Character Revealed

Giving Up When It Gets Tough–Character Needed

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” 2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV

“Character is revealed when pressure is applied.” – Unknown   

When Martin Luther King Day came, I remembered his famous quote: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” I decided to make a list of positive character traits and learned that…

Character is a very tall order. I have not accomplished this by any stretch but making the following list and referring to it when decision-making, entering into an argument, or wanting to catch some more sleep, keeps me honest.

Character is who you are when nobody is looking.

Character keeps going even when not popular.

Character apologizes and makes right.

Character knows when to seek help and humbly asks for it.

Character shows up even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Character is humble.

Character relates to others and does not manipulate.

Character keeps commitments.

Character teaches much more than words.

Character gives without thought of thanks or repayment.

Character doesn’t control.

Character has a purpose that lives on when gone.

Character is a daily and worthy goal.

Character grows, no matter the past.

I bet you have thoughts about character, too, which I have not considered. The Bible is the best character-building book. I’m a word-search enthusiast but it works for me and there’s so much to learn about character in the Bible.

Musings

If one is stuck on how to have character, I think Emily Dickenson had it when she wrote:

“If I can stop one heart

From breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life from aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin,

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.”  Character.

Prayer

Dear Father,

Godly character. What a worthy and lifetime goal! We may be elderly or starting in life, we may be disabled, widowed, sick, or isolated but character is still revealed. We may be successful, loved, and popular and character still peeks through.

Strengthen and encourage our character to come closer to Your Son’s.

With thanks,

Amen.