Virtue – what’s that?

Today I was reminded of this 80’s Banana Rama Song: Love, Truth and Honesty – I just love it! How many of us have issues with any of these virtues?

• Generosity (sure, if I have extras… just don’t expect my last stick of gum)
• Honesty (No problem – I’ll tell you if you have broccoli in your teeth or if you have halitosis)
• Gentleness (ohno love, ouch, okay finish making the cookies and we’ll take care of your burn!)
• Contentment (YUP – I’m fine sitting all day blogging and drinking coffee)

When you have cash flowing, or plenty of a particular material, it’s easy to share. When you’re happy, it’s easy to be kind. Telling the truth is easy if isn’t going to affect you negatively. But what about when things are tougher and it requires sacrifice? If something was going to adversely effect you – give you the SMACK-DOWN, would that affect you ability to keep these virtues? Are you able to be content in what God has given you?

I stopped to ponder these as I was reading about John baptizing people, and after they would ask how to proceed. He told them to practice those Christian Virtues. The trick is being able to do them, all the time, But HONESTLY, as parents, when our teenagers are testing us…I’m a lot of things, but I don’t think GENTLE is one of them. #lotsaprayin’

¹¹ … “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” ¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized… ¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” ¹⁴ Likewise the soldiers asked him… So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely and be content with your wages.”

Luke 3:11-14 (NKJV)