God uses His people to encourage and to motivate us to fight the good fight of faith and faithfully finish the race. Are we training ourselves to be lovers of good? Or do we just give in to our sinful hearts and break others with what we say? There is so much wisdom in silence. In silence, we learn not to speak words that might hurt others. In silence, we become good listeners rather than unwise talkers.
but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. (Titus 1:8)
This is just a portion of the passage containing qualifications set for overseers found in Titus 1:7-9. I would like to highlight on one key qualification: a lover of good. These Christlike virtues are to be exemplified by overseers as leaders of the church but it does not mean to say that it’s not applicable to all Christians as well. Paul said that we were to imitate him as he imitated Christ. (1 Cor. 11:1) So, the cultivation of these Christlike virtues are not just for a few but for all believers.
Are we lovers of good? Are we people whose hearts are bent to appreciate someone rather than condemn them? Are we people whose eyes are trained to see the good rather than the bad? Unfortunately, our evil hearts are bent to condemn, complain, and malign. Being a lover of good is not second nature to us. We need the help of God to train our hearts to be lovers of good.
Practically speaking, we can train ourselves to be lovers of good by appreciating evidences of grace in the lives of others.