nature?! Here is where the difference is, though. If I buy a plant at a nursery, the horticulturalists do not come home with me, and help keep my plants alive. However, God grants us all things that pertain to life and godliness through his divine power. So, we do not have to worry about the perfect lighting, the misting water bottle or the thingamajig to be partakers in the “houseplant” of divine nature, we already have all things. All things! For this very reason (the—having all thing—reason), make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Meaning, you can have that metaphorical house full of thriving, perfectly potted and placed houseplants without anxiousness on their survival. So, gird up your loins people: you are a partaker!