Most of us would never describe ourselves as materialistic, yet our choices often tell a different story.

It is easy to nod in agreement when Scripture warns about loving money and praises contentment as great gain. We hear those words and instinctively think they apply to someone else. Yet when pressed honestly, many of us would struggle to exchange our lifestyle for that of a faithful brother or sister living with far less security. Not because we lack faith, but because comfort has quietly become precious to us. We are shaped by our society, and its values feel normal, reasonable, even necessary.

This is why Paul’s call is so confronting. He does not merely warn us what to avoid. He tells us what to pursue. Righteousness. Godliness. Faith. Love. Endurance. Gentleness. These are not abstract ideals or academic concepts. They are meant to describe real people living real lives. The question is not whether these qualities perfectly describe us. The deeper question is whether we truly want them to.

Wanting to be like Christ is not a future ambition reserved for the Kingdom. It is a present longing that shapes how we live today. When we genuinely desire His character, our behaviour begins to change, even if slowly and imperfectly. Yet many of us recognise the tension. We know the right thing to do, and still choose the easier path. We understand righteousness, but living it costs time, effort, and self-denial.

Godliness, too, must be visible. It is not meant to hide behind politeness or private belief. If faith never surfaces in our relationships, our work, or our compassion, then something is missing. People do not need to agree with us to see Christ reflected in us. They should at least know that He matters.

Strikingly, both Paul’s exhortation and the fruit of the Spirit leave one thing unspoken: forgiveness. Perhaps because forgiveness is what we most need. We fall short often. We choose comfort over calling. And yet Christ remains patient with us.

He stood before Pilate with no wealth, no power, and no desire for status, and made the good confession. He is everything the world is not. When others look at us, do they see the same difference?

Many days, we fail. But the Father knows our desire. He sees our longing to be like His Son. And He promises that what we pursue now, imperfectly, will one day be completed fully.