What qualities in Job 1:8 can we emulate in our daily walk? Seeing Job Through God’s Eyes Job 1:8 sets the bar high: “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.’ ”(BSB) Four Qualities Worth Imitating • Blameless • Upright • Fears God • Shuns Evil Blameless: Living With Wholehearted Integrity • “Blameless” (Hebrew tam) speaks of completeness—no hidden corners, no duplicity. • God calls Abram to the same standard: “Walk before Me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1) • Daily practice: – Keep short accounts—confess sin immediately (1 John 1:9). – Match private life with public life; let your “yes” be yes (Matthew 5:37). – Invite accountability; transparency protects integrity. Upright: Walking the Straight Path • “Upright” (yashar) pictures a straight line—no crooked shortcuts. • Psalm 15:1-2 shows what uprightness looks like: “He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness and speaks the truth from his heart.” • Daily practice: – Deal honestly in money, work, and relationships. – Stand for truth even when it costs. – Let your decisions be guided by Scripture, not convenience. Fearing God: Cultivating Reverent Awe • Job’s reverence shaped everything else. Proverbs 3:7 ties it together: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” • Fear here is not terror but worshipful submission. • Daily practice: – Begin each day acknowledging His sovereignty (Psalm 5:3). – Let God’s Word set your priorities (Psalm 119:11). – Guard your speech and actions, remembering you live before His face (2 Corinthians 7:1). Shunning Evil: Turning From What God Hates • Job didn’t just avoid evil; he actively “turned away” from it. • Romans 12:9 echoes the stance: “Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.” • Daily practice: – Identify specific temptations and pre-plan your escape routes (1 Corinthians 10:13). – Replace sinful habits with righteous ones—put off, then put on (Ephesians 4:22-24). – Surround yourself with people and media that fuel holiness, not compromise. Putting It Into Practice Today • Set a brief integrity check at day’s end: “Was I the same person in secret that I was in public?” • Choose the straight path in one concrete decision—maybe at work, maybe at home—where a shortcut tempts you. • Schedule intentional time in God’s presence; reverence grows with exposure. • Identify one area where you regularly flirt with sin; replace it with a God-honoring alternative. Philippians 2:15 sums up the result: “…that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world.” |