Spiritual growth rarely happens by accident. Most of us genuinely want to become more like Christ, but desire alone does not produce maturity. We may admire faith, virtue, self-control, perseverance, and love, yet still struggle to see steady transformation in our daily lives. That is why 2 Peter 1:5–15 ESV is so helpful. It does not leave growth vague. It gives us a sequence, a call, and a challenge: these qualities are meant to be ours and increasing.
For that reason, growth in godly character cannot remain a nice idea we agree with in theory. It must become something we pursue intentionally. The visual Increasing Godly Character exercise is helpful because it turns Peter’s words into a practical pathway. It shows the Christian life as a climb: faith at the foundation, then moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. That picture alone is a powerful reminder that Christian maturity is developed step by step, with dependence on God and deliberate practice.
This matters for every believer, but especially for Christian leaders and pastors. It is possible to lead publicly while struggling privately. It is possible to keep serving, preaching, planning, and caring for others while your own soul is quietly running on empty. Leadership may open doors, but character is what sustains a life, a calling, and a witness over the long haul. Peter writes that when these qualities are ours and increasing, they keep us from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. That means character is not secondary to calling; it is central to it.
One of the greatest gifts God gives us in that process is the help of another person. A mentor offers wisdom shaped by experience. A coach helps turn intention into action. A consultant can provide perspective, clarity, and honest evaluation when we cannot see ourselves clearly. None of these replace the work of the Holy Spirit, but all of them can become instruments in His hands. We need people who will ask deeper questions, call us higher, and help us notice where growth is happening and where it is being neglected.
The Eight Qualities of Increasing Godly Character
The Increasing Godly Character exercise is built around the progression in 2 Peter 1:5–7. It begins with faith, the foundation of trust in God and confidence in His promises. From there it moves to virtue, or moral excellence, the courage to live what we profess. Then comes knowledge, a growing discernment shaped by God’s truth.
The next steps become increasingly practical and searching. Self-control speaks to mastery over desires and impulses. Steadfastness points to patient endurance when life is difficult, delayed, or discouraging. Godliness turns the heart toward reverent devotion and a life shaped by God’s presence.
Then Peter moves outward into relationships. Brotherly affection calls us to sincere love for fellow believers, and love crowns the list with the self-giving, sacrificial love that reflects the heart of Christ. This is not a random list of admirable traits. It is a portrait of spiritual formation, a picture of what it looks like when the life of Jesus is increasingly formed in us.
A Story Many Leaders Will Recognize
Imagine a pastor standing alone after Sunday service. The sanctuary is empty, but his thoughts are loud. He has preached faithfully, prayed with people, solved problems, answered messages, and carried burdens for others all week long. Outwardly, everything looks strong. Inwardly, he senses something else: fatigue, discouragement, and the quiet awareness that gifting and character are not the same thing.
He still believes. He still loves the Lord. But he knows that if he is not intentional, he can begin living from momentum instead of intimacy. He can confuse ministry output with spiritual maturity. He can become skilled at helping others grow while neglecting the deeper work God wants to do in him.
Now imagine that same leader sitting down regularly with a wise mentor, a trusted coach, or an experienced consultant. Instead of asking only about ministry goals, this person asks deeper questions. Where is your faith being tested? Where is your self-control being stretched? Are you growing in steadfastness or simply surviving? Is love increasing, or are you functioning on responsibility alone? Those are the questions that expose what is real. Those are the conversations that move growth from theory into practice.
That is why this exercise can become more than a graphic or a devotional prompt. In the hands of a humble believer, it becomes a mirror. In the context of a mentoring or coaching relationship, it becomes a roadmap. Its structure gives language to the qualities Peter says should be present and increasing in the life of every believer. Source Source
Why No Christian Should Walk Alone
One of the clearest lessons of spiritual growth is that transformation is deeply personal, but it was never meant to be private. God often uses other people to sharpen us, steady us, and reveal what we cannot see on our own. We all have blind spots. We all have areas where we excuse weakness, ignore drift, or settle for less than what God is inviting us into.
A mentor brings wisdom shaped by experience. A mentor has often walked through seasons of failure, waiting, restoration, leadership strain, and personal testing. Because of that, they can help us recognize patterns before they become problems. They can remind us that what feels confusing now may be familiar territory to someone who has already walked that road.
A coach brings intentionality and accountability. Coaches help take what feels abstract and make it concrete. They move us from “I want to grow” to “here is where I need to focus.” They help us identify next steps, pay attention to habits, and measure whether growth is actually happening over time.
A consultant can bring objective clarity. Sometimes a leader is simply too close to their own situation to see it clearly. A wise outside voice can identify misalignment, gaps, and opportunities for development that might otherwise be missed. This is especially valuable for pastors and ministry leaders who carry complex decisions and rarely have someone speaking into their lives without an agenda.
None of these people replace the Holy Spirit. But all of them can become instruments in His hands. God regularly uses faithful guides, truth-tellers, encouragers, and wise companions to help form Christ in us. Source
A Word to Pastors and Christian Leaders
If you are a pastor, ministry director, elder, coach, counselor, or team leader, this matters deeply. The higher the responsibility, the greater the temptation to lead from isolation. People may assume that because you teach, you do not need teaching. Because you counsel, you do not need counsel. Because you lead, you do not need shepherding.
But pastors need pastors too. Leaders need leaders. Shepherds need care. Strength is not found in pretending to have no need; it is found in the humility to remain teachable. One of the healthiest things a Christian leader can do is invite another trusted person to ask hard, honest, soul-level questions.
Not because you are failing. Not because you are weak. But because you take formation seriously.
If Peter says these qualities must be “yours and increasing,” then leaders of all people should want help ensuring that they are. Faith must keep growing. Self-control must deepen. Steadfastness must strengthen. Love must not thin out under pressure. Godliness must remain more than public language. Source
Who Wants to Grow
You do not need a ministry title to take this seriously. Every believer is called to mature in Christ. If you have ever felt stuck, spiritually dry, inconsistent, or unsure where to focus, this exercise gives you a place to begin. It helps answer practical questions like: Where am I strongest right now? Which quality feels weakest or least developed? What pressure in my life is exposing a need for growth? What would intentional obedience look like in this season? Who can walk with me as I grow?
Often, the hardest part of growth is not lack of desire. It is lack of clarity. We know we want more of God, but we do not always know how to examine what is happening within us. This tool gives language to that process. It helps readers slow down, reflect honestly, and identify where God may be inviting them to deeper maturity. Source
How to Use This Resource Well
The Increasing Godly Character exercise works well as a personal reflection tool, but it becomes even stronger when used in community. Consider walking through it prayerfully and slowly rather than rushing through it. Read the full passage in 2 Peter 1:5–15 ESV first. Then review each step and ask God to show you what is increasing and what needs attention. Source
You may also find it helpful to use the companion breakdowns of the list: Steps 1–3 for faith, virtue, and knowledge, and Steps 4–8 for self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. These explanations make the exercise more than a list; they turn it into a guided reflection on Christian character. Source Source
For even deeper benefit, bring this exercise into a conversation with a mentor, coach, spiritual director, trusted pastor, or wise friend. Let someone else ask what you might avoid asking yourself. Let them help you see patterns, celebrate progress, and name next steps. Growth accelerates when honesty and accountability meet grace.
The goal is not perfection in a week. The goal is increasing Christlikeness over time.
Godly character is not built in a moment. It is formed through surrender, truth, repentance, obedience, community, and grace. It grows when we stop settling for general intentions and start pursuing specific formation. It grows when we invite God to search us honestly. It grows when we welcome the help of wise people who can walk beside us.
So if you are longing to grow, do not remain vague. Do not walk alone. Take up a practical tool, open the Scriptures, and invite someone trustworthy into the process.
Let your faith be strengthened. Let your virtue become visible. Let your knowledge deepen. Let your self-control mature. Let your steadfastness endure. Let your godliness become evident. Let your brotherly affection be sincere. Let your love increase.
And as you do, trust that God is not only calling you upward. He is also willing to form in you the very character He commands. Source
As a practical next step, this resource offers a simple way to reflect on the very qualities Peter calls believers to pursue. It gives language to growth, helps identify where maturity is increasing, and creates space for honest conversation with a mentor, coach, pastor, or trusted friend. Rather than leaving spiritual formation as a vague desire, it turns Peter’s words into something we can prayerfully examine and intentionally practice.
Increasing Godly Character
- Faith: The foundation; believing in God’s promises and the work of Christ.
- Virtue (Moral Excellence): Doing what is right and having the moral courage to live out one’s faith.
- Knowledge: Spiritual discernment and a deeper understanding of God’s truth.
- Self-control: Mastery over one’s own desires, impulses, and emotions.
- Steadfastness (Perseverance): Patient endurance; the ability to stay the course during trials or delays.
- Godliness: God-ward devotion and a life that reflects a reverence for the Divine.
- Brotherly Affection: Kindness and love specifically toward fellow believers.
- Love: The ultimate virtue; selfless, sacrificial love for all people.
Peter did not simply teach these qualities and move on. He made it clear that believers needed to be reminded of them again and again. In 2 Peter 1:12–15, he said he intended always to remind them of these things so they would continue to recall them. That is a model we need to follow. We are not meant to pursue godly character alone or leave spiritual growth unspoken. We need people in our lives who will lovingly remind us, encourage us, and hold us accountable to keep growing in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. And in the same way, we are called to help do that for others.
If this resource helped you identify areas where God is calling you to grow, don’t stop at reflection alone. Growth is strengthened when it is named, encouraged, and supported in conversation with someone who can help you see clearly and move forward faithfully. If you are a pastor, Christian leader, or individual who wants to grow in godly character with greater intention, I’d love to walk with you in that process.
Book a coaching call and let’s talk about where you are, what God may be highlighting, and what faithful next steps could look like in this season. You do not have to pursue growth alone. Sometimes the next step in faith, clarity, and leadership begins with one honest conversation.