The Benefits of Good Character

 

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” Proverbs 31:25 NIV

The Wife of Noble Character is a surprisingly modern example of a successful woman. She gets up before dawn and begins her work of spinning and weaving, she provides food for her family and servants, she feeds the poor, she buys a field and plants a vineyard.  Her business acumen makes her enough money that she does not have to ration her candles.  She makes warm clothes for her family and servants, and sells fine garments she has sewn. Her strength, dignity, intelligence and diligence have given her stability and financial security. Even if her husband died, she would still be able to care for herself and her family. She is a woman who has invested in developing her character and abilities. Her husband, children, and fellow townspeople  respect her wisdom and commitment to her family. Interestingly, in the twenty-one verses that describe her, no mention is made of her physical appearance. It is not important. She understands that beauty is fleeting and that it is good character that will last and bless her family and friends. We live in a society obsessed with outward beauty. How sad that we don’t value good judgment and moral uprightness. What a shallow measure of a person is physical attractiveness.

I thank God for my wrinkles and gray hairs that attest to the gift of long life He has given me.  I will remember that trusting in God  will greatly lessen any anxieties I might have in unsettled times, and that my faith  will help me to laugh and be joyful even as I reflect on my aging body.

Love Is Not

 

 “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”  1 Corinthians 13:6 NIV

Evil. What exactly does that mean? To fully understand this verse, one must understand what evil is. The Merriam-Webster definition is that evil is something that brings sorrow, distress or calamity. The Oxford dictionary gives the definition as profound immorality or wickedness. I would suggest that evil is anything that goes against God’s righteousness. Notice in this verse that evil is not compared with goodness but with truth because real goodness is always based in truth. What masquerades as goodness in our society is very often not good at all. Take for instance the question of divorce. Marriages break down for many reasons, some significant, some insignificant but they never breakdown because there was too much love. Rather it is because there was too much anger, too much selfishness, too much adultery .Yet often divorce is portrayed as something good. At some level though people feel disquieted about it because we do not regularly have celebrations for divorce. Even the most amicable separations leave behind hurt, disappointment, distrust and confusion. Children rarely rejoice in their parents’ divorce. At best, we can say that divorce is perhaps a lesser evil in an already evil situation. True love does not delight in divorce, no matter what.

I pray that I will not be deluded by the falsehoods of the current wave of thinking that puts one’s selfish desires, pride, and ambition ahead of everyone else. I pray that God will soften my heart so that I will think more about what is good for others. Jesus gave us the perfect example. I pray that I will desire to be like Him.

Either Way It's All Good

 "I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ , which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." Philippians 1:23-24 NIV

In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul expresses his desire to be with Christ to the full extent that life after death would afford him, but he also recognizes how important his teaching and example is to the young church. Death does not evoke any fear in Paul as he looks forward to a deeper relationship with Christ in heaven.  His life, full of challenges and adventures, has cemented his deep faith in the love of his Lord for him, and also his love for the Lord.  Alongside his love of God is his love of people and he readily embraces a delay in his departure from this life because he wants to bless the people around him.  He wants them to experience a loving relationship with God and have an assurance of eternal life with Him after they die . For Paul, either situation is a positive one. With Christ in his heart, this life or the life to come are both blessed by love.

I thank God that He has given me a peace about dying. I thank Him for showing me his love so that I can be assured of his continued love after I leave this earthly body. As I get older, I can feel excited that every day I am getting closer to seeing my Lord face to face. In the meantime, I will try to follow God's leading for this life so that I can be a blessing in this world.

Calamity

"those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them- do you think they were more guilty than the others living in Jerusalem?"

Hardly a week goes by without a calamity occurring somewhere in the world. Floods, fires, earthquakes, collapsing buildings, etc. happen repeatedly, and yet there is often an expression of surprise when they do happen as if nothing like that had ever come to pass before. People will comment that someone, who they believe was a good person, died in a disaster. "Why?" is the perennial question. Jesus clarifies these situations for us by saying that being affected by a tragedy is not a  measure of someone's spiritual guilt or righteousness. In fact, how and when we die or suffer is not a reflection of our relationship with God. Our justification by Christ is demonstrated not by the length of our life but the quality of our life, especially by the love that we extend to others. Except for John, none of the apostles lived to be old but they were clearly living godly lives.

I pray that I will not get caught up in the worldly notion that our main goal in life should be to live as long as possible. I hope that I will not make an idol out of health. I pray that I will not fall into the lie of believing that misfortune befalls people because of some guilt on their part, or that "goodness" will protect me and my loved ones from suffering and death.

The Pearl

"the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46 NIV

The merchant wasn't given the pearl by someone else.  He had to go searching for it himself and he had to recognize himself that this particular pearl was of great value, so much so that he sold everything so he could buy it. In the same way, we must search for the kingdom of heaven and when we are confronted with the gospel of Jesus' saving grace, we have to value it and make it our treasure.  Although the merchant was probably not looking for pearls in their natural state, it is interesting that an oyster shell is very plain and only when it is pried open does one see the beautiful pearl inside. At a quick glance, the gospel might seem drab and hard but when it is pried open with careful reflection the pearl of God's goodness is clear to see.

Thank you, Lord, for your precious scriptures that are jewels for us to cherish. I pray that I won't tire of hunting for more pearls of wisdom and that I will share them with others.