.:.character development.:.

Character development is essential to a good story. Do you have a favorite character? A Disney, Looneytoons, Star Wars or LOTR one, perhaps? When we see good character development (whether in a good or evil character)- we are drawn in. We are invited into a segment of their life, captivated by their circumstances and completely helpless but to watch how they respond. These characters are embodied or "put on" by actors who play the role convincingly. But at the end of the day, those actors go home, and are themselves. 

Character development is essential to a good person. Do you know people of good, strong character? A mentor, friend or family member perhaps? When we experience good character in others - we are drawn in. We are invitied to examine our own life, captivated by their conviction and completely empowered to watch and learn by how they respond.

What kind of character do you wear?

Make no mistake - even good character is something you put on. Colossians 3:12-17 tells us to put on a Christ-like character living out traits such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience BECAUSE we are God's chosen people. What we wear can help identify our allegiances. Emblems, logos and symbols speckle our clothing uniting us to something bigger. In the same way, our character is a testiment to who we submit ourselves to; we put on character traits that will associate us to something bigger.

Character. {Noun}
1. Moral or ethical quality.
2. Traits that form the individual nature of a person.
3. Qualities of honesty, courage and integrity.

Don't confuse character with reputation.
Character is what someone is;
reputation is what someone is thought to be by others.

"It is unfortunate that character development is not usually a section to fill out on a resume or university application, because we all know that it is one of the most important parts of any human. It will determine your successes, failures, relationships, and ministry to others more than your talents and abilities ever will." -Cheryl Crocker

What are you doing to develop your character?
Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking...
-Keep your word; don't make promises you can't keep.
-Develop as a person; grow your maturity spiritually, emotionally, mentally.
-Admit and learn from your mistakes; take ownership and make things right.
-Study and be shaped by the Word of God; The Bible teaches us about the best character!

"God doesn't say He dwells with the best singer or the one who preaches best or the one who has the best intellectual grasp of doctrine. He does say He dwells with those who walk uprightly and blamelessly and speak truth from the heart." -Cal MacFarlane

What are you spending your time developing?
Developing your God-given gifts is important to do... but if you don't develop your character, your gifts are an empty offering to the Lord. He cares more about the heart of the giver than the gifts themselves.

Character matters.

Character development is essential.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.

guarding your heart

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." -Proverbs 4:23

Everything you do flows from it.

Every beautiful thing you have to offer this world stems from your heart.
Every negative thing you have to offer this world stems from your heart.
It's your choice.
What you allow into your heart is what will take root.
And what takes root is what will grow.
And what grows becomes the garden you glean from.
And what you glean is what you end up offering the world in return. 

Everything you do flows from your heart.

Make no mistake, your heart is under assault in this world.
Negativity
Passivity
Comparison
Fear
They try to suffocate the beauty of your heart, and the life it wants to offer the world. If you allow their waters to wet your heart, you'll drown in a desperate attempt to believe the deceit that what you offer is beautiful.

For your heart to thrive, you will need to protect it, guard it, nurture it.
To guard your heart doesn't mean to put a fortress around it.

The image of a princess locked in a tower is a false understanding of protection.
True protection and true guards don't just block out the bad, they allow good to pass through too.

Make no mistake, your heart can recognize beauty.
Positivity
Initiative
Acceptance
Courage
They empower and encourage the beauty of your heart and the life it wants to offer the world. If you allow their waters to fall on your heart, you'll reap a harvest, and offering the world pieces of you will come naturally and easily from the overflow of your heart.

Guarding your heart.
Allow good to be received and given.
Let your heart breathe.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.

By The Fruit

When I was younger, I used to think that God was up in heaven eating grapes while He watched our lives on a big screen TV. I figured that if He could see everything I was doing, and if He knew everything about me, then there must be cameras on me at all times. It then, somehow, stood to reason that for every good and bad thing I did, I got a check mark or an 'x' by my name on the whiteboard he held in front of Him. Where did I pick up these ideas?!

Over the years, I've come to realize that He is much more involved than I could have ever imagined. And He knows me more intimately than I know myself. Yet, when He invites me to dance with Him, I withdraw and protest, "But Lord, you don't really know who you're asking. I have stains and blemishes and I'll just embarrass you. You don't want to dance with me." As if He didn't know my faults. And He gently extends His arm to me and asks me to dance again, saying, "Sarah, I know those things, even better than you do, and I still want to dance with you."

This picture of an invitation to dance absolutely astounds me. How can He be so loving and gentle and pursue me with such patience? Especially if He knows how filthy and unworthy I am!
Why is it so hard to accept grace? For me, it's because I have to remove my pride, accept that I'm a sinner saved only by grace, and then accept that God is a bigger 'person' than me because I wouldn't have the love to do for others what He does for me. And that process is hard, because I'm a selfish, sinful person - I was born that way. (Reference to Lady Ga-Ga not intended.)

"The Lord works by the fruit of His Spirit." -Cal MacFarlane

And what are those fruit? They are found in Galations 5 starting at verse 22.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The Lord works by the Fruit of His Spirit. Therefore, what truly stands to reason, is that He is gentle and patient with us. There is no scoreboard, no cut-throat competition. He lovingly works through those characteristics and develops them in me.

By using the very traits themselves to work them in me, I experience what the fruit I'm bearing should look like in my life. I need to follow the Spirit's example. So whether I'm mentoring youth or teaching kids, I need to be participating in the work that God is already doing in their lives. I need to gently and lovingly come alongside in partnership with God. It is not my responsibility to make sure someone converts to my faith or my opinion of what they should be doing with their life. Instead, I need to bear the fruit of the Spirit, following the example of the Spirit's work in my life: patiently, gently and lovingly coming alongside and speaking truth.

God would rather dance with me than watch me from a distance. He would rather show kindness, goodness and self-control than their counterparts. My beloved works by His expectations.

Oh how He loves us so!

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.

Well Intentioned

"We judge ourselves

based on our motives

while others judge us

based on our actions."

-Dan Gabor

Sometimes there is a great disconnect from our motives to our actions.

We can be so well intentioned, and still come across hurtful or offensive.

If you've ever been on an overseas mission trip,

you'll know what I mean by that.

Or have you ever been in charge of an

event/lesson plan/etc that completely flopped?

Then you also know what I mean.

Or how about in your home or your marriage?

(Did you just get a knot in your tummy too?)

I know that I can be the most well intentioned person at times,

wanting to fix habits, speak encouragement, clean/tidy that one room, get the to-do list finally done, or go out of my way to do something nice for my spouse...

....but then excuses come and I make other priorities.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,

but the Lord weighs the heart.

-Proverbs 21:2

Where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also.

-Matthew 6:21

Yes, the Lord weighs the heart and sees our intentions and motives.

In doing so, He also sees our priorities and where we place our treasure.

Sometimes, having the right motivations can be good enough.

Sometimes, we need to have the follow through as well.

And there is grace for when we don't meet our standards.
There is also grace for when we don't meet God's standards - which is a much more important goal. But let's remember that the disconnect from our words/intentions to our actions/follow through does have an impact on others.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.

This post is linked up to TimeWarp Wife's Titus 2sday Link up!

Two Sources

Remember where your strength comes from and you'll remember it will never run empty.

The word "strength" in the above sentence could be substituted with:

forgiveness, grace, love, wisdom, purity, peace, joy, patience or confidence.

I suppose it works on the other extreme too with words like:

anger, lust, bitterness, resentment, folly, fear or dissention.

These characterisitics come from two very different origins,

but both sources are abounding and open to thristy travellers.

Where are you getting filled?

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.

double entendre

The background:
Our church is doing a sports camp this week in the mornings, with the theme Go the Distance... and day one is all about how change can improve our game. Our bible story of the day is from Acts 9, where God meets Saul on the road to Damascus and his life is drastically changed.

The scenario:
My co-leader is leading our first huddle session and asks,
"So what are some things change is good for?"
One of our delightful seven year old boys responds,
"Buying things! Sometimes you need lots of change!"

Oh, the precious mind of a child.

Oh, how true his words are...even in answer to our question.
Yes, dear boy, sometimes you do need a lot of change.
Praise God He provides what we need and works that change in us.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.