Virtue.

Just returned from our Staff Women's Retreat. I am so blessed to work with the people that I do, who see the value of investing in our community. We spent the weekend talking about Virtue. I had the privilege of leading our first evening session. We talked about what virtue is in the context of 2 Peter 1 and how we apply it to our Faith as we are instructed to do. And how it all flows out of recognizing what Jesus has done and never losing sight of it.
Over the course of the last couple of weeks I have come across so many little tidbits that fed into what was being prepared to be shared. My great Uncle sends these newsletters out each month with all kinds of stories, quotes from other things he is reading, personal writings, family history..you name it. Anyway there was one segment on good character that really struck me and I was able to share it with the girls this weekend."A person of Good Character will faithfully serve Christ out of love and gratefulness. Those with poor character begrudgingly serve out of duty, obligation or for personal gain. If they manage to serve at all." -Tom Blackaby.
When we lose sight of what Jesus has done for us, we lose sight of Thankfulness..our perspective goes haywire and we miss out on the fullness of Life with Him.
Another quote I picked up came out of a book called Moral Revolution by Kris Vallatton. (I give it very high recommendations..it's incredible) “Virtues help us live from the inside out instead of from the outside in. No longer do I live by other people’s rules. Instead, I live by values that guide my attitudes, which in turn determine my choices. Choices dictate my behavior. My behaviors become manifestations of my personhood and my personhood leads me to my destiny.”
Virtue is not only for our personal lives however, it is ultimately something that is the fragrance of our lives to others. Virtue in the Greek is not an abstract word, but rather a word that emirates to others Who it is we love and serve. It is what remains when we are gone. The aroma of Christ.