Value: Righteousness 

Definition: Meeting the standards of Right in the eyes of Christ 

Vital Verses

• “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” – Proverbs 11:30
• “And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.” – 3 Nephi 12:6

Scriptural Example 

One of the wonderful men who exemplify righteousness in scripture is King Benjamin. Here was a man who had the duty to govern a people who were rarely righteous. They constantly departed from the ways of God and could not hold to His standards. Yet in the Words of Mormon it says he was “a holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness” (v.17). He was able to serve the people with his own hands and exemplify Christ to his subjects. Through his righteous example, he was able to lead many of his people to Jesus Christ. 

Life Application 

As a new home owner, one of the things I looked forward to was being able to start a garden. I always enjoyed the results of a summer’s labor: fresh herbs and veggies. Yet my ambitions are often more lofty than what I actually am willing to accomplish. After a few days, I found that I forgot (didn’t want) to weed and water. In order to gain the reward, I still had to put the effort into my garden.

The same thought applies to our salvation. Each person who accepts the walk of Jesus Christ desires to reap the fruit of eternal life. This is achieved by living our lives to the standard that He established for us as Solomon instructed us in Proverbs. Jesus said that we are to hunger after that righteousness in our lives. If we do, we will be satisfied.

Righteousness is removing the weeds of sin and transgression from our lives by asking for forgiveness. It is watering our souls with the Word and acting upon it (James 1). God provides His sunlight of grace and mercy, without which nothing would be possible, and the fruit of our life grows. When we continually put forth righteousness in our lives, we will reap the fruit. Just as King Benjamin labored, so too must we labor mightily in righteousness. 

Points to Ponder

• Despite being a lofty goal, is it possible for us to continually strive to be like Jesus Christ?
• Righteousness is a lifestyle that must be adopted each and every day. How are you doing in this area?
• Are you trying to be righteous without asking for help from Jesus?

Miracle Monday Themes Are Back!

In the coming year, we are bringing back monthly themes for Miracle Monday. We hope that these topics will encourage you to share the wonderful things that God has done in various areas of your life so that we can praise Him with you.

For the coming month of February, we want to hear stories and experiences of how God directed your path to your spouse. It is the month of love, after all. No story is too short or unimportant! Click here to submit your story for publication!

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.