Our theme for this month: “Being a virtuous person”
Our Bible verse for today: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Biblical virtues often seem foolish to the world.”
Sometimes we can’t understand a thing until we actually experience it. I can try to describe for you what it’s like to jump out of an airplane at 13,000 feet, but until you’ve experienced it for yourself you won’t really know. A new father can tell you what it was like to stand side-by-side with the doctor as he assisted in the birth of his first child. But until you’ve had that experience for yourself you won’t really understand the emotions involved.
Some things just have to be experienced in order to be understood. Christianity is like that. A person won’t really understand or appreciate what it’s like to have a close relationship with Jesus, until they have that relationship for themselves. They can hear other people describe what it’s like for them, and they can see the difference it has made in the other person’s life, but they won’t really get-it until they have that relationship too.
The same holds true for living a life of moral excellence based upon Biblical principles. Those of us who have the Holy Spirit of God living in our hearts and who know what it’s like to be in a love relationship with Jesus, we know and understand the deep driving desire to live in a way that honors and pleases our heavenly Father. But to the world such behavior often appears to be foolish.
Your friend might ask in astonishment, “That pretty woman was flirting with you, offering herself to you, and you turned her down because you didn’t want to be unfaithful to your wife? Are you nuts? Who does that?” Well, a godly man who loves his wife does that, that’s who.
Likewise, if you tell the truth when a lie would have been easier and more to your personal advantage, the world will often shake their collective heads and consider you naïve. If you object to an X-rated bookstore doing business in your community some will think of you as a narrow-minded prude. If you faithfully attend church every Sunday rather than treating Sunday like a second Saturday, you’re a religious nut. Why would you want to live like that?
Some things just have to be experienced to be understood. The message of the cross, and living in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, is often seen as naïve and foolish to those who don’t know Jesus. But to those of us who do know Him, it’s the only conduct that makes any sense.
Living a virtuous life of moral excellence based upon Biblical principles will sometimes seem foolish to the world. But that’s okay, be virtuous anyway.
Oak Hill Baptist Church