Turn on the television, check out your social media feeds or listen to the conversations of the people around you when you’re out in public. If you do, you’ll get a pretty clear idea of what our modern society values. Very often what people want most out of life are things like status, power, prestige, fame, wealth, pleasure and maintaining a youthful or sexy appearance. If it takes being aggressive, obsessive, pushy or ruthlessly competitive in order to achieve these things, many are more than willing to do so.   

But the reality is, even if we are able to attain these goals, it doesn’t provide a lasting happiness. Prioritizing these things can actually lead to emptiness, loneliness, frustration and suffering. We may start to feel as though our lives have no real meaning or purpose, or that the things we’ve been seeking after offer only temporary enjoyment.   

All this shouldn’t be surprising, as the Bible tells us that Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is doing everything he can to influence our culture and try to sway humanity “his way.” Satan knows how to make what’s destructive look appealing, and he’s trying to do whatever he can to harm mankind (1 Peter 5:8), or at least make us miserable.  

It’s the polar-opposite of how God wants us to live our lives. God wants us to value what He values and to internalize His truths into our lives. Not surprisingly, His virtues are countercultural and totally opposed to what “values” Satan endorses.  

Sadly, many people today consider biblical virtues to be weaknesses when they are actually strengths. Yet they are the way to true peace, fulfillment and happiness.  

So exactly what biblical virtues are we talking about? Obviously, there are many that could be discussed here, but the following six are probably the most disregarded and even spurned in our modern society: 

1. Meekness 

In Kingdom Values (Bethany House, 2022), Tony Evans defines meekness as “controlled strength” or the state where “a person has learned to live with their power under control” (p. 116). In practical terms, this means when we face accusations, attacks or bad treatment of any kind, we do not respond with our own ugly words or by trying to overpower our enemies with even more vicious allegations. 

Instead, those who are meek master the art of using a soft answer to diffuse a situation (Proverbs 15:1). They are slow to wrath (Proverbs 14:29), and do not get easily angered (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Two of the reasons they’re able to do this is they’re not easily offended (Proverbs 19:11), and they want to live peaceably with others if at all possible (Romans 12:18).   

This doesn’t mean those who are meek let people bully them. When it’s time to confront a wrong or speak up about an injustice, they will. But they do so without attacking, accusing or uncontrolled anger. 

It’s quite a contrast to our modern world which rewards those who are the loudest and most aggressive, and celebrates unbridled boldness or power. Just think about what’s been happening in the 2024 election season in the United States. If a candidate hurls attacks against his or her opponent, that person almost always responds with even more outlandish accusations.  

Then in our everyday lives, we live with road rage, fights between opposing teams at sporting events, and apartment residents feuding over parking spaces. People pride themselves on “telling it like it is,” “letting others have it,” “speaking their mind” and not putting up with any kind of perceived mistreatment by other people. 

Some people equate meekness with being weak or wishy-washy, but nothing could be further from the truth. In Matthew 11:29 Jesus described himself as “gentle and lowly in heart”—but as our Savior and soon-coming King, he was and is anything but weak. In Numbers 12:3, Moses was called the “meekest man on earth.” As the one who stood before Pharoah and told him to “let my people go,” that is hardly the sign of weakness. We need to remember too that in Galatians 5:23, meekness is listed as one of the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit—underscoring what an important virtue it is. 

2. Patience 

Another fruit of the Spirit, patience (Galatians 5:22) is a second biblical virtue that is increasingly uncommon in society. Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, suffering or difficult circumstances without getting upset, irritated or complaining. When we’re patient, we do not allow the unpleasantries of life to turn us into unpleasant people. 

One of the main ways we exhibit patience is how we treat others. We’re told in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that “love is patient” (New International Version). Ephesians 4:2 says to live our lives “bearing with one another in love,” essentially urging us to be longsuffering with others even when it’s hard. In everyday terms this might mean being patient with the waiter-in-training when she doesn’t get our order right, or being willing to explain procedures to a new employee over and over again until he finally “gets” it.  

We must also be patient with God, particularly when facing adversity. In these situations, we want deliverance, but we must wait patiently—for God’s timing and His answers—with a hopeful expectation.  

Romans 5:3-4 tells us that trials can help us build godly character traits like perseverance and hope. We will be more patient with God during trials when we recognize them as opportunities for spiritual growth.  

Once again, all this is a huge contrast with our fast-paced world today. Most people want immediate answers and fixes. They’re overwhelmed and under pressure, and can become easily angered or irritated when things don’t go “their way.” Many do not even believe in God, so they can’t always see the need to develop patience. They just want their problems fixed now. 

3. Mercy 

These days we’re continually seeing stories in the news where individuals applaud the misfortunes of those who hold opposing political or philosophical viewpoints. It’s as though they’re happy to see their enemies or adversaries “getting what they deserve” (and whether they even deserve punishment is often very subjective). It seems to have become an ingrained way of thinking in our society, that when people feel wronged or threatened, they become unabashedly vocal about how they want to see their opponents punished. On a more personal level, if an individual feels betrayed by another, many people feel totally justified in holding a grudge or taking revenge. 

This is all contrary to how God wants us to live. Over and over again the Bible emphasizes the importance of mercy—to show concern and compassion to others, even if they have sinned against us or done us harm, and even if we don’t “like them.” If we are in a position of being able to punish the offender, mercy includes being willing to withhold punishment. In terms of our personal relationships, showing mercy embodies the act of forgiveness and having an eagerness to be reconciled when problems do arise, and at the very least, being patient with others’ shortcomings, instead of holding their weaknesses against them.  

We must always remember that God is merciful towards us and forgives our sins. In the same way, we need to be merciful towards others who harm or irritate us. Classic Bible verses in this regard include Matthew 5:7, 18:21-35; Mark 11:25; Luke 17:3-4; Colossians 3:12-14; and Ephesians 4:32.  

4. Humility 

We live in a culture that emboldens us to be prideful. We’re urged to climb the ladder, put our personal desires first, show off, strive to be the “top dog” and seek positions of power and prestige. We brazenly promote ourselves on social media, flaunting or even bragging about all our successes and accomplishments, and think nothing of it. Few people anymore seem to see the value in humility.  

But God does. The Bible instructs us to “be clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5:5) and tells us that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Humility is a foundational biblical virtue (Micah 6:8, Colossians 3:12, Titus 3:2).  

One reason many do not value humility is they’re confused about what it really entails. In Character Still Counts, author James Merritt describes what humility is and isn’t: “Humility is not refusing to have any ambition to be better and to do better to reach your fullest potential, both in who you are and what you can do . . . Humility is not self-humiliation. Rather than putting yourself down, humility is putting yourself in your rightful place. That place is always second place for the good of others” (2019, p. 63). 

Humble people are not arrogant, self-absorbed or overly assertive; they are always thinking about what’s good for other people. They realize they don’t know everything, and that there is always more to learn. They also recognize how much they need God; they know their strengths come from Him and that they are dependent on God for everything. Satan, however, has convinced many in society that their life goal should be to please themselves and they don’t need God—which is the antithesis of humility. 

5. Modesty 

The concept of modesty has basically disappeared from modern western society. Instead, immodesty is the norm. Shop for gals’ clothing at the department store and much of what’s available shows way too much skin and puts the wearer’s body on display. Or, the clothes are emblazoned with sexually-provocative words and phrases like “Hottie,” “Sexy” and “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” Guys, too, often wear immodest attire, like cut-off shirts, muscle tees, stringer tanks—not usually to “look sexy,” but still to draw attention to themselves—perhaps to show off their biceps or sculpted abs. 

But while society sees modesty as “outdated,” it is an important virtue to God. In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NLT) we’re told that women should “be modest in their appearance,” and “make themselves attractive by the good things they do.” This applies to both men and women. We should not seek to stand out by our clothing, but rather by our good deeds. 

Modesty can be defined as “conduct, manner, speech or appearance intended to avoid impropriety or indecency.” It also includes not drawing undue attention to ourselves. Not wearing skimpy clothing is only one aspect of modesty.  

Anytime we are behaving in a flamboyant or attention-seeking manner, we are being immodest. This includes posting photos of ourselves on Facebook that make us look glamorous—with the hope of getting a lot of “likes,” covering our bodies with colorful tattoos and piercings or trying to hog the spotlight at a party. We can see a lot of these kinds of behaviors in our society today, as many will do just about anything to get attention. Instead, we should live our lives in a way that points people to God (Psalm 115:1, Matthew 5:16)—not to solicit attention for ourselves. 

6. Trust in God 

A major theme of the Bible is to not put our trust in ourselves or other people, but in God (Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:20, Psalms 37:4-6, Isaiah 12:2; Jeremiah 17:5, 7). Only God is truly faithful and trustworthy (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalms 25:10, 146:6). Trusting in God gives us peace of mind (Isaiah 26:3). 

Society, however, is filled with scoffers who laugh at those who put their trust in an unseen, supernatural Being. Satan, primarily through the media and educational institutions, has convinced many that evolution explains the existence of human life, and that God doesn’t exist. Trusting in God is often seen as for the “less educated.” Many TV sitcoms and movies mock people who believe in God. 

What also happens is many live such busy lives, consumed by the cares of this world (Mark 4:19), that even if they profess to believe in God, they don’t spend much time praying and studying their Bibles, so God isn’t as “real” to them as He should be. 

The result is people often end up putting too much trust in their bank accounts, investments, real estate holdings, abilities and intellect. Or, they place total confidence in political movements, technology and science. The trouble is, none of these things offer ultimate, godly solutions to life’s challenges or difficulties. Only God can offer spiritual solutions that address underlying problems.  

The good news is after Jesus Christ returns to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God, the virtues mentioned here will no longer be considered “countercultural,” but will be ingrained into the way of life for all people. Humanity will learn to value and practice these virtues, just as God the Father and Jesus Christ do. 

In the meantime, work to change your life by living spiritual, biblical values. By your example, seek to influence the everyday world in which you live. Do good things. It will make a difference—a very positive one—for ourselves and for those we interact with.