“I solemnly pledge my life to you”- King Charles III, September 2022, as His Majesty the King pledged to serve with loyalty, respect and love.

When the news broke out that the Queen of the United Kingdom passed on to eternity, words honoring her majesty’s legacy swirled around the world. Tributes were poured and the nations came together in unity. Anti-monarchy sentiments and oppositions were laid aside to rest. It was a moment of reflection. What was astounding is that every person is saying the same thing to honor a person who lived an extraordinary life. Words that honor are words of honor because a person has honor. This week’s article and value focus on Word of Honor will give us a new perspective of what it is.

For most of us if not all, word of honor is always defined as fulfillment of our promises and every uttered word must be pursued whatever it takes or how painful it is to fulfill. It is with an attitude where we lay aside our own agenda and interests to accomplish a task or complete a promise. However, when we talk about this value, it should never be separated from the person. A person who fulfills his/ her word is honorable. We will then be considered as men and women of honor when we value and crown our words with it. Honor values the importance of status and repute in maintaining one’s place in society. It is conscious in maintaining respect for the community or organization one belongs to. In this sense, honor provides a pattern and template for establishing social interactions- how we communicate and how we conduct ourselves, and hence, as a culture, it may be functional to cancel a norm that do not value and endorse honor.

Words should not be empty where there’s too much promises made and yet unfulfilled or half-fulfilled. Words should not use for flattery to win a heart or allegiance. Instead, words must infuse hope for the future because they inspire. Words are to be relied on like a sturdy rock that we could stand upon and be unshaken. In a time of uncertainty and adversity, such words bring alignment and refreshing to one’s soul. They will easily encourage the people to rise and rally for a given-cause or assignment. These words are inspiring and dependable for they are crowned with honor. They are so because the person who uttered them is known to be as principled and upright.

How to be an honorable person whose words are reliable?

When our only desire is to have all of God in our life and to glorify Him with our words and actions, then our lives will be lived honorably. We must first become part of who God. In other words, we reflect and manifest His character and nature through the values we espouse. This will in turn make us honorable before God and before the people. We must also become part of what God is doing. We put God at the center of all things as we invoke His will upon us. Our words and actions will in turn become totally guided and motivated with sincerity, integrity and uprightness- this is honorable.

In the hour of most radiant triumphs or darkest challenges, we must remember God who has accounted us fit and honorable to be His instruments of righteousness and stewards of resources. As we understand that the place and power are ours as His gift and trusteeship for His glory, individually and collectively, we should solemnly pledge our live throughout the remaining time the Almighty God grants us to live honorably, serve wholeheartedly and love unconditionally. This is pledging our life to God, to the country and to the people we vowed to love, serve and protect. This pledge and promise are crowned with honor and valued with sincerity to be fulfilled in our lifetime. 

As Christmas season is fast approaching and the cool breeze of December is slowly being experienced, many people started preparing for the season of giving. Some goes to department stores, grocery stores, and other similar shops and started collecting some stuff to be wrapped as gifts to their love ones and relatives. This is a very good culture and practice because it expresses love for one another. It brings reconciliation as well as it forges closer and intimate relationship.
 
We do such practice because of the great love our Father Almighty has for us by sending His only begotten Son. We rejoice because of the very One we celebrate - Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Savior of mankind. Finally, He was born for our salvation. He too modeled the value of charity. He willingly gave and offered His life as a sacrifice for the redemption of the whole world. He gave all and without reservation. He did not withhold any. It was not meagerly but lavishly because it took the shedding of His blood to save us even when we are far from Him because of our sins.
 
The question is – do we do gift giving only during Christmas season and only to our love ones and relatives? How about those whom we do not know? Charity must be a constant practice to all of us. It is not determined by time and season but a lifestyle. It is a value or attitude that every time somebody is in need, we must be ready to help to any extent possible. We must have a helping hand especially in times of crisis.
 
For the past pandemic, we have exemplified this value. We gathered our resources and gave to any member of the community. There is a drive inside us to extend assistance because of love and compassion. Somebody started a spark and everybody got stirred to do the same. All of a sudden, community pantries were held in different parts of the Philippines. We considered others as part of our lives because they are our fellow countrymen.
 
This attitude must go on and it should not cease even if we are now in our new normal. Simply because our nation oftentimes struck, not only by pandemic or epidemic, but other types of crisis and disasters. Typhoons pass through our country and recently, there were families who lost their homes and properties due to the recent 7.3 earthquake that shook the province of Abra and the neighboring provinces. Our generosity should continue to manifest that others may at least be relieved from their desperate situation.
 
Consequently, we should stop every sort of greed and selfishness. We should not let our fellowmen continue to suffer due to wrongful transactions at the expense of the government to the destruction of lives of the future generation. Such is not being a true Filipino. Let us not lose sight of our culture and heritage – the “bayanihan” system where we voluntarily give our time, efforts, and talents in order to help our fellow citizens when we are needed the most. The practice of sharing to our neighbors what we have cooked at home and other good practices that depict the value of charity should be enriched and perpetuated. 

We have heard the cliché, “never give up, never surrender.” Many actors, even political leaders used this sentence to encourage and stir up the hearts of the followers in the midst of trying times. Many scientists, in their journey towards the success of an invention or discovery, also applied this principle. In the midst of battle against the alien enemy, when the probability of winning is thin and low, Commander Taggart in the film Galaxy Quest uttered these words when one of the crew said that the only option is to surrender. Winston Churchill, in the midst of the World War II, when Britain is in the brink of defeat against the Nazi ruler, gave his encouraging speeches for his fellow people not to give up and continue to fight that inspired his countrymen until they achieved victory. “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” These were his words showing much perseverance including the famous quote, “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” Our scientists and inventors of the old, having the determination and keeping the eyes on the goal, never gave up until they have discovered great things or have created something wonderful that until now, we are benefiting from. Remember Thomas Alva Edison who was credited for the commercial incandescent light bulb? We can only imagine how many light bulbs were created and tested just to create the best combination. We can only imagine how many times he failed until he was able to succeed.
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Perseverance is a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. The road to success is never easy especially in the presence of obstacles, humps, traffic jam, and even detour along the way. Though we can stop or give up, this will never make our situation better. We will just be trapped in the circumstance and worse, can no longer move on. Perseverance does not concern what speed you are taking to arrive at your destination. It is more concerned on how you would continue moving when something would stop you along the way. Failures sometimes pull us down and triggers us to stop. We take it as a mistake and would not want to be put in the same position, thus we stop. B.F Skinner, an American Psychologist said, “A failure is not always a mistake. It may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.” A Japanese proverb says, “Fall seven times and stand up eight.” This is similar to Confucius words, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
 
Like one traveling to a journey, how can we persevere? One, press on toward the goal. It is always helpful to remind ourselves the ultimate goal we want to achieve so that we can look for solutions when problem arise. We fix our eyes on the destination. Second, make sure you are motivated – that you have the necessary fuel to keep going. What motivates you? 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. Having the right heart set and mindset will give us the proper motivation to achieve our goal. Third, keep on going and do not be disheartened when there are obstacles, trials, or even failures. Treat these as lessons to learn from, and experience to grow from. Every lesson will help us mature from glory to glory, strength to strength. Fourth, when we reach our destination and have reached our goal, give honor to whom honor is due. Give thanks, give love, give. Do not take the glory for yourself but take the lessons and experiences so that you have something to use in the next journey.

In challenging situations, never give up and choose to continue, persevere. Hold on to our Maker as God promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Let perseverance finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. For after all, “Victory belongs to the most persevering.”

​Most of those who have gone or toured around the world commented that nations that are more progressive observe the value of discipline, where the citizens and residents observe the laws and abide with existing policies. While there are clear systems or rules governing the conduct of the people, the value system of the people also plays a critical role in strengthening discipline.
 
However, sometimes there are people who would have negative connotations about discipline, as it is associated with punishment for wrong actions, corrective measures, or enforcing penalties to exact obedience to rules and regulations. But others would view it as an essential element to establish order and attain success. Hence, developing and strengthening the value of discipline is vital in nation building. The lack of it will compromise the initiatives to establish peace and order as well as promote sustainable development.
 
In reality, discipline comes with short-term pain but with long-term gain, as it has been said that all discipline seems to be painful at the time, yet later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who yield to it. Yielding to the process of discipline may not sit well in a culture where quick-fix mentality and instant gratification prevail for such condition encourages the use of different means, whether lawful or not, to get and do what they want.
 
As we contemplate on the value of discipline this week, let us reflect our personal take or how we perceive the role of discipline in fulfilling the mandate of our respective offices. Also, explore how are we contributing in observing discipline at home, at work and in the community. Have we done something that does or does not promote or model discipline?
 
It is not too late yet. We can start to embrace and manifest discipline today. It does not require a grand gesture as a famous quotation states, “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny”. It can start with a single thought that will become part of your language and translated in your day-to-day actions.  When done consistently and accurately, it becomes part of you. Make discipline our new operating system towards progress.

It is believed that courage is the most admirable among the human virtues. Possibly because of the huge impact courage creates and not all people have the same degree or level of it. Courage is closely related to bravery. However, the two have differences in essence. It is said that “Courage involves the presence of fear, while bravery never acknowledges any fear or hesitations. Courage entails a cause, most commonly love, passion, compassion, and concern. Bravery maintains its essence even without a cause.”
 
 In the Scripture, Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of a great nation in Israel. He is to lead and bring the Israelite people to a place called Canaan or “The Promised Land.” Despite Joshua’s  skills and experiences, unavoidably, he would go through discouraging and fearful circumstances in which he might fret. Therefore, God said to him: “This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Like Joshua, each one of us has assignments - in our homes, in the government, or in our workplaces to carry out and carry through. We do such out of love, passion, compassion, and concern. It also entails courage to do whatever is necessary and move towards success because fear and discouraging people and circumstances would cross our path, one way or another. Nevertheless, the God who entrusted us with the assignment would make us strong and courageous as we carry it out for His glory and the good of His people.
 
Each time we want to accomplish a noble aspiration, we have to exercise courage. Courage to defeat the odds, courage to overcome the fear and failure we might come across, and courage to push through until we reach or achieve such a noteworthy cause. We are men and women of courage not because of our education, position, skills, and experiences but because the Lord our God is with us as we commit and submit to Him.
 
Finally, as we continue with our lives and service that is full of challenges, surprises, and blessings, let us be guided by these words of a former atheist Kirk Cameron, “faith in God... produces character; character will produce courage, courage to face the challenges of the day.” Each challenge, whether great or small, is surmountable because of our God-endowed courage, and for the Lord is with us. Let us be strong and courageous in life and service!
 
 

At 08:43 AM Philippine Standard Time (PST) of 27 July 2022 (Wednesday), a major magnitude (Mw) 7.0 earthquake shook the provinces in northwestern Luzon and adjacent areas including Metro Manila. It stirred fear and grief to those who felt the shaking and brought us to our knees for our safety and for those who were severely stricken by this calamity - praying that no more aftershocks will happen. In times like these, when our faith is being shaken by uncertainties and tragedies around us, most of us recognizes the importance of having Someone who is superior and all powerful. Someone who is able to save and protect us, greater than the strongest and firmest people, equipment, gadgets, structures and the like. These facts shall bring us to our knees and will allow us to utter prayers towards Him who saves.

For those who felt and were stricken by the earthquake, it was a moment of fear, anxiety and grief. It was a moment that no one ever desires to be in. It is a dark situation where we suffer in all or some aspects of our lives. We face a lot of seasons in our lives and we can’t deny the fact that we, in one way or the other, face dark moments that we can’t run away from. We need to face it head on. Some of us tried to avoid it by relying on our own strength and ability but found ourselves failing and has worsened the situation. Failures that deepens our longing for solutions, interventions, protection, favors and answers. We get desperate that leads us to the last resort --- on our knees.

Through prayer, we align our hearts with the fact that we can’t do it on our own. It brings us to humility and we recognize His existence. It is where we distinguish that He is Omnipresent, Omnipotent (All-powerful) and Omniscient (All-knowing).

 The One whom we call on when we pray is an Omnipresent, ever-present, Father. He will never miss a moment in our lives. He sees us every second, everywhere and anywhere - may it be rejoicing or grief. He sees even that things that we don’t let others see, may it be hidden tears, even hidden sins, all the secrets we have, He sees everything. He knows what we feel and who we are. He sees us and cares for us.   Knowing He is everywhere reminds us that we have an ever-present help in times of need. By praying we acknowledge His presence over our lives that we are convinced that He understands and that He is with us.

The one whom we call on when we pray is also an Omnipotent, All-powerful, Father. It is where we recognize that He is mighty to save.  Nothing is too hard for Him. We might feel that we can’t fix our situation but He is able. Through prayer we feel secure knowing that Someone who never sleeps and slumbers, is able to save and deliver us from anything.

The one whom we call on when we pray is not only Omnipresent, Omnipotent but also an Omniscient, All-Knowing, Father.  David Jeremiah, an Author, said in one of his write up on Prayer that the truth is that in His infinite love and wisdom, God always knows what to give us in answer to our prayers. Prayer does not always change our situation, but it should always change us. In prayer, we bring our anxieties to an all-wise, all-loving and all-sovereign God, and we ask Him why these things have happened and how we can cope. His answer never changes: This world and its answers will never be enough. Only He is enough.
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Knowing that He is always with us, in joy or in pain, we pray. Knowing He is mighty, in uncertainty, we all the more pray. Knowing that His ways and plans are higher than ours, we get on our knees and pray. Prayer is a lifestyle that brings us to a peace that no one could ever bring us in whatever season we are in.

Sense of responsibility, from the term itself, is being sensitive or mindful to responsibility. It is being conscious to a certain task or endeavour with the determination to complete or finish it excellently on time. It is setting aside other unnecessary tasks and distractive forces in order to focus on the work at hand. It is doing one’s duty without any outside stimulus and the ability to police oneself in order to be productive. A person who has sense of responsibility is willing and ready to sacrifice worldly pleasures in order to prioritize what is deemed to be more important.

The value of sense of responsibility has many applications. It is expected from a person to practice it towards someone or something to whom or to which he or she owes allegiance to. A Filipino citizen, for example, is expected to render services to the country in whatever manner, not only to defend our constitution and sovereignty, but as well as to become a good steward of it. Just like Adam and Eve, God placed them in the garden to tend and keep it. It is the same with us as Filipinos, God put us in this country to look after it and protect it. Lamentably, there are a lot of us who are exploiting and destroying the beauty of our country due to selfish interest and personal satisfaction. Some even steal the wealth of this country for personal gain that deters its economic growth and progress.

The truth is – there are a lot of Filipinos who are oblivious of their responsibility under the Preamble of our Constitution. It states that we are to build a just and humane society and establish a government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy. By assessing our present situation, are we truly building a just and humane society? Are we establishing a government that embodies our ideals and aspirations, promotes the common good, conserves and develops our patrimony?

Observing the real scenario in our country, there is still a large proportion of our population, as well those entrusted with authority, who are doing things other than what has been mandated in our Constitution. Their abusive behaviors retard the building of a just and humane society.  Their unlawful or illegal acts defeat the achievement of our ideals and aspirations. Instead of promoting the common good, it is fostering unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Instead of conserving and developing our patrimony, they are misusing and abusing it. As our new President mentioned in his first State of the Nation Address, “these must come to an end”.
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We should be inspired of the fact that we are given only once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build our country well. If we are in a strategic position of leadership, we are entrusted with responsibility and a chance to prove ourselves. What we have started, we must be committed to finish it. What we have promised to our constituents, we must endeavour to fulfil it. What we have sworn prior to our appointment, we must be ready to take on the responsibilities adhered to it. Sense of responsibility is a norm in the Philippines. Having been known as hardworking people in the world, idleness has no place in our turf. 

Righteousness is an indispensable attribute of our Almighty God. It is of “being” (not just becoming) that literally means “One who is right. Possessing righteousness consequently is “right standing before God.”  It is the only living standard that is suitable for us to stand before the Father. For “in the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death”. It is believing and living according to God’s design for our lives, thus doing away with sin.

When we talk about living in righteousness, some people think that it had more to do with behavioral modification than heart transformation. To produce righteousness, one has to practice outward appearances of acts of goodness, kindness and holiness. These things mattered more to some people rather than Spirit-filled change. While those are good works and are commendable, rediscovering what God says about righteousness will let us realize that we fell short of understanding. Righteousness actually produces those works, not the other way around. The prophet Isaiah says that “we are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” Our attempts to produce righteousness on our own are repulsive in the eyes of God. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like polluted garments.

Even when our good deeds seem to be performed from the purest of motives, unless that motivation is to glorify the name of Jesus and the centrality of what we are doing is He, those deeds are completely self-righteous and sinful. As Saint Paul expressed that “the righteousness of God has been clearly and completely revealed apart from the Law and traditions, though it is actually confirmed by the Law and the writings of the Prophets; this righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those those who believe, trust in Him and acknowledge that He is the Son of God. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God.” If we are to modify our behavior, the motivation is to please God above all, coming from the conviction of the Holy Spirit and not simply to appear, even without comparison, that we are more holy than others.

With these thoughts, we start to ponder and realize that we needed to repent and lay all of this at the feet of Jesus. We are completely incapable of changing our own hearts and have righteousness. Only God can do that. When we stop trying to produce our own righteousness and begin to simply trust in the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, He will make us righteous. First, we confess our sins, then He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Only the perfection of Christ and His finished work on the cross could accomplish and complete righteousness in us. Only Jesus, who lived as a Man on the face of the earth with a perfect, obedient, and sinless life can satisfy the requirements of God’s righteousness that must be seen in us.
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The scriptures are firm and clear that we have to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and pursue it; and yet we have fallen short and unable to produce it. So where do we get it? Again, our righteousness is imputed from Jesus through the atoning work that He accomplished on the cross. We can’t produce it, Christ produced and lived it for us. So, as we “learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent in identifying the best and distinguishing moral differences; we start to acknowledge and believe Christ that we may be pure and blameless until the day we actually see Him manifesting and living in us that lead and inspire others away from sin; being filled with the fruit of righteousness which also comes through Him, to the glory and praise of the Almighty God so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized.”

Pursuing righteousness is pursuing God’s character. We turn away from sinful desires and yield to Jesus Christ. As we allow Him to live and work in us, we are changed from glory to glory, and our new nature will become more according to His image and likeness. Thus, when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin or filthy garments. Instead, He sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He sees us instantly and completely justified through that righteousness. As it was declared, “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness,”  We are transformed from within possessing His nature. And through obedience, it will be considered righteousness for us, that is, again, right standing with God, as we are careful to observe all His commandments. It follows that the land is also blessed. God outlined so many rewards because of righteousness that affects the entirety of the nation. From fullness of life to fruitfulness, safety and security- oh, the Nation is blessed.

We can rest in the fact that God sovereignly works everything for the good of His people, including restoring us through the righteousness of His Son. Our righteousness began in Christ and is completed in Christ. Follow Him and pursue it daily.

The conclusion of the matter, as righteousness restores a person, so is a nation. For righteousness exalts a nation. As we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, we are proclaiming that His government shall be established within the system of ours because righteousness is the foundation of His throne. Therefore, where His throne is, His sovereignty resides and His Lordship manifests.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
 
“The act of forgiving someone who offended us” may seem a sign of weakness unto others. But on the contrary, as Mahatma Ghandi, an Indian lawyer, once said, “Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong”. A weak person cannot genuinely forgive an offender but a person who forgive understands that pardoning an offender can only be done upon the surrender of oneself unto God which requires a willing act of strength of the heart and strength of the mind. It is not indeed an easy thing to do in the human plane.
 
However, Jesus Christ, while in the likeness of man, demonstrated to us that human weakness is not a hindrance to forgiveness. While at the cross, He mentioned, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. He immediately released forgiveness to the Roman soldiers who spitefully battered Him. We can see here that it was easy for Him to forgive. It must be because He was able to look into the end result or to the benefits of forgiveness rather than on the magnitude or the graveness of the offense. How many of us then do the same thing? Do we put a greater weight to the positive effects of forgiveness rather than capitalizing on the wrongs committed against us?
 
It is always best to be free from all sorts of emotional pain because it will not only make us strong spiritually but it will also keep us physically healthy. All forms of grudges or bitterness in our hearts are garbage that will poison us ultimately. They are also undue excess baggage that will deter our rapid movement towards the finish line. It will cause us to linger on things and distract our focus. It will also destroy our accurate perspective of things. We will have unfounded negative prejudices to people. Therefore, we should stay clean and pure in our hearts and minds by practicing the value of forgiveness.
 
We should pray, thus, the prayer taught to us by Jesus Christ. Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us. It was subsequently written that we should forgive others their trespasses so that our sins will also be forgiven because if we do not, then we cannot expect ourselves to be forgiven. It is a command that we should obey, otherwise, we will reap the adverse consequences. We must not let the offense imprison us any longer. We should set ourselves free. As the renowned theologian Lewis Smedes said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” We should not therefore prolong the state of our imprisonment when we have been given the choice or opportunity to free ourselves.
 
A Gospel preacher also said in his sermon: “Forgiveness protects and frees us from the prison of self-righteousness and self-condemnation”. This statement should be a compelling challenge to forgive and any unwilling person can be said to be filled with pride. Thus, we should have a humble attitude if we are to observe the value of forgiveness. Just as we have been forgiven, we must learn to forgive. It is in giving that we receive.