Your Daily Slice

 

TISHRI 26

On Some Virtue

 

“In conclusion … FOCUS your thoughts … on some VIRTUE …” (Phi 4:8 CJB, emphasis mine)

 

I believe it is safe to say that we can all remember, as young children, hearing the phrase, “patience is a virtue”.  In fact, patience is a virtue:  the dictionary defines ‘virtue’ as “general moral excellence; right action and thinking; goodness or morality; a specific moral quality regarded as good or deserving praise”[1].  We could further interpret this as saying the Fruit of Elohim’s Spirit, as found and described in the Book of Galatians 5:22-23, are virtues worth cultivating.

 

“The path of the virtuous LEADS AWAY from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.”  (Pro 16:17 NLT, emphasis mine)

 

Our world today has very little in it to show as an example of what is of “moral excellence”.  It is up to us, as disciples of Messiah Yeshua, to stand up and develop the attitude of no compromise, beginning in our thought life, and carrying through into our speech and actions.  I will be the first to admit that it is not always easy; but every thought must be held up to the standard of the Word of Elohim.  We must take every thought into captivity, put it under the microscope in our mind, examine it, and if it does not measure up, get rid of it (2Cor 10:5).  Only by consistently practicing this principle will we win the war over our thought life.

 

 “And for this reason do your utmost to add to your belief uprightness, to uprightness knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control endurance, to endurance reverence, to reverence brotherly affection, and to brotherly affection love. FOR IF THESE ARE IN YOU AND INCREASE, THEY CAUSE YOU TO BE NEITHER INACTIVE NOR WITHOUT FRUIT IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR MASTER יהושע MESSIAH.” (2Pet 1:5-8, emphasis mine)

 

“FOCUS YOUR MINDS on the things above, not on things here on earth … Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  (Col 3:2, 12 CJB, emphasis mine)

 

 ©2020

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[1] Webster’s New World Dictionary of American English, Third College Edition, 1991, emphasis mine