Psalm 15:1, 2 
LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? 
Who may live on your holy mountain?

The one whose walk is blameless, 
who does what is righteous,
Who speaks the truth from their heart. 
(NIV)

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Here’s my goal today: I want to lie down tonight with a conscience that is blameless, righteous, and truthful. 

Ben Franklin famously had Thirteen Necessary Virtues. He worked on aligning his heart and mind with them day after day. Probably the most important thing he discovered was that he never nailed all thirteen on the same day. 

This may or may not be why I’m only going with three today. 

How many virtues do you think you can handle today? In addition to your normal excellent output, of course. 

If you’re married, that passage the preacher read at your wedding from 1 Corinthians 13 begins with “Love is patient, love is kind.” Patience and kindness are marital essentials. Those are two that we get to work on every single day, whether we plan to or not. Maybe you want to polish those two today. 

Take a few minutes before you lie down to see where you stand. Make your necessary adjustments for tomorrow, and become the kind of person who is blameless, righteous, and truthful. Or patient and kind. Or maybe just nice. 

I took my first walk by myself yesterday morning (and you know why). There is a YMCA not far from here. I’ve pondered joining, but one of my co-workers and one of our pastors is there just about every morning. I’m not especially social first thing in the morning. My time alone with God really is a QUIET time. 

I was pondering my lack of sociability in the morning as I walked out the door for my hard, first walk alone. My tiny neighbor Emily just happened to show up at that moment. Seriously, if she’s five feet tall and a hundred pounds, I would be completely surprised. 

She accompanied me to the corner, across the street, and up and down the first hill, before she went on to the higher hills, and I followed the path my dearly departed friend and I trod so many times together. 

We were crossing the street when she asked where my companion was. I failed in my attempt not to weep in the presence of others. She is a delightful woman, full of interesting information. However, I was somewhat relieved when our paths diverged. 

I wept my way around the park. 

I wept again when I saw the woman who likewise has a border collie that she has trained so well. He leads the way from the far end of the leash. I wept when I passed the house where the two little kids who dearly love Ollie live. I wept again when I passed the house where the two more senior adults than I live, who likewise love Ollie. 

I rounded that final corner to my house, and there was Emily again. Her husband attended the Naval Academy and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Coincidentally, that’s the rank our son will attain later this year. She asked all about him. I told her where he is currently deployed. She said, “Ooh, I will be praying for him and his family.” 

God took my lack of sociability, crumpled it up, and threw it away. He knew exactly what I needed on that first hard walk. 

Today, I’m working on these virtues. Knowing God, He will work them into me more than I will work on expressing them. He has a way of making His goodness overflow into our lives in such measure that it can’t help but overflow. Isn’t that just like God? Aren’t you glad it’s so? 

One last story: I stopped at Chick-fil-A recently to get my semi-annual spicy chicken sandwich. I know better than to eat this, but I really wanted it. I was having a hard day, and I could justify fried food, waffle fries, and diet lemonade. 

The woman two cars in front of me had apparently never been to Chick-fil-A. The two drive-through lines were progressing as neatly and quickly as they are so famously known for. That is, until this woman reached the young woman with the tablet and began asking questions. 

Five minutes later, she finally drove away. 

When I reached the young woman taking orders that day. She still bore the most pleasant disposition. I told her she won the award for kindness. She replied, “When you ask God for patience, he gives you an opportunity to exercise it.” 

What could I say besides “Amen?”

So, I guess I will have opportunities today to exercise blamelessness, righteousness, and truthfulness.  Looking around, we could certainly use a little more of that, couldn’t we? 

Join me?

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I will exercise blamelessness, righteousness, and truthfulness, trusting God to build into me more than is necessary for whatever I face. 

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Our Father, this old world could use more blameless, righteous, and truthful living. Make me an example of what this looks like. Empower me to demonstrate these characteristics of your loving nature. Prepare me now for the challenges I will inevitably face as soon as I walk out the door. Amen.