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Virtues for Living

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  2 Peter 1:5-7

 

Loving God with our whole hearts, and loving our neighbor as ourselves---this is our primary calling as Christians.

Yet love is only one of the virtues God wants us to have. If we ignore the other virtues--such as joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)--our life will be unbalanced and incomplete.

Why are these virtues so important? These virtues were part of Christ's character---and God's will is that we would become more like Christ. Furthermore, the apostle Peter said, "For if these things be in  you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8).

Ask God to show you if any of these virtues are missing in your life---and then open your heart and mind to Christ's transforming power and love.

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.