Christian virtues consist of seven virtues that are fundamental to Christian ethics
Christian Virtues
Christian virtues consist of seven virtues that are fundamental to Christian ethics. Virtues are viewed as the ability of individuals to respond correctly to situations while depicting conformity to the ways of a supreme being. Four of these virtues are known as the cardinal virtues and include justice, prudence, fortitude, and temperance. The other three virtues are theological and are specifically prescribed in Christianity. The three theological virtues are faith, hope, and love. Love has always been singled out as the most fundamental. Through Christian teachings, human beings can discern that; the theological virtues are imparted by the supreme being, God through Jesus Christ and Christians have the responsibility of practicing them. The four cardinal virtues help individuals in upholding their moral standards. When individuals adopt and practice these virtues, cases of sin are reduced. It also assists in ensuring that self-control and ethical behaviors are practiced by individuals at all times. Faithfulness, serving and ethical behaviors are some of the virtues that have to be upheld by leaders and other individuals while conducting their usual activities.
Faithfulness refers to trust, belief, and commitment to an act (McKaughan 9). The definitions and of faithfulness often vary considerably when the context of its use differ. There are two contexts in which faithfulness can be used and include religious and secular purposes. In the bible, faithfulness is recognized as the most fundamental virtue in human lives. According to Proverbs 33:3-4; “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So, you will find favor and success in the sight of God and man.” The verse indicates that favor in the sight of God and humanity is achieved through the virtue of faithfulness. As asserted by (McKaughan 12), the ancient Hebrews had a tradition that stated that faithfulness was the desired response that God wanted from humanity. An example of faithfulness is where a leader attempts to establish a relationship with their employees so that they can achieve the organizational goals as a team. When employees have trust and loyalty on a leader, they adhere to what is set by the leader. The leader, on the other hand, becomes faithful in their quest to solidify the trust built on them by their employees. Leaders usually set the pace for their employees by exhibiting desirable qualities that greatly impact the employees. Faithfulness also entails performing an obligation correctly. As mentioned by (Maxwell 25) “Many people talk about doing the right thing but the action is the true measure of character.” Acts of faithfulness, therefore, depict whether an individual is faithful. In coaching and leadership in athletics sport, faithfulness is a mandatory virtue. According to (Brown 1), coaches made an impact on players by making them do what is right, as he mentioned that, “viewing coaching as an opportunity to hold athletes to the highest possible behavior standards is what gives this profession eternal value” The statement illustrates that, moral virtues such as faithfulness have to be upheld by the coaches and players to perform well in their sporting activities.
Serving is an act of helpful activity aimed at easing the burden that someone may have without expecting something in return. Most people serve others without realizing it since the acts can be small but it is a blessing to the receivers. The bible clearly stated in Mathew 20:28 “Even as the son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” From the verse, it is clear that Jesus Christ set the example for mankind by offering his life as a service to humanity. Service to others is an act of generosity that has to exhibited by humanity as part of their existence. As asserted by (Maxwell 46), “You have not lived today successfully unless you’ve done something for someone who can never repay you.” The statement exhibits the importance of servitude in humanity. Most individuals have always been inclined to be repaid what they have done to others, but with servitude, one performs an act without expecting pay. According to (Dur & Lent 1), several individuals have the urge of improving the wellbeing of others through servitude.
Two ways can be exploited by individuals to improve the wellbeing of others even those who are unknown to them. These ways are making donations and taking up volunteer job opportunities (Dur & Lent 1). Empirical evidence indicates that the workers in the public make smaller donations to the charity work because they feel they serve the public in their work and therefore they disregard offering services outside their workplace (Dur & Lent 21). An example of servitude is the case whereby a manager of an organization volunteers to teach the interns what they are expected to do in the organization. The manager, therefore, acts as an inspiration to the interns in this scenario, because, they acquire new skills from the expert without feeling intimidated due to their lack of experience. This virtue can also be applied to coaching and leadership in athletic sport because the coaches and leaders offer services to the players. They do this by teaching them new techniques and providing assistance where possible. This can be proved by the assertion of (Brown 2), “Tend to coach the way you were coached. If we make this change, we are doing a great thing for the next generation of coaches.” Thus, coaches and sports leaders ensure that they serve the players while keeping in mind that their actions will impact the next generation.
Being ethical is another virtue that refers to adherence to morally acceptable behaviors. Ethical individuals conduct themselves by the rules and standards laid down in their practice. According to (Wang, Cheney & Roper 5), ethics is a virtue that enables the managerial staff to enhance morality in the workforce and thus, ensuring the development of moral reasoning. The ethical virtue is usually practiced individually or contextually (Wang, Cheney & Roper 5). Individual ethics occurs when the workforce gets motivated to act in a morally upright manner while contextual ethics occurs when the environment of an individual affect their morality (Wang, Cheney & Roper 5). The Bible recognizes the essential nature of being ethical. In James 4:17: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Human beings are therefore obliged to conduct themselves morally because the ramifications of unethical conduct are dire.
Most companies have their ethical standards but there are challenges in implementing it. According to (Maxwell 9), “Some companies have given up entirely on trying to figure out what’s ethical and are instead using what’s legal as their standards for decision making. The result is moral bankruptcy.” The assertion indicates that there has been unethical conduct in some companies as employees perform what they consider legal and this affects the morality of the workplace as they may not be ethical. An example of ethical conduct is where an employee performs their obligations while exhibiting professionalism integrity, accountability, self-discipline, and respect. Ethical virtue is also applied in coaching and leadership in athletic sports. As stated by (Brown 1), “Ethical behavior is not in-born in our kids-not born with the right behavior all have the capacity to be good, but it has to be taught.” Coaches and leaders in athletic sports are mandated with the responsibility of exhibiting ethical conduct to teach the players the ethical virtues they have to adhere to as they perform their activities.
In conclusion, Christian virtues are essential in the life of an individual as it enables them to find the values of their existence. Faithfulness is fundamental since it is a desirable quality that God expects from humanity. Leaders of organizations set examples for employees by exhibiting faithfulness in their quest of achieving organizational goals. Service to humanity is another virtue that is offered freely. Empirical evidence indicates that most people are willing to offer services to the less fortunate without expecting any form of repayment. Ethical conduct enables people to conform to moral standards. Coaches and leaders in athletic sports exhibit these virtues, thus setting examples for the players.
Works Cited
Brown, Bruce Eamon. Teaching character through sport: Developing a positive coaching legacy. Coaches Choice, (2003).
Dur, Robert, and Max van Lent. “Serving the public interest in several ways: Theory and empirics.” Labor Economics 51 (2018): 13-24.
Maxwell, John C. “Ethics 101–What Every Leader Needs to Know.” (2005).
McKaughan, Daniel J. “On the value of faith and faithfulness.” International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 81.1-2 (2017): 7-29.
Wang, Ying, George Cheney, and Juliet Roper. “Virtue ethics and the practice–institution schema: An ethical case of excellent business practices.” Journal of Business Ethics 138.1 (2016): 67-77.