Your Christian Life, Part III (CC-8)
This is the last post about the Christian life. It deals with the duty of Christians to walk in Jesus' footsteps and to do the ministry and mission work required by the faith. These activities will provide great meaning to their lives.
Before I start the discussion, I'd like to reproduce the review published by Aimee Ann on her website "red headed book lover."
"The Diamond Soul is a remarkable book that stands out amongst the self-help & Christian book genre thanks to the sensational themes laced throughout and the exceptional author, George Vasilca. The Diamond Soul is an interesting book that is full of incredible wisdom that will help many readers dive deep within and become the best possible version of themselves. If you are a reader who is struggling to find your way and want guidance then The Diamond Soul is for you as its lessons and teachings will help you lead a happy, Christ-filled life! I already recommend this lovely book to you lovely readers, however if you need more convincing then continue to read to learn more about the wonderful The Diamond Soul!
The Diamond Soul is a beautiful, life-changing, and inspirational self-help book with a message of Christ that will appeal to those that are already followers of Christ, or those that are interested in doing so. In The Diamond Soul, the reader will learn how to mold their being and personality to be the best Christlike person possible. In it, the author George Vasilca will share how the Holy Spirit plays a part in our lives and individual journeys, but how we can learn core values that even Jesus had. It is an incredible book that is perfect for anyone regardless of your religious stance because everyone can learn from George and learn the core values of people like Jesus! So it truly is a book not to be missed.
The wisdom courtesy of George Vasilca laced throughout The Diamond Soul is sensational and actually awe-worthy. As I read Vasilca’s book, I was engrossed and wanting to know more, whenever a question would pop up in my mind while reading this book it was eventually answered by Vasilca, and so it truly is a beautiful reading experience!
The information and knowledge laced throughout The Diamond Soul is impeccable, and I am impressed by just how much knowledge there is! Although The Diamond Soul is full of a wealth of information, all the information is useful as well as relevant to the topics explored so do not worry readers that you will be bombarded with information as this does not happen in this book!
As The Diamond Soul is a book full of wisdom, it is also mixed with phenomenal literature courtesy of the wonderful George Vasilca; Vasilca’s words are incredible, and they will flow flawlessly from beginning to end! So as The Diamond Soul is a perfect, inspirational, and helpful self-help guide, I have no choice but to award this brilliant book five stars! Be sure to have a read of the preview below book lovers; you will not regret it!"
Your Walking in the steps of Jesus Christ.
To most Christians, walking in Jesus' footsteps should mean only two things: building a character like his and acting like him. When we say "only two things," it may sound like a small task, but it implies a significant life-long endeavor. We use this phrase to help us select from the considerable body of Bible truths those which are most meaningful to us as ordinary believers. Every Christian man or woman should aspire to be like Jesus and be capable of living a life mirroring Jesus' teachings. Why is that? Because we are called to do it, because it should be our passion, and because it is our destiny. It will give great meaning to our lives. This task will indeed require above-average dedication, perseverance, and patience, but you can do it. Then there is the question of why, "Why should you become like Jesus?" The answer comes straight from the Bible:
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son..." (Romans 8:29)
Your Christlike Character becomes your Moral Compass.
Building a Christlike character is the result of the most profound process of personal change. From a biblical perspective, this miraculous metamorphosis can be explained this way: As we let the Holy Spirit enter us, we absorb his teachings and allow him to act upon us. Thus, we receive the truth and become transformed by it. Then slowly, as the Christlike character inside us grows more robust, the Holy Spirit begins emanating from us like radiating rays. This is the phase during which we release the truth, thus transforming others. Therefore, we can say that we build our character by receiving and accepting the Holy Spirit. Then, when our character has been fully developed, we start giving out the truth through the Holy Spirit. This now becomes your unfailing moral compass.
Which are those traits of Jesus' character that appeal the most to you? It will depend on your personality and circumstances; therefore, it will differ from believer to believer. In the chapter titled "On the Character of Jesus," of my book "The Diamond Soul: 5 Stepping Stones to Christlike Character", we learned that scholars had identified twenty-two attributes of Jesus' character. They are many and perfect because Jesus was perfect. We mortals cannot possibly expect to become exactly like him because he was God. But we should select a few of these features that we feel match well our temperament, and begin incorporating them into our new character. But we should be cautious while selecting them; we must be in permanent touch with the Holy Spirit to ensure that what we choose is aligned with God's plan for us.
The Diamond Soul book is an invitation, a challenge, and a training manual to mature spiritually and become a humble servant of Christ. It will put you on the wondrous path of discovering and growing into the person the Almighty wants you to be. You can regard the Diamond Soul as a Bible-based, well-integrated, and sequential personal development training program. It is a roadmap on changing yourself and building a new character that must meet two essential criteria: it should be Christlike, and it should serve you well in the temporal world. Your new nature must allow you to grow in Christ and, at the same time, to become a mature person in the eyes of the world. What does the last phrase mean? Being mature means (i) knowing who you are, (ii) having a clear direction in life, (iii) being disciplined, and (iv) having wisdom.
One can visualize the structure of the Christian character as three concentric circles. The inner circle, or the core, is composed of the heavenly virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity. The core is surrounded by another circle holding four more Christian values: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude. Together, they make the great seven Christian virtues, which lay at the foundation of Christian life. These virtues must be learned, understood, internalized, developed, and protected. If you lose them, you're no longer a living Christian; you become a dead soul and deprived human being.
The last and outer circle contains derivative virtues. These derivative virtues must be described by words taken from the temporary world's vocabulary to be understood by it. They are many, and all are gained from the seven core virtues. Here are a few examples of derivative virtues: creativity, integrity, confidence, humor, punctuality, honesty, hard-working, loyalty, politeness, thoughtfulness, curiosity, self-control, purity, vitality, and so on.
As you start building your Christlike character, keep this fundamental truth in mind: You cannot do it alone; the Holy Spirit must guide you. In fact, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting, but you must cooperate with him. Character building is a collaborative process between the Holy Spirit and you. Your new character includes all the Fruits of the Spirit as well as derivative values easily understood and appreciated by the temporary world. For this reason, the character that results from this collaborative work is called Diamond Soul Character. Like a real raw diamond that requires extended time, intense temperature, and pressure to form in the earth's bowels, the moral character also takes time, adverse circumstances, and persistence to take shape in the human soul.
Moreover, same as the expert diamond cutter needs skills, tools, and time to facet a raw diamond to bring out its beauty, so the Diamond Soul character requires time, skills, and patience to polish its many facets. But in the end, in contrast to the real diamond that reflects outside light falling on it, the Diamond Soul character has its inner light that shines outwardly. While the natural diamond is a material object without life, the Diamond Soul character is a living entity that provides energy through the Holy Spirit.
REMEMBER:
YOUR DIAMOND SOUL CHARACTER CAN ONLY BE BUILT
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Your Ministry gives Meaning to Life.
Ministry is what we are called to do as Christians as we serve the Body of Christ. The ministry's scope is discussed at some length in my book regarding the meaning of a purpose-driven life. At its core, the ministry is about applying Christ's principles into our daily lives when dealing with fellow believers. We should support them, we should cooperate with them, and we should worship together with them. The following are some practical examples of what you can do daily.
(i) In the family: create and maintain an atmosphere of openness, camaraderie, and support in the family; spend quality one-on-one time with your spouse, children, and close friends regularly; give thanks before each meal with your family; reserve time for devotion and prayer every day.
(ii) At church: attend church regularly; volunteer your time to fulfill the church's needs; participate in small fellowship activities; support your church financially.
(iii) In the neighborhood: be an example of Christian character, faith, and behavior; socialize regularly with your Christian neighbors; be sensitive to their needs and offer help; initiate activities to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.
(iv) At work: be a role model of ethical conduct and integrity.
REMEMBER:
YOUR MINISTRY IS TO SERVE FELLOW CHRISTIANS.
Your Mission gives Meaning to Life
Mission is what we are called to do as Christians as we interface with the unbelieving world. At its core, the task is about applying Christ's principles into our daily lives when dealing with unbelievers. We should befriend them, we should cooperate with them, and we should share the Good News with them. The following are some practical examples of what you can do daily.
(i) In the family, assuming you have members of your direct or extended family who have not received Jesus Christ: create and maintain an atmosphere of openness, camaraderie, and support in the household; do not discriminate in any way against unbelievers; give thanks before each meal; spend quality one-on-one time with all members of your family.
(ii) in the neighborhood: be an example of Christian character, faith, and behavior; socialize regularly with your all neighbors; do not discriminate; be sensitive to their needs and offer help; initiate activities to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.
(iii) at work: be an example of ethical conduct; be courteous, polite, and helpful to everyone; if in a leadership position, treat believers and unbelievers in a similar fashion; become a servant leader by using your moral authority; if necessary, defend the faith in a smart, courteous yet firm way.
(iv) If you're on an evangelizing mission out of town, establish trust by befriending and helping people first. Only then bring up faith gently and naturally. Discuss issues of faith in a piece-by-piece fashion, do not overwhelm your interlocutor. You will know that your efforts bear fruits when the unbeliever comes to you to ask more questions about God.
REMEMBER:
YOUR MISSION IS TO SERVE, INFLUENCE,
AND CONVERT FELLOW UNBELIEVERS.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and will benefit from its message. Please subscribe to my weekly Diamond Soul newsletter which will deliver informative and inspiring articles into your inbox every Monday. Thank you!
Useful links: Rick Warren