People can lose their health, their money, their social standing, and even their friends through no fault of their own.  But when they lose the best within themselves — truth, honor, integrity, principles — then they have lost the best themselves.  These virtues are never taken, but always surrendered.   What happens then to self-respect?   

“until we attain…the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” is what the Apostle Paul states as our ultimate goal.  We should say to ourselves, “That is what I am to reach for.”  ”That is who I want to be.”  This is the vision of our future which we should cherish above all others.  What an unimaginable joy such a hope brings to us.  To know that we have such a capacity can lead us to be nothing less than “as Christ” to those around us in life.  

Cherish this thought, and use it to grow into its fulfillment each day.