Pursue Goodness, Unity, and Wisdom, Part 4.

​Pursue… Dioko - “to follow in haste to find something, run after, pursue…figuratively, pursue, strive for, seek after, aspire to something.”  

Make it your goal to improve on these three virtues in your life.
 
Pursue Goodness
 
1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NKJV) See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 

• Good…agathos: (BAGD pp. 3-4) “Pertaining to meeting a high standard of worth and merit, good…that which is beneficial or helpful.”
• Have you ever had a plastic wrapper that you can’t shake off your finger? You go to throw the plastic wrapper away and it keeps finding its way back to your hand. That should be our attitude toward goodness…As much as I purpose to attempt to shake it, God just keeps the idea of choosing goodness close by. The Holy Spirit’s conviction is evidence of His presence in your life. 
  • Cling to goodness.
    • Romans 12:9 (NKJV) Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
  • Be discerning in your clinging.
    • Romans 16:19 (NKJV) …I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.
    • Is this a Good Samaritan moment?
  • Discover safety in following goodness.
    • 1 Peter 3:13 (NKJV) And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
    • Kill ‘em with kindness/goodness.

Beautiful Collision: When magnetic or divinely orchestrated situations and goodness collide. Just when you feel like going your own way…Allow God to draw you and others to that which is good. Cling to being convicted by the Holy Spirit.
 
Pursue Unity in the Spirit
Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit. 

• Unity…enotatah: (BAGD p. 338) a state of oneness or of being in harmony and accord, unity…maintain the unity of the spirit.
  • Uniformity. Not a house divided.
  • Remain in one accord. United in complete agreement concerning our faith.
    • Ephesians 4:13 (NKJV) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
      • “The purpose is maturity in Christ, being conformed to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The ultimate goal is Christ-likeness, or spiritual maturity according to the standard of Christ. This is the primary goal of the equipping and the unity desired. The more we possess His character and mind, the more we will experience the unity of the Spirit.” 
        https://bible.org/article/unity-spirit-ephesians-41-6 
      • Leave no doubt in the minds of your observers that you are a child of God. You think and act like Him as much as possible.
  • Bound together by similar characteristics.
    • Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV) 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy [separate/set apart] and dearly loved, clothe [uniformity] yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  
    • “Unity is a thing undivided itself, but separate from ever other thing…Agreement; uniformity.” https://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-dictionary/unity.html 
    • Example: Those participating in a three-legged race.

Beautiful Collision: when each member of the body comes together as one.
 
Pursue Wisdom
Christmas is right around the corner. As parents, we often ask our children what the one thing is that they’d like as a present. One year when a friend of our asked Shiloh what she’d like for a gift…she said she wanted a pillow pet. He got her a more affordable knock-off brand pillow pet and she pointed out to him that it was in fact not a pillow pet as soon as she opened it.
 
Let me ask you this, if you could ask for one thing from the Lord, what would you request?
What was it that Solomon asked for? 
1 Kings 3:5-12 (NIV) 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

The Offer:

• Vs. 5…ask for whatever you want Me to give you.

 
The Request:

• Vs. 9…A wise and discerning heart.
  • James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
• Consider your motive.
  •  James 4:2-3 (NIV) 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 
  • If you find that God isn’t answering the way you thought, then try reassessing your request and motives. And or learn to trust His way and timing.

The Cost:

• So, Solomon writes in Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) that “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”
  • If I had one million dollars sitting here, or a brand new Jeep truck out in the parking lot and said the first one to each can keep it. What would you do?

The Result:

• Vs. 10…Solomon’s request PLEASED the Lord.
• Vs. 12…Solomon’s request was granted. He had pure motives.
• A growing increase in knowledge, wisdom, discernment, understanding.
  • 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 
  • If you’re hungry enough, then He will grow you in Him.

 
Beautiful Collision: This is when prayer with pure/godly motives and wisdom collide.  
 
How do I know what is considered good by God’s standards?
How do I become unified in the Spirit with others?
Ask for and pursue Wisdom! Ask for and pursue godly discernment!