What kind of person is your faith LEADING you to become?
In his second letter to the Christ-followers who were suffering from persecution on the outside and false teaching on the inside, Peter encourages them by saying, . . .
† For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, virtue.
2 Peter 1:5a
Just like your measure of faith in God is important for your spiritual journey, so is your measure of virtue. Your desire not just to become a better person, but to become more like Christ is what’s at stake here.
It’s is not about figuring out what you value, but about the measure of virtue that enables you to reflect the love and character of Christ in both your words and your actions.
Embracing a set of “core values” does not make a person or a company virtuous. Defining what we value is not a “short cut” for bringing excellence to becoming the kind of person God has called, both you and I, to become.
Values and Virtues are not the same thing!
Values refer to what I believe is important. Virtues refer to how I’m going to act in a certain situation. Values reflect who you want to be. Virtues reflect who you really are. People don’t act according to their values. They act according to their virtues.
Values may determine one’s ethical standards, but it is their virtues that will determine their morality, behavior and actions.
Cultivating virtue, moral excellence, is an essential component for making sure our faith is growing in the right direction.
Think about the Moral Teachings of Jesus
In the last 2,000 years, since the time when Jesus walked upon the earth, think about all the great advancements that have been made in so many fields. The leaps in technology, science, music, the arts, medicine, architecture, and engineering, to name a few, are nothing short of amazing!
The point here is that while there have been many major advancements in the last 2,000 years in these fields of study, . . .
NO ONE has ever been able to improve upon the moral teachings of Jesus!
The Practical Exercise of Faith
The practical exercise of faith is simply responding to what God has revealed through His Word and learning to live out those things Jesus taught His disciples.
Moreover, faith in what God has revealed through His Word should be more than something we value, it should cultivate within us the virtuous traits of Christ Himself. It should transform our very lives!
Let’s PRAY!
Almighty and Merciful God, whose Word is trustworthy and true. Grant unto us this day, the grace to hear, discern, trust and respond to your voice and your leading. May it not only lead us to the place You are calling us to be, but also to becoming the kind of person you have called each of us to be. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen!