A Quick Lesson In Patience & Virtue...

"For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love. For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins. Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall. Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I intend always to remind you about these things, although indeed you know them and are firm in the truth that [you] now [hold]." - 2 Peter 1:5-12 (NLT)

Virtue: (noun) 1. moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.
2. conformity of one's life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude.
3. chastity; virginity: (ex.) to lose one's virtue.
4. a particular moral excellence. (Compare cardinal virtues, natural virtue, theological virtue.)
5. a good or admirable quality or property: (ex.) the virtue of knowing one's weaknesses.
6. effective force; power or potency: (ex.) a charm with the virtue of removing warts.
7. virtues, an order of angels.

We've often heard the phrase, "patience is a virtue." However, it seems that we've adopted it insinuating that it's some sort of "divine" gift. Based on the above definition of "virtue," keywords being, "moral excellence and CONFORMITY of one's life and conduct to MORAL and ETHICAL principles," I beg to differ. And I suggest that unlike faith, (which it's written, "To every man there is given "a measure" of faith.") that patience, being a virtue is NOT a gift, but a choice. Our morals and ethics are based on our personal beliefs concerning various matters. We oftentimes tend to ask God for patience, or to strengthen our patience, yet THE WORD INSTRUCTS US THAT WE ARE TO ADD VIRTUE... PATIENCE (and more) TO OUR FAITH, which we've been freely given, rather gifted of by God.... Simply put, patience is a choice. And it pays greatly to be patient with God.