Think tank: "virtue"

Rhododendron--a short-lived beauty in our climate, but oh! How amazing!

Returning to a series on Philippians 4:8.

We tend to clothe the word “virtue” in high-collared long dresses with lots of buttons and lace that a household of maids kept mended and ironed. Really, it’s not a Victorian thing that’s gone the way of suffocating corsets and other indignities of long-ago fashion.Virtue is very contemporary.  It’s a total expression of a godly lifestyle. Dwight L. Moody, the great 19^th century evangelist, once said, “A holy life will make the deepest impression.  Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.” Biblical “virtue” is moral excellence. 

Virtue starts with our standing for Christ, and proceeds with His standing beside us. The first is salvation; the second is what some term “sanctification.”  It’s the growing process of becoming Christ-like in what we do and say. 

In his book How to Reach Your Full Potential for God (Nelson, 2009), Charles Stanley identifies that progression. He noted that research has determined that our minds process about 12,000 thoughts a day.  That’s 4.4 million thoughts a year.  We determine what thoughts will become action. As Christians we need to take charge of our thoughts and choose to dwell on those that honor Christ and His call on our life.  Stanley suggests:

*Thinking about what Christ has done for us by dying on the cross: forgiveness of sin, freedom from guilt and shame.
*Contemplating our future home with Him in Heaven.  That’s all and everything “virtuous” in one amazing package!
 

Besides these good and hopeful thoughts, Stanley warns against choosing dark, negative thoughts:

Impure, demeaning, angry, bitter, resentful, lustful, manipulative, and greedy thoughts are not part of who you are in Christ.  Don’t relive your hurtful experiences. Avoid bringing them up from your memory to chew on them again.  Ungodly thinking doesn’t fit the profile of a godly person, so turn off any ideas that could take root and lead you astray. (pp. 82-83)

If there be any virtue…we surely find it in the Bible’s composite of a godly woman, the “Virtuous Woman” of Proverbs 31. Busy lady! But the verse that always stands out to me is the one describing how her thought life and her mouth reflect virtue:

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. (Proverbs 31:26)
This lady knew how to live honorably and weigh her words!  If there was any virtue, she thought on those things…then spoke golden words.

 Anyone up for a Proverbs 31 review?

 

Next: "any praise"