“View all of life as a gift.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 15, 2026
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3, NIV
Life gives us countless opportunities for virtue and holy living, yet we must accept the invitation. Virtue does not happen by accident. It is formed through intentional decisions to cultivate the life of Christ within us, receiving what comes our way as a gift, even and especially when it is a difficult gift to receive.
Not all gifts are enjoyable, at least not in the moment. However, we find great spiritual gain when we view all of life as a gift: its joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, peaks and valleys. When walking through physical pain, it likely feels like anything but a gift. Yet for those who have eyes to see it, it allows you to receive love from others and gives them the opportunity to give love away, caring for you in a time of great need. Suffering in and of itself is not virtue, but it creates conditions for virtue in your life and in the lives of those around you.
The same is true with our finances. Poverty in and of itself is not a virtue. Yet for those with eyes to see, a willing embrace of poverty sets us free to be generous, to give our lives away, and for that gift to include our possessions, that which we are tempted to hold most dear. Here I’m reminded of the early church father Basil the Great, who once said, “Not every poor person therefore is worthy of praise, but only those who of their own choice put the commandment of the Lord before all the treasures of the world…What is involuntary cannot merit blessedness. Every virtue, and poverty in spirit more than any other, must be a free choice.” (Homily on Psalm 33)
Whether it’s your health, your finances, or something else, in this very moment you are almost certainly facing a choice for or against a virtuous life. Rather than viewing the details of your life as things that happen to you passively, how can you instead actively cooperate with the Holy Spirit, saying yes to the way of his kingdom and intentionally saying no to all that is opposed?
Prayer
Father, help us live an intentionally virtuous life that freely chooses to see all of life as a gift you give, shaping and forming us into the men and women you long for us to be, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
How can you today be proactive in your pursuit of virtue?
Related Reading
Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 8:1-2; James 1:2-4
Worship Resource
Brooke Ligertwood: Desert Song
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