Bible values give evidence that they were tailor-made for humankind. Consider just a few examples—the qualities of love, kindness, generosity, and honesty.
Love for others.
“If you have learned to love, then happiness will surely knock on your door,” says the book Engineering Happiness—A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life. Clearly, as humans, we need love. Without it, we cannot be truly happy.
What the Bible says: “Clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union.” (
Colossians 3:14) The same Bible writer also said: “If I . . . do not have love, I am nothing.”
—
1 Corinthians 13:2.
That love is neither sexual nor purely
sentimental; it is governed by principle. It is the kind of love that
moves us to help a stranger in difficulty, with no thought of a reward.
At
1 Corinthians 13:4-7,
we read: “Love is long-suffering and kind. [It] is not jealous, it does
not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not
look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep
account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but
rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, . . . endures all things.”
When families lack such love, everybody suffers,
especially children. A woman named Monica wrote that as a child, she
endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. “I was unloved and
without any hope,” she said. Then, when she was 15 years of age, she
moved in with her grandparents who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“In the two years I lived with them,” said
Monica, “they taught this shy girl to be outgoing and loving and to care
for others. They helped me to become a respectable
young woman.” Now, happily married, Monica along with her husband and
three children shows love to others by sharing the Bible’s message with
them.
A particularly subtle enemy of love is materialism
—the
belief that material well-being and pleasure are the highest values.
Yet, secular studies repeatedly show that beyond a surprisingly modest
threshold, more wealth does not bring more happiness. In fact, people
who adopt materialistic values may actually be investing in unhappiness,
a view that finds Biblical support.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
tells us: “A mere lover of silver will not be satisfied with silver,
neither any lover of wealth with income. This too is vanity.” The Bible
also states: “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money.”
—
Hebrews 13:5.
Kindness and generosity.
“Wouldn’t it be great if you could walk into a
store and buy lifelong happiness?” said an article in the United States
by The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California,
Berkeley. “The idea’s not as fanciful as it sounds—as long as whatever you buy is meant for someone else.” The point? Giving makes us happier than receiving.
What the Bible says: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”
—
Acts 20:35.
Often, the best form of giving—and the most rewarding—is giving of ourselves, in the form of our time and energy. For example, a woman named Karen saw three women—a mother and her two daughters—sitting
in a car with its hood up. The mother and one of the girls had to catch
a plane; but their car would not start, and the taxi was late. Karen
offered to take them, even though the airport was 45 minutes away. They
accepted the offer. On her way back, Karen saw the other daughter still
waiting in her car in the parking lot.
“My husband is on his way,” the woman said.
“Well, I’m glad you are OK,” replied Karen. “I’m going to do some gardening at my Kingdom Hall, or church.”
“Are you one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” said Karen, and a brief conversation ensued.
A few weeks later, Karen received a letter in
the mail. In part, it read: “My mother and I haven’t forgotten your
wonderful deed. We made our flights, thanks to you! My sister said that
you are one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which explains everything. My mom is
a Witness, and I’m an inactive one. But I’m going to work on that soon!” Karen was elated that she had been able to help two fellow believers. “I cried,” she said.
Author Charles D. Warner wrote: “It is one of the beautiful compensations of . . .
life
that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
That is so because God did not create humans to be selfish but, rather,
to reflect his own precious qualities.
—
Genesis 1:27.
Honesty.
This ethical value is fundamental to any civilized society. Dishonesty fosters fear, mistrust, and social decay.
What the Bible says: “Who will be a guest in [God’s] tent?” The answer? “He who is walking faultlessly and . . . speaking the truth
in his heart.” (
Psalm 15:1, 2)
Yes, genuine honesty, like the other qualities we have considered, is a
personality trait. It is not governed by circumstances or expediency.
Recall Christina who found the bag of money?
Well, her heart’s desire was, not to gain wealth, but to please God. So
when the anxious owner returned, she told him that his money had been
found. He was amazed at her honesty. So was her employer, for he later
promoted Christina to general storekeeper, a position of considerable
trust. How true are the words at
1 Peter 3:10: “He that would love life and see good days, let him restrain his . . . lips from speaking deception.”
