JESUS ADDS HIS VIRTUE TO MY FAITH

In the first devotional last week, we prayed, “Lord, increase my faith!” 

Faith is confidence in who Jesus is and trust in what He has done. Faith is the foundation of my abundant life in Christ. But Jesus does not intend for my faith to remain alone. He wants my faith to become visible through the way I live. 

2 Peter 1:5 says, “Make every effort to add to your faith virtue.” 

The words “add to” mean to supply generously. Jesus is not asking me to manufacture goodness through my own strength. His divine power has already given me everything I need for a godly life.

As I trust Him and surrender to Him, Jesus supplies what my faith needs to grow. The first quality Jesus adds to my faith is virtue. 

Virtue Is the Excellence of Jesus Being Lived Out in Me 

Virtue is the moral excellence of Jesus Christ being lived out in me. It is a life that values what God values, desires what honors Him, and seeks to glorify Him in everything. 

Faith places my confidence in God. 

Virtue places my life in His hands. 

Virtue is not simply trying harder to be a good person. Virtue is Jesus transforming my heart, renewing my mind, and changing the way I live. 

My Life Belongs to God 

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 reminds me that I was bought with a price. I no longer belong to myself. My body and my spirit belong to God. My life now exists to glorify Him. 

Before Christ, my first question was often, “What do I want?” As Jesus changes my heart, I begin asking a different question: “What honors God?” That is virtue. 

I begin to value what God values. 

I begin to desire what pleases Him. 

I begin to see my circumstances through the promises of God instead of through my fears. 

Jesus Renews My Mind 

Romans 12:1–2 tells me not to conform to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. 

When Jesus renews my mind, my thinking changes. My priorities change. My desires change. My outlook changes. 

Paul writes in Philippians 4:8, “If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” 

Virtue changes what fills my mind. Instead of allowing worry and despair to control my thoughts, I turn my attention toward the goodness, faithfulness, and eternal promises of God. 

Jesus Gives Me Strength to Live for Him 

Psalm 18:32 says, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” 

The strength to live a life of virtue comes from God. Jesus surrounds me with His strength as I trust Him. He helps me stand firm when I am tempted, remain faithful when I am discouraged, and choose what honors Him when the world encourages me to live for myself. 

Faith is the foundation. 

Virtue is evidence that Jesus is changing me. 

Jesus Changes What I Am Living For 

2 Corinthians 5:15 says that Jesus “died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” 

When I live only for myself, my outlook becomes limited to what I can see, control, possess, or accomplish. Worry grows because everything depends upon me. 

But when I surrender my life to Jesus, He changes my perspective. He lifts my eyes from the temporary concerns of this world and turns my heart toward the eternal purposes of His Kingdom. 

My circumstances may not immediately change, but the way I see them begins to change. Fear gives way to trust. Discouragement gives way to hope. Despair gives way to praise. 

Faith places my confidence in God. 

Virtue changes my outlook so that I begin seeing life from God’s eternal perspective. 

Jesus Gives Me an Eternal Perspective 

The abundant life begins when I stop asking Jesus to fit into my plans and surrender myself to His plans. His purposes for me are not temporary. They do not end with this life. His plans are eternal. 

When I understand that Jesus has given me eternal life, I can begin living with an eternal perspective today. 

An eternal perspective does not cause me to ignore my life in this world. It changes how I live it. My choices, relationships, priorities, and struggles all look different when I see them in the light of eternity. 

Jesus changes my outlook by turning my attention away from what is temporary and teaching me to live for what will last forever. 

"For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal" 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Reflect 

• What occupies most of my thoughts and attention each day? 

• Where am I still living for myself instead of living for Jesus? 

• What desire, priority, or value in my life needs to change? 

• In what area is Jesus asking me to place my life more completely in His hands? 

Pray 

Father, thank You for building my faith by adding the virtue of Jesus Christ to my life. Shape my heart to value what You value. Renew my mind and teach me to see my life from Your eternal perspective. 

Jesus, live Your excellence through me. Change my desires so that I want what honors You. Replace my worry with hope, my fear with trust, and my discouragement with praise. 

May my faith become visible through the way I think, speak, live, and serve others. Let my life bring glory to You. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.