Life Marks: BEYOND THE TRASH
The New Testament spends a great deal of time talking about developing our character so that our lives will reflect the character of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit enters a person’s life, there are plenty of changes that need to take place as we move from the “old man” to the “new creation” in Christ. Everyone who is a new creation becomes increasingly uncomfortable with trash, and God’s desire is that we get rid of those character traits that are detrimental to ourselves and to our relationships, including our relationship with God. Negative traits like bitterness, wrath, slander, malice, anger, and unforgiveness need to be removed. Only when we get rid of the negative stuff can God fill us with the good stuff. So, let’s move “Beyond the Trash” and talk about those character traits that will cause us to become more like Jesus.
Before Christ transformed his life, the Apostle Paul knew what “trash” was all about. He was a prideful, bitter, and angry religious leader who was out to destroy all those who followed Christ. And that’s why, in most of his letters to the churches, he talks about character traits that are “worthy” of a follower of Christ. To the church in Colossae, he exhorted them to “…put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, and love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (Col. 3:10-14). And to the church in Ephesus, Paul encouraged them to “…walk in a manner worthy of our calling with all humility, gentleness, patience, showing forbearance to one another in love.…” (Eph. 4:1-3). And then to the churches in Galatia, Paul exhorted them to exhibit the “fruit of the Spirit,” including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). And to the church in Philippi, Paul gave an entire illustration of Jesus leaving heaven and coming to earth as the most noteworthy example of humility, a character trait that we are to all possess (Phil. 2:3-8). And to the same church, Paul told them that he himself had learned to be content in all circumstances, knowing that God would supply all his needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:11-13,19).
As you can see, the list of godly character traits is quite extensive, and developing each trait in our lives is what it means to move “Beyond the Trash.” You see, the Christian life is so much more than “getting rid” or “giving up,” it’s about adding quality to one’s life. It’s about adding qualities that will bless others and honor God. It’s about becoming a source of light because of Christ’s light within you. It’s about shining in the darkness for others to see and be drawn to.
You might be saying, “But the list is so long. I don’t even know where to begin.” Believe it or not, there is a place to begin. There is one of these qualities that is foundational for all the others. I think that you probably know what it is – yes, it’s LOVE. The Apostle Paul says that it is the greatest of all Christian virtues, even more significant than hope or faith. Why is this? It was because of God’s LOVE for us that Jesus came into the world in the first place (Jn. 3:16). It wasn’t His wisdom (although it was surely involved), it wasn’t His compassion (although it was certainly there), nor was it His mercy (although it that was certainly there too). No, it was His LOVE.
It’s no wonder that Jesus told His disciples that the greatest of all commandments is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Mt. 22:37-40). And here is something pretty amazing, Jesus told His disciples that LOVE is the one character trait by which all people would recognize that they are His followers (Jn. 13:34-35). It’s not about an abundance of Bible knowledge or a perfectly crafted theology, but it’s about LOVE.
There is much for us to learn about LOVE, so for the next few weeks, we will be learning about different aspects of this great Christian virtue. I hope that you will join me.
