Tiny Virtues for Exemplary Christian Living

It’s easy to be mediocre.  It’s hard to be exemplary … especially at the virtues for Christian living.  After all, we’re following Jesus–a guy who was perfect–and we’re trying to be like Him.  I’ve been thinking a lot about what it takes to be exemplary, what virtues are required? 

Looking at lists of virtues, there’s the usual big ticket items on every Christian list:

• Love,
• Grace,
• Hope,
• Compassion,
• Church Attendance.

Actually the last one isn’t there.

I was just checking to see if anyone reads my posts anymore after 15.3 items on politics.  But part way through this new series, you’ll see why I did all 15.3.

Happily I now turn my mind to other things.  One of which is that my husband and I both have annoying movie watching habits when it comes to DVDs.  I watch everything for theology and when I spot it, I make him stop the movie and replay it so I can ponder its value as a sermon illustration or something.  I can watch the same movie a bazillion times, even have parts of the script memorized (OK, the whole script memorized) and still enjoy it every bit as much.  My husband has different movie watching habits.  If he’s seen it once, he has already picked out what his favorite scene is and will use the scene selector option to skip over all the other scenes just to see his favorites.  What makes them favorites, I don’t know unless there’s a car blowing up or something.

One of those scenes has no explosions, just really good acting and a script worth hearing.

They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they’re destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? – – Carpe – – hear it? – – Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.  (John Keating, a role by Robin Williams from Dead Poets Society)

Make your lives extraordinary.  Exemplary.  What does that mean to you?

So we begin a more interesting series today on Tiny Virtues for Exemplary Christian Living.  Exploring the tiny little details that move a life from just good or even excellent in a Christian walk to being one that is truly exemplary. One worthy of the Savior we follow.

Ponder today: the particular value of details

Bible character of the day:  Daniel

Daniel 6:3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.