The Importance of Character

There is no greater discipline in this life than building godly character.

I am prone to physical, emotional, and spiritual laziness at times, as I'm sure some of you are also. Sometimes I just don't want to be humble, selfless, gentle, or kind. Developing godly character takes effort, focus, persistence, and time. And it flies in the face of all that my humanity desires. My flesh craves pleasure, comfort, and instant results. God desires faithfulness, obedience, and patience. What polar opposites!

There are great benefits to undertaking the discipline of building godly character. One thing I am noticing on my own journey toward such character is that my focus on sin and selfishness diminishes in proportion to the amount of time I spend pursuing the things of God. I simply cannot sin when I am consumed by God's presence. "He must increase, I must decrease."

Another great benefit of building godly character is that I truly become the man I always wanted to be. Honest, wise, patient, humble, gentle, kind, self-controlled, joyful - these are the qualities I want deeply rooted in the fiber of my being. Such qualities are staples of godly character.

Finally, as I allow God to mold His character into my life I realize His twofold purpose in doing so: 1) To bring glory and honor to His name, and 2) To lift me up as a trophy of HIS grace. The character God develops into my life is not merely for my benefit - that would be inefficient and narrow-minded. God wants to increase His glory and share His Good News with every person my life touches. What an honor and privilege to be part of such a process. It truly is humbling to imagine, but a high and glorious honor as well.

I pray that God will continue in His patience with me as I awkwardly move forward in cultivating His character. Sometimes I submit and reap the tremendous rewards of peace, joy, and honor that come with allowing God's truth to impact me where I live. Other times I selfishly attempt to make a go of my life in my own strength, only to suffer the inevitable consequences of frustration, shame, and pain. But thanks be to God for the power of His grace to take the most unlovely, hardened block of clay and mold it into a vessel for His use.

Being molded,

jonathan