Dave’s Monday Blast – April 3, 2023

Good Morning Men of Intention,

I read an article the other day from the Denison Forum entitled “5 Prayers for Eulogy Virtues to Prepare for your Funeral” (denisonforum.org March 9, 2023).  No, I am not passing in the near future…as far as I know, but as I read the article in light of Easter, I considered the value of these virtues in a way unintended.

Here are the virtues: Humility, Gratitude, Hope, Faithfulness, and Joy. Consider these virtues in light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

Humility: The author of the article reminds us that the opposite of humility is pride. We read in Proverbs 6 that pride is humankind’s core depravity. It is subtle, resilient, and persuasive. Jesus’ life was the very definition of humility, surrendering all vestige of pride as He took on human form to accomplish the redemptive plan of God (Philippians 2:7 & 8).
Gratitude:  The author writes that life is about the redemption of our expectations, a battle of disappointment, and the temptation of resentment. He writes: “Thankfulness is the underappreciated, underutilized spiritual discipline missing in many souls. We think that gratitude appears and disappears as a mysterious feeling. Instead, gratitude is commanded and must be chosen and cultivated. Gratitude is too rare” (Luke 17:15 – 19). Truly, Jesus was grateful for the opportunity and privilege of dying for us to redeem us from our sins (Romans 5:8). 
Hope:  The resurrection of Jesus is our source of hope. A Christ-centered faith is the bedrock of our optimism. I confess that at times I feel as the desperate father in Mark 9:24; “I believe, help my unbelief.”  Our author writes: “His resurrection allows us to claim the promises of a bright and fully redeemed future.”
Faithful: Hebrews 1:3 states that He provided purification for our sins and then He sat down at the right hand of God. The imagery is very powerful here. The act of sitting simply indicates that the task was done. The place of sitting is symbolic of position, i.e. the right hand of the ruler implied equality. Jesus was faithful to accomplish His role in the redemptive plan and when finished His long awaited plan for our restoration was complete.
Joy: On the night before His crucifixion we read in Luke 22:44 that Jesus inquired of the Father while praying in the Garden for this cup to be taken from me. Of course it was the will of the Father that Jesus should suffer and die for us. According to Hebrews 12:2 that it was His joy to endure the cross and suffer the shame of sin for us. The author defines joy as being content in the circumstances and conditions that God allows or sends according to His will.

Jesus certainly embodied these virtues during His life, through His sacrificial death, and by His resurrection. During this week, meditate upon the character of Christ and remember that you are to bear His image as His Ambassador. His defining virtues need be ours!