I was walking down an aisle in a store the other day, and next to the As Seen on TV products jumped out the words on a box BACK TO LIFE … My first thought was, “I wish I could slather on a product to bring ME back to life!”

We all go through seasons in life where our faith is tried, but how we react to the negative things happening to us determines who we really are. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about character and virtue.

Several years ago when I was working as an editor of a weakly publication for “The Dallas Morning News,” I was going through a really difficult time in my personal life. The only guy on our team walked up as I was talking about my situation with another girl on our team. He said something to me that has never left me. He had only been working with me for a couple of months but said I was the most virtuous person he’s ever known.

Michael Tyrrell, musician and creator of the Wholetones music project, put it like this in a recent e-mail, “Virtue is the cornerstone of character. It is the manifestation of moral principles or ethics that define one’s statue. In other words,it’s the ‘you’ in you! It’s who you are when nobody’s around to impress.”

My grandfather always told us, “A man is only as good as his word.” I took that to heart and always try not to commit to something unless I know I can do it and keep my promises. I’ve found out in my lifetime that very few people keep their promises — even really important ones like wedding vows or governmental oaths.

One of my friends in graduate school calls me her”Little Southern Belle.” One night during a break in class as the professor was walking back in the room, my friend was telling everyone out loud, “Senée is the epitome of a Southern Belle. She can tell you to go to hell and make you look forward to the journey!” To that, our professor turned around and shook her head. (She wasn’t from Texas and had told us she didn’t understand our hospitality or etiquette.)

I have never viewed myself as a Southern Belle. I just know deep down inside me that I am called to live to a higher standard in which I keep my promises, tell the truth at all costs and do my best to do things in love.

Being a follower of Christ sets this standard for me, but I’m amazed at how many people who say they are Christians live just like the rest of the world doing things to please themselves. It shouldn’t be surprising to see the conduct of people today because it was written about hundreds of years ago, and we were told exactly what to do.

“BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them],” 2 Timothy 3:1‭-‬5 AMP

One reason I choose to live to a higher standard is because of the great promise associated with it. “Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!],” Hebrews 13:5 AMP.

In his book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” Steve Harvey said men like standards, so get some. So how can we start to raise our standards? Jesus told us the greatest commandment is to love one another. The Apostle Paul broke it down even further in Philippians 2:3‭-‬4 GNT:

• Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast;

• Be humble toward one another;

• Aways considering others better than yourselves;

• And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.

How do you live life to a higher standard, or how do you plan to raise your standards?





Senée is a Certified Christian Counselor, singer, public speaker & writer. She specializes in individual change in relationships & recovery. You can e-mail your questions or comments to info@ or get more information on bookings or products at her website.