Today as I was reading and thinking on 2 Peter 1:5-6
It says…” But also for this very reason giving all diligence add to you faith virtue to virtue knowledge to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance to perseverance godliness to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love.”
I have heard this verse many times and at some point I had memorized it. HOWEVER… I didn’t allow the truth of this verse penetrate my soul.
Virtue means – someone who stand out as excellent as they live out their lives in front of men. Excellent… in term of the power to perform deeds that are absolutely done to my up-most ability. It is performed by the means of the power that comes from God within us as His children. We, as His representatives, should always strive to represent Him well to a dark and fallen world. We SHOULD stand out as excellent in whatsoever we do. If we are not, then we are no living out our lives as we should. This mean to me… Excellent in the way I take care of the temple of God. I should not be grossly overweight. I need to remember that my body is the temple of God and that others need to see virtue and excellence in terms of how I take care of my body and eat and so forth. Do I think about that when I am eating an entire pizza or box of ice cream? NO – I am not, so I need to be excellent in the light of the fact that I am living out my life in front of fallen men. I am to be performing well and giving no reason for anyone to think differently of me. Lord help me for I need you to remind me of this!
Self control is the ability to hold myself in or holding myself back. I am to be controlling my urges and desire – they should not control me. Sometimes it is a good thing to practice holding yourself back from something that is good and desirable – just to practice self control. Eating… Drinking something – godly Sex – Sleeping for extended times – and so forth… should be characterized by my controlling them – and not being compulsive to gain some pleasure they may bring. A man or woman who is characterized by being out of control states with their lives that the Lord does not dwell there. Satan takes good things and drives us into sorrow by tempting us to be unbalanced in pursuing some – THING or PERSON or JOB or whatever… Anything that drives us to be out of control is sin. How can I be virtuous and be out of control in some area? I can’t. Lord please help me to hold myself in and show self control.