Have you ever looked at someone who’s truly loving and thought, I could never be like that?

Maybe it’s a mentor who exudes calm and kindness no matter what.

Or a grandmother who prays for everyone she meets.

Or a pastor who treats even his critics with grace.

Or a friend who forgives, again and again, even when it hurts.

And maybe you’ve wondered: How do they do it? What do they have that I don’t?

Peter’s answer?

They don’t have anything you don’t already have.

You may feel weak. You may feel behind. You may feel unqualified for this journey toward love. But listen again to the promise of Scripture:

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

Everything.

Not some things. Not most things.

Everything you need to live a life of love has already been placed in your hands.

You Can Do This

This chapter is here to tell you something you may not believe yet:

You can become a more loving person.

You don’t need to be born a certain personality type.

You don’t need a seminary degree.

You don’t need to wait until you’re older, wiser, or “more spiritual.”

You don’t need to earn it or manufacture it on your own.

Because the power to become loving doesn’t come from within you—it comes from God Himself. Modern psychology has affirmed the power of believing that you can change. Carol Dweck explains:

For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value. How does this happen? How can a simple belief have the power to transform your psychology and, as a result, your life?[1]

How can a simple belief transform your life? Well, in this context, it is not just the belief. 

“His divine power…”

The same power that raised Christ from the dead is working in you.

The same God who called you is equipping you.

The same grace that saved you is now shaping you.

So let’s settle this from the start: You’re not disqualified. You’re not too far gone. You’re not too broken. You are not stuck.

You can grow.

You can change.

You can become loving.

Because God has already given you everything you need.