core values

1. Honesty
2. Forgiveness
3. Fidelity Faithfulness to obligations or duties
4. Giving - servitude.
Sometime back I came across the thought about core values for a Christian. The above 4 items seem to be things that should be a core value. There may be more and if I identify more I will add to this blog but for now I think these 4 values should be in the life of every Christian. Honesty seems to be a no brainer. I have discovered in my life that I wasn't as honest as I thought. I sometimes had subjective honesty or hold back part of the truth. Maybe I didn't out right lie, but by with holding some of the truth we can manipulate things our way. That is why I called it subjective. I think true honesty should be a core value and not just aspirational. Having a forgiving spirit should also be a core value. It is an absolute necessity. I have written several blogs on this subject. Fidelity is another area that I feel is a core value. Fidelity in marriage, faithfulness in obligations and duties. I don't think anything has hurt me as deeply as infidelity. Giving, who has ever been more giving than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are to imitate him. I never thought of core values for a Christian until sometime back. I was familiar with the term, many companies including the one I worked for identified core values for their businesses. It seemed to make sense. Then why not core values for a Christian? There are issues we can disagree on between believers, but there are others that are fundamental to our faith and absolute like a forgiving spirit. I thought it would be easy to identify core values but I'm not sure my list is complete. One thing I am still pondering in my mind is resurrection. It is a belief that is also fundamental to our faith. Read I Corinthians 15; if there is no resurrection than our faith is in vain, we are still in our sins. Verse 19 says we are of all people most miserable if in this life only we have hope. But I still have not added it to the list, still thinking it thru.  It doesn't quite fit. We can be honest or dishonest, we can be forgiving or unforgiving, we can be faithful or unfaithful. we can be giving or selfish. Even though I feel, believing in the resurrection is a fundamental belief, it doesn't fit the same pattern. Can you be unresurrected? Even the unbelieving dead will be resurrected some day to face God. Maybe I just don't know how to explain it properly. Its a belief but not a value? God bless, LVZ.