The original meaning of the word ‘Christian’ is ‘follower of the Messiah’. Christianity lays a lot of stress on values. There are certain values that an ideal Christian is supposed to adhere to. Prudence: It means common sense, reason, wisdom or, in other words, using one’s head. Christianity wants its followers to think about their faith rather than follow it blindly.
It wants them to have the heart of a child and the head of an adult. Mankind has been bestowed with intelligence and is answerable for the use to which it puts this.
Temperance: It means enjoying things in moderation without abusing them. It can also be called self-control. The most common application of this word is to people who are addicted to drinking: they are called intemperate. But intemperance can refer to excessive attachment to anything.
Justice: God is just. He has no favourites. One is judged strictly according to one’s actions. In this respect, Christianity is similar to Buddhism. Justice also means fairness, honesty, truthfulness and keeping promises. If we are denying truth, we are being unjust. All truth is God’s truth.
Fortitude: It means courage. It could be courage in the face of danger or it may mean persevering with something worth doing when the going gets tough. Christians trying to follow all the values will no doubt face a lot of difficulties, so fortitude is needed to follow the other values.
Charity: Small or large as per one’s capacity, it is based on the belief ‘thy need is greater than mine’. Christians opened schools for the poor all over the world. Charity does not mean simply giving money to the poor, but treating every person with affection and goodwill. It is the highest form of love.
Hope: The two most important covenants or promises made by God, in Christianity, are the ‘Promised Land’ and the ‘Promised Messiah’. Due to these promises, Christianity has a basic positive outlook on the future. Christianity does not advocate leaving the world. It encourages us to persist with our values in the face of difficulties in the belief that doing so will be good for us.
Faith: Christianity expects its followers to believe in God in their hearts individually and together as a community. Faith enables us to look for divinity in the beauty of nature or the arts. It enables us to sense His presence in the good acts being committed around us.
Faith is not opposed to reason or intelligence. Christianity does not want its followers to merely be people who adhere to a certain set of restrictions. It expects them to build these values into everything they do, and into what they are.