2 Peter 1:10 – 15 “Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble, and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Therefore, I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body, since I know that it will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.”
Now Peter is really looking over his shoulder! You can almost hear the tramping of feet as the Roman soldiers come to arrest him. Peter knows that his time is short, and he is trying as much as he can to stress the teaching he has just given on the building of Christian character.
Traditionally, if someone was moral and upright, they were said to have a good character and this was an admirable trait. Popular culture these days seems rather to reward the bizarre, the profane, the shocking, and the dissolute rather than moral rectitude. But here’s the interesting thing: when a crisis comes, people still naturally gravitate to someone who is of a good character rather than those who are only posturing.
On the other hand, someone who is said to be “a character, is generally a person who behaves in a joking fashion or someone who is always trying to do things a little differently. Some people are said to be characters because they fail to fulfill society’s expectations – for example, someone who becomes a hermit in the woods. Others adopt exaggerated forms of dress or makeup in a bid for attention. But there’s a big difference between “being a character” and having a good character.
When I was growing up on an Illinois farm, my dad was fond of assigning tasks that he claimed would build character. Most of the time, these jobs were difficult and sometimes unpleasant. Chopping frozen silage out of a pit silo on a morning when the temperatures was shivering from the cold and the prairie wind was whipping out of the northwest was one of those character – building activities. At the time, I failed to appreciate the finer points of character building; however, as an adult, I remain deeply grateful for every nasty chore I ever did. Dad was right; those chores did build character. I learned that work done under difficult conditions had its own rewards and that it was worth the discomfort.
Being a person of character demands that you continually gauge yourself. The Bible Proverbs 4:23 says “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” This does not mean that we must be engaged in unhealthy self obsessions; however, we must be careful to make sure that we do not needlessly expose ourselves to influences that will pollute our hearts and our minds. We should make time to study God’s Word, to memorize God’s Word, and to meditate on God’s Word. The more we focus on God’s Word, the less we will focus on ourselves and our desires and the more capacity we should have to care for others. Today, ask yourself this: am I merely a character, or am I building character?
PRAYER; Father God, please help us to concentrate on building character and not on being characters. Help us to grow to become fit children of your Kingdom. Thank you for your Word that enlightens, strengthens and guides us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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