"but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ."
-Ephesians 4:15
The next and final value I chose for this activity was integrity. Integrity is a very difficult value to practice, because it goes against our nature. As a matter of fact, all of the values I chose are difficult to practice. As difficult as these values are to uphold, I believe that they are crucial for us to practice to grow as disciples of Christ. So what is integrity? By strict definition, integrity means "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles". This is a very good definition, but it doesn't cover the entirety of what integrity is. What's interesting is the secondary definition of integrity, "the state of being whole and undivided". I'll talk about both of these definitions today.
When integrity is mentioned, many times it is associated with honesty and truth. Integrity certainly has a lot to do with both of these things. A person with integrity is an honest one who speaks the truth. Not everyone who is honest is described as having integrity though. If a person constantly tells others what he/she thinks is true, that person is often described as blunt, candid, or even naive. That person is not necessarily a person of integrity. What distinguishes a person of integrity is their knowledge of the truth. Not only do they speak honestly, they speak what is true.
Another special characteristic of people with integrity is their consistency. Remember, the second definition of integrity is "the state of being whole and undivided". I found this fascinating because it perfectly describes one who has integrity. Consistency and integrity are very closely related, as one who has integrity must also have consistency. There is a subtle difference however; a person with consistency doesn't necessarily have integrity. How so? A person can either be consistently good, or consistently evil. Either way, they still portray consistency in their life. A person with integrity cannot be evil, because by definition integrity describes one who has moral principles.
Integrity is not an easy thing to have. It requires not only that we speak the truth, but that we also know the truth. There are so many different ideas about what truth is in the world today, and it is difficult to uphold the truth of God. People constantly attack Christians because they think Christians believe in a lie. The sad thing is that this is their natural response to Christians today. It is not sad that people oppose Christianity; it is sad that we give them a good reason to. Integrity is more than knowing the truth, it is speaking the truth and also living the truth. How can we expect others to believe in God if our lives don't reflect that we believe in Him?
I hope you learned something from reading about these different values I wrote about. All these values are not easy to practice, and I certainly do not uphold them as I should. I also realize that I did not do the best job writing about these values, but I just tried to write my view on these things. May God help us to live for Him.
-Smart
(P.S. If you ever have anything you would like me to write about, just ask in the comments. I am always open to suggestions and quite frankly I could really use some. Thank you.)
Values (Part Four): Joy
"Rejoice always;"
-1 Thessalonians 5:16
The fourth value that I chose in this activity was joy. As soon as I saw that joy was an option, I knew I had to choose it. What is joy? Often times we think of joy as a kind of happiness, which it certainly is, but it is so much more. Happiness is an emotion, which we feel when something makes us feel good. Joy is feeling pleasure despite our circumstances. I believe it is the character of a person rather than an emotion. It is similar to patience and thankfulness; you can have it, but you can lose it.
Paul commands the Thessalonians to "rejoice always" and to "give thanks in all circumstances". These two are very closely related. Both rejoicing and giving thanks is a choice that we have to make. These are also very difficult things to do, especially if we are not going through good times. This is the difference between happiness and joy; happiness depends on the circumstance. Joy should not depend on the circumstance. Joy means being fulfilled and delighted despite the circumstance.
How can we be joyful even in bad times? The answer is to not find joy in the circumstance. If we are looking for joy in our circumstances, we will never be able to be continually joyful. As a matter of fact, this is true for anything in this world. If we look for joy in our friends, family, job, or money, we will be disappointed. The only way be can be joyful always is by rejoicing in God. God never changes, and He is always good. He is the source of true joy, and He is where our joy can be made complete.
Why is important to be joyful? I think the answer to this is very simple; everyone desires it. Everyone seeks out pleasure and happiness in this world. The proof I have of this statement is the fact that so many people have a need to constantly be connected. People find a certain happiness in being able to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or other social media. Will these things really bring you joy however? The answer is no. These things have the capacity to make us happy, but they also can make us upset, angry, or frustrated. They are not a constant source of joy; they are a constant source of distraction.
God created us to desire Him and have fellowship with Him. However, we have sinned and we fall short of Him everyday. I talk about this all the time, but it so true and so important for us to understand. We try to find our joy in earthly things, but they can never satisfy our desire. Why? Our desire is not for the things of this world, but for God. Only in Him can our joy be made complete.
-Smart
-1 Thessalonians 5:16
The fourth value that I chose in this activity was joy. As soon as I saw that joy was an option, I knew I had to choose it. What is joy? Often times we think of joy as a kind of happiness, which it certainly is, but it is so much more. Happiness is an emotion, which we feel when something makes us feel good. Joy is feeling pleasure despite our circumstances. I believe it is the character of a person rather than an emotion. It is similar to patience and thankfulness; you can have it, but you can lose it.
Paul commands the Thessalonians to "rejoice always" and to "give thanks in all circumstances". These two are very closely related. Both rejoicing and giving thanks is a choice that we have to make. These are also very difficult things to do, especially if we are not going through good times. This is the difference between happiness and joy; happiness depends on the circumstance. Joy should not depend on the circumstance. Joy means being fulfilled and delighted despite the circumstance.
How can we be joyful even in bad times? The answer is to not find joy in the circumstance. If we are looking for joy in our circumstances, we will never be able to be continually joyful. As a matter of fact, this is true for anything in this world. If we look for joy in our friends, family, job, or money, we will be disappointed. The only way be can be joyful always is by rejoicing in God. God never changes, and He is always good. He is the source of true joy, and He is where our joy can be made complete.
Why is important to be joyful? I think the answer to this is very simple; everyone desires it. Everyone seeks out pleasure and happiness in this world. The proof I have of this statement is the fact that so many people have a need to constantly be connected. People find a certain happiness in being able to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or other social media. Will these things really bring you joy however? The answer is no. These things have the capacity to make us happy, but they also can make us upset, angry, or frustrated. They are not a constant source of joy; they are a constant source of distraction.
God created us to desire Him and have fellowship with Him. However, we have sinned and we fall short of Him everyday. I talk about this all the time, but it so true and so important for us to understand. We try to find our joy in earthly things, but they can never satisfy our desire. Why? Our desire is not for the things of this world, but for God. Only in Him can our joy be made complete.
-Smart
Values (Part Three): Goodness
"How great is Your goodness..."
Psalm 31:19
The third value that I chose out of the provided list was goodness. I don't believe I've ever really talked about goodness in my blog before, which is good. I find that it's hard to write about new things these days, because I've written about so many different topics at this point of my blogging life. Anyways, goodness is a bit hard to define. At it's most basic definition, it means being good. What does being good entail? The word "good" can mean desirable, advantageous, or morally right. I think that when we talk about goodness in the sense of it being a value, it refers to being morally right.
Goodness is different from kindness or niceness. The terms "kindness" and "niceness" generally mean someone is pleasing to be around. Nice people make you feel better about yourselves, and they never try to stir up trouble. I believe goodness has an element of kindness in it, but not always so. Someone who displays goodness does good to others, but this does not mean they will be liked for it. As mentioned earlier, goodness refers to moral correctness. One who is good is one who does what is right. They do things for the good of others, even if it means that they won't be appreciated or liked because of it.
I often talk about how people inherently are not good, and are all sinful. This makes it all the more important for us to display goodness in our lives. The obvious question is- how can we have goodness if we by nature are not good? We have to be changed. I wrote about this in my last post which solidifies my reasoning for choosing change as one of my key values. We have to allow God to change us before we display goodness in our lives.
You may be wondering, "wait a minute, does this mean we cannot have goodness without being changed? Aren't there non-believers who display goodness? Yes, there are many people who display elements of goodness in their lives. What is important to realize is why they do good things. Most of the time, people will do good to others to be liked by them. Their main goal is to be liked, and because of this they often do not correct others. Many people believe that goodness is an important quality, but they don't realize the full extent of what that means.
So what is the full extent of goodness? How can we learn it? The answer is to look at Jesus. Jesus was our Good Teacher and Good Shepard. On His life on earth, He gave us the greatest examples of goodness. He healed the sick, drove out demons, and taught the crowds. All these things the people liked; but He also rebuked the Pharisees and ate with sinners. When Jesus did those things, many people did not accept Him, and they ultimately nailed Him to a cross. Even when the people hated Jesus, He still did what was good for them. This kind of lifestyle is not easy, but it is what Jesus calls us to do. Let's pray that we can have true goodness in our lives.
-Smart
Psalm 31:19
The third value that I chose out of the provided list was goodness. I don't believe I've ever really talked about goodness in my blog before, which is good. I find that it's hard to write about new things these days, because I've written about so many different topics at this point of my blogging life. Anyways, goodness is a bit hard to define. At it's most basic definition, it means being good. What does being good entail? The word "good" can mean desirable, advantageous, or morally right. I think that when we talk about goodness in the sense of it being a value, it refers to being morally right.
Goodness is different from kindness or niceness. The terms "kindness" and "niceness" generally mean someone is pleasing to be around. Nice people make you feel better about yourselves, and they never try to stir up trouble. I believe goodness has an element of kindness in it, but not always so. Someone who displays goodness does good to others, but this does not mean they will be liked for it. As mentioned earlier, goodness refers to moral correctness. One who is good is one who does what is right. They do things for the good of others, even if it means that they won't be appreciated or liked because of it.
I often talk about how people inherently are not good, and are all sinful. This makes it all the more important for us to display goodness in our lives. The obvious question is- how can we have goodness if we by nature are not good? We have to be changed. I wrote about this in my last post which solidifies my reasoning for choosing change as one of my key values. We have to allow God to change us before we display goodness in our lives.
You may be wondering, "wait a minute, does this mean we cannot have goodness without being changed? Aren't there non-believers who display goodness? Yes, there are many people who display elements of goodness in their lives. What is important to realize is why they do good things. Most of the time, people will do good to others to be liked by them. Their main goal is to be liked, and because of this they often do not correct others. Many people believe that goodness is an important quality, but they don't realize the full extent of what that means.
So what is the full extent of goodness? How can we learn it? The answer is to look at Jesus. Jesus was our Good Teacher and Good Shepard. On His life on earth, He gave us the greatest examples of goodness. He healed the sick, drove out demons, and taught the crowds. All these things the people liked; but He also rebuked the Pharisees and ate with sinners. When Jesus did those things, many people did not accept Him, and they ultimately nailed Him to a cross. Even when the people hated Jesus, He still did what was good for them. This kind of lifestyle is not easy, but it is what Jesus calls us to do. Let's pray that we can have true goodness in our lives.
-Smart
Values (Part Two): Change
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
-Romans 12:2
The next value that I saw and chose was change. I actually wrote an entire post on this topic, so I'll try to just explain why I chose change as my value rather than explain what change is. To quickly recap, the post talked about the fact that meeting Jesus should change our lives. We shouldn't be living the same life that we've been living before we meet Jesus. Knowing God should change the way we live and change our perspective on life. When Jesus was on the earth, he often said things that the people have never heard before. He was trying to change their thoughts to His thoughts. That is His goal for us as well.
So why did I choose change as one of my top five values? First I have to establish one premise- people are sinful. I write about that a lot, but it's very important to know this because it explains why change is important. People by nature are sinful and broken. God created us to be in constant fellowship with Him, but because of Adam's sin and our sin we broke that relationship. Our thoughts tend towards evil things, which separates us from the Holy God. The Bible says that even "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (Isaiah 64:6)". This means that even when we try to do good things, they still short of God's standards.
Knowing this, it should start to be clear why I believe that change is very important. If we don't change, we naturally we remain in our sinful state. If we remain in our sin, our relationship with God is broken and we can't repair it if we don't change ourselves. Now, I did point out earlier that even our most righteous deeds are not even good in the eyes of God. So does our change even matter then? Of course it does. The real question is how we are supposed to change ourselves. To tell you the truth, we cannot change ourselves, at least in a meaningful and spiritual way.
We can do many things to change our physical life; we can exercise, eat differently, speak differently, or do other things. However, none of things can restore our relationship to God. The only way our relationship can be restored is if God changes us. We just have to be willing to accept His calling in our lives. He wants to change us and restore our relationship. He wants to change us to be instruments for His glory. Change is so important to me because without allowing myself to be changed by God, I am doomed. I know that change is difficult, because it means that I will look different than the world. However, my purpose in life is not be liked and accepted, it is to know Christ. In order to fulfill this purpose, I first have to be changed.
-Smart
-Romans 12:2
The next value that I saw and chose was change. I actually wrote an entire post on this topic, so I'll try to just explain why I chose change as my value rather than explain what change is. To quickly recap, the post talked about the fact that meeting Jesus should change our lives. We shouldn't be living the same life that we've been living before we meet Jesus. Knowing God should change the way we live and change our perspective on life. When Jesus was on the earth, he often said things that the people have never heard before. He was trying to change their thoughts to His thoughts. That is His goal for us as well.
So why did I choose change as one of my top five values? First I have to establish one premise- people are sinful. I write about that a lot, but it's very important to know this because it explains why change is important. People by nature are sinful and broken. God created us to be in constant fellowship with Him, but because of Adam's sin and our sin we broke that relationship. Our thoughts tend towards evil things, which separates us from the Holy God. The Bible says that even "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (Isaiah 64:6)". This means that even when we try to do good things, they still short of God's standards.
Knowing this, it should start to be clear why I believe that change is very important. If we don't change, we naturally we remain in our sinful state. If we remain in our sin, our relationship with God is broken and we can't repair it if we don't change ourselves. Now, I did point out earlier that even our most righteous deeds are not even good in the eyes of God. So does our change even matter then? Of course it does. The real question is how we are supposed to change ourselves. To tell you the truth, we cannot change ourselves, at least in a meaningful and spiritual way.
We can do many things to change our physical life; we can exercise, eat differently, speak differently, or do other things. However, none of things can restore our relationship to God. The only way our relationship can be restored is if God changes us. We just have to be willing to accept His calling in our lives. He wants to change us and restore our relationship. He wants to change us to be instruments for His glory. Change is so important to me because without allowing myself to be changed by God, I am doomed. I know that change is difficult, because it means that I will look different than the world. However, my purpose in life is not be liked and accepted, it is to know Christ. In order to fulfill this purpose, I first have to be changed.
-Smart
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