There is Christian self-orientation that seems mysterious, but, when lived, seems also to be quite superior to the appeal of what may be called a natural orientation. There is overlap between the natural and the Christian in numerous factors, but the differences are significant and life changing for the person who may have previously lived only in a natural context. The humanistic context is marked by both affirmatives and negatives that often bring us to self-contradiction, even self-competition. In that circumstance we may show one side today and another tomorrow. Rightly cast, the negatives suggest the affirmatives as illustrated in the Ten Commandments. The negative: Do not bear false witness, is a negative cast for an affirmative: Always tell the truth. There are some factors we know about the mystery of God that can be managed by the human mind, such as love, truth, peace, righteousness, that are embedded in God’s nature. One of his purposes in the maturation of Christians is to cultivate the human counterparts of the factors of his own nature in us. That seems logical in the analogy of good parents attempting to nurture their children in the values of the family. They are poor parents who have inadequate values of their own to instill in their children. The tragedy seems great too for Christian parents who do not live adequately the Christian attitudes, so fail to instill them. God is in his work, desirous of instilling the affirmative Christian life factors in his children. He works with us to accomplish what is right to life.
Offering thanks is godly affirmation. In recent decades there have appeared studies that show the attitude of thanksgiving has contributed to better and longer life for those who genuinely practice the thankful life. There is a thankfulness for what is given us even in hurt and tragedy from which, when balanced, becomes improvement factors to our lives. Thanksgiving is necessary to a consistently happy life. Even secular students of the matter prove benefits in thanksgiving.
Prayer is godly affirmation. Meditation is the secular option. Just one among many of the values of prayer is an attitude toward problem solving. Problems aggravate many persons, make them lash out, accuse, make excuses, but the understanding person of prayer uses it to solve issues. In the process that person is molded to become something of a problem solver. Instead of reacting in anger to anything, the response is that we need to take it to God in prayer. Prayer helps us gain self-control, patience, objectivity, so as to address the problems sensibly in restful spirit.
The Fruit of the Spirit is godly affirmation. Virtues are lined up by the Apostle Paul, and he did not include them all. We find them as we go along. The figure of speech has some miracle and humor in it. We are told to gain the Fruit, not the Fruits, of the Holy Spirit. So it is that on this tree (the Christian) there appear many fruits in combo – as the fruit of love, peace, patience, and the list grows long. They are joined as a combination of virtues that make the person a holistic Christian in balance – nurtured from many virtues (fruits) related to the nature of God.
We ought to make these factors automatic to our lives. (Habit is a major accent for this page.) Habits begin as suggestions, even commandments, but they can be absorbed so we automatically put forward our best selves. If we were to meet the most respected person in the world we would likely work at being the person most acceptable to that person. We would be readily polite, eager to meet some appropriate request, humble to listen more than to be listened to so to be improved even beyond our present affirmative circumstances. That might be crowned with the words from the Lord to the person: Enter into the joy of the Lord. (Matthew 25:21, 23) *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020