John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK –  One definition of praise is to joyfully thank and adore God.

There are many expressions of praise among God’s people surrounding the birth of Jesus.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist said, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.”

The heavenly host said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

And after seeing Jesus, the shepherds returned to their fields, glorifying and praising God for what they had heard and seen.

This Christmas season is an opportunity for us to praise God for His  precious gift of grace available through Jesus Christ.

Praise is a quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – To have a sense of wonder is to marvel or have a feeling of awe or admiration.

Sometimes, we see the glitter in the eyes of children enjoying the Christmas season with a sense of wonder.

The first child to capture the wonder of the true meaning of Christ’s birth was John the Baptist. His response to the presence of Jesus is recorded for us in Luke 1, verse 41.  He leaped in his mother’s womb.  Even before John the Baptist was born, he was filled and moved by the Holy Spirit.

The example of John the Baptist reminds us that the birth of Jesus is a reason to jump for joy with a sense of wonder. We are not alone. Immanuel has come. God is with us. Through the gift of Jesus, we have the opportunity to experience God’s peace and grace forever.

Wonder is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Optimism sees the favorable side of events or conditions. Optimism also anticipates the best possible outcome.

Winston Churchill described the difference between a pessimist and optimist this way: The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.

Based on this description, we can be motivated by the optimism of Paul’s faith in the Bible, which propelled him forward in God’s plan.  In Second Corinthians 4:8, he said, “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted; but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”  As we can see from Paul’s statement, optimism does not mean that we deny reality.  However, we do view reality through the lens of God’s effective grace being our source of strength in the midst of life’s difficulties.

Paul also had an optimistic view of the future.  In verse 16 of the same chapter, he said, “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that outweighs them all.”

Optimism is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Sometimes, meekness is seen as a timid characteristic.  We sing of the Christ child being born meek and mild.  Because a baby is frail by nature, we might tend to equate meekness with weakness.  But according to author Dave Harvey, ‘meekness has nothing to do with being weak or passive. Meekness is power harnessed by love.’

This is a particularly strong characteristic when it comes to responding to sin.  With meekness, we entrust ourselves to God, and do not let the sin of others lead us into a sinful response. This involves restraining angry outbursts, keeping a check on the words we use, and refraining from seeking revenge.

Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.”

Meekness is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – To be effervescent is to be vivacious, bubbling with energy and enthusiasm.

In the Christian life, effervescence flows out of a daily, vibrant relationship with Jesus. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. As God’s Spirit moves in us, there is fruit in the form of godly characteristics. Love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, to name a few. The influence of Jesus stirs us to be a radiant witness for Him.

Jesus says in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water flow from within him.”

Effervescence is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – With a childlike faith, we live with the wonder and awe of what Christ has done for us. We rely completely on His grace. We trust hopefully in His promises. What He tells us, we will believe. Where we lack understanding, we ask questions with the sincere desire to learn what Jesus wants to teach us.

Oftentimes, adults think of ways they can be an example for children, but when it comes to faith, Jesus tells the adults to learn from the example of children.

In Matthew 18:2, Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them. Then, He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

A Childlike faith is a humble character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Fruitfulness can be described as “producing good results.”  Jesus talked about fruitfulness in John 15.  He said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”  This happens when we are connected to Jesus just like the branches are connected to the vine. Jesus is the source of our strength, nourishing our souls with His grace and truth, flourishing our witness for Him under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

As we walk with God, He not only saves us from our sins, but also develops our character so that our witness for Jesus has a fruitful impact on other people.

Second Peter, chapter one talks about various character qualities that grow in us as we grow in the Lord. “Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.”

Verse 8 says that “if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Fruitfulness is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Cooperation occurs when a group of individuals work together for a common purpose or benefit.

The church is described as a body-one unit with different parts.  It is necessary for the different parts to be working in cooperation with each other so that the head of the body, Jesus Christ, is honored in our efforts.  There are serious warnings in the Scripture about what will happen if the members of a church do not work together.

Galatians 5:15 says, “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

However, if we back up a verse or two, we see how the church can be a thriving place of ministry and outreach.  “Serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Jesus is the reason that the church exists and the purpose of our mission.  Ephesians 4:16 says, “From Him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Cooperation is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Graciousness is marked by kindness and courtesy. A gracious person is tactful in the way they use words.  They are not intentionally hurtful, but they are intentionally helpful to build up others according to their needs.  Graciousness overflows with mercy and compassion.

Graciousness is found in the person of Jesus Christ.  When we look to Him, He influences us to become gracious people.

Proverbs 22:11 notes that graciousness is the kind of quality that wins over the affection of noble leaders. “He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.”

Here we find a link between the condition of our heart and the choice of our words.  This is where the grace of the Lord Jesus is influential to set our heart free from bitterness and impurity and to guide our speech into gentle, kind, and pleasing words. Graciousness is like a magnet to draw people to the Gospel.

Graciousness is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – To have perception is to understand or recognize something.  A believing heart is essential for recognizing Jesus for who He is.

On one occasion, Jesus referred to the prophet Isaiah to expose the blindness of a hardened heart.  “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

With a responsive heart to God’s Word, the Holy Spirit helps us to grow in our understanding of the Scriptures.  He gives us greater perception to go beyond what is happening in the physical realm to also understand what is happening in the spiritual realm.

Faith and understanding are seeds that lead to spiritual growth.  In the parable of the soils, Jesus said that the person who receives the message of God’s Kingdom with hearing and understanding is the one who produces a crop. That is the productive place to be.

Perception is a character quality that enables us to represent Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com