Knowing Ourselves
Know Your Core Values – Part 2
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:5-11
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1:10
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.
Today we begin the study of what our core values are when we follow Jesus. It is vitally important to verbalize them, study them, and make every effort to improve our daily performance of them. The first core value of Christ followers is goodness, according to the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 1:5). The original Greek word, translated here as good, is often translated as virtue. Dictionary.com defines virtue as a conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude. Is there any better core value for a Christ follower than goodness or virtue?
Some questions we must ask ourselves often are: am I living out the core value of moral excellence (goodness)? Do I live according to the ethical principles of God’s Word? Am I making every effort to improve on the inner core value of goodness that God put within me when Jesus saved me? Jesus’ presence in our lives plants the seeds of the core values He wants us to have and live by. Peter is saying it is our job to grow them.
How does a person go about growing the seed of goodness in their lives? In my opinion, growth of any of the seeds we are going to be talking about comes from catching ourselves when we fail and determining to do better. Demanding perfection brings on discouragement, and ultimately defeat. Demanding growth makes all things possible. We will never live out these core values perfectly; we are trapped in “cracked vessels.” The Apostle Paul reminds us that we have Jesus in “fragile clay jars” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We won’t do “perfection” until we get to our eternal home. Until then, we simply demand growth in our daily walk with God. When you see that you have made a decision that is NOT morally good, repent, learn from it and go forward. (Continued)
Father, I will live morally good today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.