We all have particular Character traits that make us who we are. These are the virtues and vices that we carry around in our heart and mind. The question is are we actually using our virtuous character traits to live our life with? Or are we allowing our vices to overwrite the virtues of who we are? Are we awarding our marriage with the importance it deserves or are we behaving lazy by not contributing the positive aspects of our self into the marriage? Ask your self. Who am I? What does my marriage mean to me? Am I done growing? Am I happy with me? I dont think we ever stop growing spiritually or mentally. I believe we continue to learn and to grow until we pass on. The amount of spiritual and mental growth we accomplish is all up to what we believe in and what we do with those beliefs. If a person doesnt place too much importance on their marriage they tend to base their marriage upon certain vices and indulgences to feed their ego. In other words, they havent figured out yet, that happiness is up to them and what virtues they bring into their marriage not what vices they support the marriage with. Our potential in life is much greater than we allow it to be and we actually stunt the spiritual and mental growth process by way of our mind. Our mind becomes consumed to live on the physical realm of feelings to such an extent that we dont know we can also feel good on the spiritual level as well. We concern our selves with what FEELS good physically, what tastes good to our taste buds, and what looks appealing to the eyes, and yet, what about the spiritual mind, and learning to live our life under the support of Gods world? Lets explore the difference between virtues and vices. In this article well take a look at faithfulness vs. adultery Faithfulness is a virtuous character trait. Not everyone can be faithful in his or her marriage. There are those who place less value and importance on who they are. Unfortunately the health and welfare of marriage is up to what a person brings into it, how they feel about self, and what they believe in. Those people who are spiritually aware are those who use the potential within them and who ultimately have better marriages. The reason for this is they bring upright and moral character traits from self into the marriage. They make their marriage what it is, good or bad, by what foundation they use to base their marriage on. The world is a tempting place to all couples in marriage, and there are good-looking guys and gals everywhere that will tempt us to be with them sexually, and yet, not all married people commit adultery! The difference between the adulterer and the faithful spouse goes back to the virtues and vices within them. The person who commits the act of adultery has not grown out from self in a spiritual way but has stayed within the selfish aspect of who they are. Selfishness usually doesnt understand the commitment of marriage, respect, honesty and trust. It is too selfish to comprehend those virtues of character. Selfishness and rebelliousness runs rampant in marriages, which is the root of most divorce in this society. This is not to say that they cannot expand their horizons someday and grow out from self and learn to be of more virtuous character either. All I am saying is these people still need to grow spiritually and mentally. And then again, a number of people never decide to take the virtuous path and so end up living their life not knowing all they can accomplish for them selves and for those around them. This is called being spiritually stunted. What makes a person succeed does not stem from what one does such as career, money and or power but by what one is, which is the virtuous character traits of that person. If they have expanded their spiritual paths by learning to live by virtues rather than vices and still be happy and content with themselves and life, they have succeeded. Too many people misunderstand the meaning of success, thinking it has something to do with how much money one has or that their mortgage is paid off. Anyone can have those things with the right ambition but not everyone can have virtues of character. Now on the opposite side of faithfulness we have adultery. So then what is the difference between the faithful spouse and the spouse who commits adultery? The faithful spouse does not live by physical but by virtues of character; which has been given to them through spiritual learning and growth. In other words, virtue of character overwrites the sinful temptations of the world. They do not allow the temptation or desire to supersede over the virtuous mind within them. The repeated adulterer(ess) doesnt place too much value upon who he is. It may seem to others that he does regard himself highly but really he is hiding behind a cloak of deceit, mostly to him self. In a peapod, life and what we make of it will always come back to the value of self. And if you have already read any of my articles you know that I place high importance on fixing self FIRST. Only then can we get to the root of the problems and circumstances that surround our life. In other words, until a person grows out from the selfish aspects of who they are, they will live in their weakness, feeling bitter, unhappy, and hopeless. To them their only hope is the pleasure they receive from their vices. But there is hope. Once a person understands how to grow out from the negative and destructive vices of self, the sooner they can begin to use the potential within them. Which are his virtues of character. Know and believe this, everyone has a spiritual aspect of self hidden away within him or her. God provides us with spiritual tools such as faith, self-control, patience, love, kindness, and peace to help us to grow out from the selfish aspects of self. The question we might ask ourselves then is are we using our vices or virtues to live our life by? Am I happy with me? ~~ |
