Values that Matter
God wants us to allow his love to flow through us. In Jesus’ teachings, our relationship with God is inseparable from our relationship with others. Jesus tells us that loving God and other people are the most important commandments. He says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).With this spirit of love in mind, Saint Lucas has created a character education program that is based on biblical truths. The program enables students to learn about core Christian values and to think through how to put their faith into practice, including making good choices when faced with difficult situations.
This year, we are focusing our attention on the following nine Christian values:
Respect
“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God” (I Peter 2:17).
Forgiveness
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Matthew 18-21-22).
Excellence
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
Responsibility
“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
Generosity (Time, Talent, Treasure)
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others” (I Peter 4:10).
Self-control
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8).
Gratitude
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:18).
Prayer
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Optimism
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
God uses our experiences to work his will in our lives, and God is the one who makes our love grow. Our prayer is that every member of the Saint Lucas family grows in love this year. As Paul says, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else” (1 Thessalonians 3:12).
God loves us on our good days as much as he loves us on our bad days. He loves us when we can feel his love, and he loves us when we can’t seem to feel it. He loves us regardless of whether or not we think we deserve his love. God loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus to save us from sin. We are saved through Jesus’ perfect life, death and resurrection. God didn’t just say he loved us, he showed it through the sacrifice of his Son. What an incredible gift! What amazing love! Read more about faith and love here.
