As we strive to emulate Christ and align with our Father, we must remember that He assesses us by our hearts. Authentic faith requires us to live genuinely, as emphasized in the scriptures. Jesus criticizes Pharisees for their hypocrisy in Matthew 23:27-28, urging alignment of actions with beliefs. This "born again" transformation (John 3:3) fosters virtues like love and compassion. True believers become witnesses (Matthew 5:14-16), inspiring others through their actions. Cultivating a personal relationship with God deepens our spiritual life, and focusing on eternal values (Matthew 6:19-21) helps us prepare for eternity, leading to a more meaningful life.
So, as we put an end to 2024 and prepare for 2025, let us build consistency by ensuring that we have what we need inside of us so that our lives align with kingdom living. Here is a foundation to get started:
Love and Compassion: Love is the highest virtue, marked by selflessness, patience, and kindness. Compassion is about understanding and wanting to help others in pain. Both qualities encourage kindness and empathy, helping people lead a fulfilling and meaningful life. The Bible gives us 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV), "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no..., always hopes, always perseveres."
Faith and Trust: Faith is the confident belief in the unseen and the assurance of things hoped for, as described in Hebrews 11:1. Trust involves relying on the divine's wisdom and goodness, surrendering one's own understanding, as encouraged in Proverbs 3:5-6. Together, faith and trust guide believers to live confidently and rely on the divine, fostering a deep and meaningful spiritual journey.
Wisdom and Understanding: Scriptures often highlight the value of seeking wisdom and understanding. This involves learning, reflecting, and applying knowledge following spiritual principles. We are given wisdom in Proverbs 3:13-14 (NIV), "Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold." In other words, once we know something, we must seek to understand it. How do we apply it? When do we apply it? When do we not apply it? How can we teach it to someone else?
Humility and Gratitude: Being humble and grateful for the blessings in life is a recurring theme in many scriptural teachings. This helps maintain a positive outlook and appreciate the present moment. Humility means understanding that we rely on God and valuing others more than ourselves. It involves having a modest view of our own importance. Gratitude is about thanking God for His blessings and grace. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) states, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
Righteousness and Integrity: Living a life of righteousness and integrity, adhering to moral and ethical principles, is emphasized in many scriptures. This includes being honest, just, and fair in all dealings. Righteousness is about living according to God’s rules and striving to do what is right in His eyes. It involves making choices that please God. Integrity means being honest and consistently aligning our actions with our moral principles. Proverbs 21:3 (NIV) reminds us, "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."
Patience and Perseverance: Scriptures often encourage patience and perseverance, especially during challenging times. This helps build resilience and maintain hope. Patience is the ability to remain calm and trust in God’s timing during difficult times. It helps us endure challenges without losing hope. Perseverance is about continuing to work hard despite facing difficulties or delays. James 1:2-4 (NIV) encourages us, stating, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Service and Generosity: Many scriptures advocate serving others and being generous. This can involve acts of charity, helping those in need, and contributing to the community's well-being. Service is about helping others and reflecting Christ’s example of selfless love. It involves putting the needs of others before our own. Generosity is the willingness to freely and abundantly share our resources and blessings. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) urges us to "use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."
Let's keep this in our hearts as we relate to others around us. As we continue to do life together, adopt a servant leadership mindset, and become more kingdom-minded, these are ways we can ensure our lives give witness to who God is. Our lives have become a great evangelism tool for telling the gospel of Jesus. Think about the points we just discussed and compare them to the fact that God loved the world with compassion and gave us His son full of wisdom and understanding. He served with humility and gratitude while teaching faith and trust. He exemplified service and generosity in so many stories in the gospels. His life was full of rightlessness and integrity. Not only was he patient, but he also persevered from the cross to the grave and from the grave to the sky! Thus, living these principles helps us to become more like Him. Let us live our lives so deep in the kingdom that people who have known us for years no longer see us; rather, they see Him.
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