To hear some of the media tell it, The Bible would seem to be nothing more than a collection bigotries and superstitions to be shed and overcome by a civilized society rather than a book of eternal wisdom for the ages.<\/p>\n
It’s true that individual quotes can be plucked out of The Good Book, by both non-believers and believers, to create the impression of a faith that is judgmental, harsh and unreasonable, but I believe the truth is that it actually continues to provide the basis for both improving society as a whole and and ourselves as individuals.<\/p>\n
I’m no theologian but here are 12 positive ideas from The New Testament that I would like to see the media resolve to put forth and promote in 2011. As values go, I think they beat snarkiness and edge by a wide margin. I know they are ideals I personally resolve to try and live up to.<\/p>\n
1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all 2. Love your neighbor as yourself<\/a><\/b>.<\/a> 3.<\/b> Do to others as you would have them do to you.<\/font><\/b><\/a> 4. Judge not, that ye be not judged.<\/a> 5. Remember that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound 6. Love.<\/a> If I speak in the tongues <\/sup>of men or of angels, Love is patient, love is kind. Love never fails. But where And now these three remain: 7. Show mercy and help others when you can.<\/a><\/b> 8. Develop your talents and use your resources.<\/a> 9. Extend<\/a> and accept God’s infinite forgiveness.<\/a><\/b> Also, if we are honest, we all have failed others — and failed God — at some point in our lives. We all need forgiveness. Fortunately, God’s mercy is limitless.<\/a> There is absolutely nothing we can do and nowhere we can go to shake it. It is always there. We just need to acknowledge our need for it, ask for it and accept it. And, by the Grace of God, it is always within our ability to do so. I know I need it, ask for it and accept it and that it’s there for you too.<\/p>\n 10. Exercise the Fruit of the Spirit<\/a>.<\/b>
\nyour mind.<\/a><\/b>
Remembering this helps us to remember that there is something greater than ourselves. By loving and respecting God above all else, we human beings will avoid becoming laws unto ourselves and, ultimately, creating human laws that are harsher than anything God would wish upon us.<\/p>\n
Jesus called these first two the greatest of all the commandments because all the others rest on them. So, it’s fair to say that if we love God and sincerely want the best for others and ourselves we will naturally tend to follow the 10 Commandments<\/a>. Therefore, we get our priorities straight (as in putting no gods before God), use the name of God respectfully (and for honorable reasons), keep a day of rest (to keep ourselves healthy to better serve God, as well as the needs of others and ourselves) and honor our parents (and our ancestors on whose shoulders we stand, learning from their faith, trials and errors). We’ll also avoid killing, breaking promises, stealing, lying and jealousy.<\/p>\n
Taking a moment to sincerely attempt to see issues through the eyes of others would avoid a lot of unnecessary conflict and lead to solutions that meet everyone’s concerns. As the poem Desiderata<\/a> puts it: Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull
\nand the ignorant; they too have their story. <\/i><\/p>\n
<\/b>Thinking about certain behaviors and arriving at a prayerful conclusions about whether or not they are positive is called growing up. But we have no right to judge others regarding their choices or their relationship with God. As the passage goes on to say, we are best advised to consider the beam in our own eyes before going all holier than thou on others.<\/p>\n
\nmind.<\/a>
<\/b>God wants us to bravely confront life, not be afraid of pursuing the positive power of our dreams and to always remain sane. The Bible is about lifting people up and should never be used to put down ourselves or others. <\/p>\n
<\/b>This passage (Corinthians 13) says it all:<\/p>\n
\nbut do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can
\nfathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move
\nmountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. but do not have love,
\nI gain nothing.
\n<\/i> If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my
\nbody to hardship that I may boast,<\/p>\n
\nIt does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it
\nis not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always
\ntrusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
\n<\/i> Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the
\ntruth. <\/p>\n
\nthere are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be
\nstilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in
\npart disappears. When I was a
\nchild, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
\nWhen I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then
\nwe shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as
\nI am fully known.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
\nfaith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.<\/i><\/p>\n
As The Parable of the Good Samaritan<\/i><\/a> suggests we are truly Christians when we live out our beliefs in kind action. Actions do speak louder than words. Whatever the particular religion, politics or lifestyle of the Samaritan, what was important to God was that he showed compassion to an individual in need (whose religion, politics or lifestyle is also unimportant to the moral). <\/p>\n
<\/b>As The Parable of the Talents\/Bags of Gold<\/a> tells us, God wants us to develop and use what we have been given so that, through the Grace of God, we may give back more than we have been given.<\/p>\n
The Bible offers numerous quotes on the importance of forgiving others who trespass against us. Forgiving others is a kindness to the transgressor but it also is a means of freeing ourselves from past hurts.<\/p>\n
That is, develop the attributes of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the qualities that lead to freedom.<\/p>\n