By David Phillips
More Essentials
Good Monday morning, looks like it’s time for more alphabet soup. We’ve made it through the letter O in our look at Essentials for Christ on Mondays, so let’s grab 5 more.
Preparation. In pretty much any worthwhile endeavor, preparation is one of the basics. But where many things that we may tackle require preparation before getting started, Christianity involves an ongoing process of constant preparation, growth and development. The more we practice it, the stronger it becomes. Effort directed toward prayer, Bible study and pure living all work together to prepare us for our Heavenly reward.
Quietness. In reference to the life of the Christian, there are basically two terms that are translated into English as quiet, quietly, quietness. One, found in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 means tranquility arising from within. …and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands… This is obviously instruction given to us regarding what we are to do, and how to do it. The second term is found in 1 Timothy 2:2 which tells us that we are to pray for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This peaceful and quiet life is something we have no control over, but that we pray for God to furnish in His providence through the work of ruling officials. I daresay this is a feature of Christianity that we may not have given much thought to.
Righteousness. This is perhaps one of the most basic of Biblical terms, one that we surely toss about frequently, and yet without a lot of consideration to its meaning. Essentially defined as the character or quality of being right or just, according to W.E. Vine, it was originally rendered in English as rightwiseness. When used as an attribute of God, it calls attention to His faithfulness or truthfulness (Romans 3:5). The aspect of seeking and obeying it indicates the sum total of the requirements of God (Matthew 6:33). It should be hungered and thirsted after (Matthew 5:3), there are degrees of it (Matthew 5:20), and we can obtain it only because Jesus died for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Selflessness. No explanation needed, just constant, diligent hard work.
Trust. Akin to faith, confidence and even hope, trust is ultimately firm belief in the reliability or strength of God. In 2 Corinthians 3:4, Paul says And such trust we have through Christ to Godward… It is in the very next verse (5) that he reminds us that our sufficiency is of God… Trust is also a hallmark in the relationships we have with one another, particularly in marriage and even friendships. In Hebrews 2:13 the writer says I will put my trust in Him, which is a quotation from Isaiah 8:17. There, it is interestingly rendered, I will wait for the Lord…
Words are significant. Pay attention to them.