Virtue

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character,....” 2 Peter 1v5 (MSG)

“For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), …” 2 Peter 1v5 (AMP)

“The wicked bluff their way through, but the virtuous think before they act.” Proverbs 21v29 (NLT)

We have been given precious and exceedingly great promises, and because of the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, we have received a precious faith. We are now encouraged not to stop there, but to employ every effort, to be diligent in using our faith to develop virtue. The dictionary describes this as “the quality or practice of moral excellence or righteousness,” “goodness” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/virtue?s=t). Many of us are familiar with Proverbs 31 which talks of the virtuous woman. Verse 10 (AMP) says “A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman – who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.”

Child of God, how is your character? Do you strive for excellence in the things that are put in your care? Are you still “shoddy” in your dealings, and using a God understands excuse? “… employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue…” Verse 11 says “The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believed in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.” Can you be trusted? Can your spouse, children, pastor, boss trust you? Are you a person of your word? Verse 16 says “She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding and prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.” Are you competent in the things that have been placed in your care? Before you take up another assignment do you carefully consider how it would affect what you are now doing? Are you responsible?

  

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, we thank You so much for Your Word. Father, we are praying that You will grant us the grace, and show us how to add virtue to our faith. That You will enable us to do this with all diligence in Jesus name, amen.