Building character.

As humans we are constantly evolving, learning, and developing. It seems we were made for that very purpose of constantly looking for the next thing, never getting satisfied with what we have. And I believe it is a good thing. To not be satisfied with your current state, striving to learn more, to know more, to be curious about the world we live in and explore possibilities that surround us. That dissatisfaction with the here and now only goes to show that we were made for more. However, in our quest for satisfaction we can easily get caught up in the momentary, often seeking fleeting pleasures and being content with those until the next one. Furthermore, we also tend to be easily satisfied with our current state. We are complacent and forfeit our God given abilities to explore the world we live in and this attitude affects every aspect of our life here on earth and our walk with God. I believe this attitude makes us dead. If we are to imitate our Lord and saviour, and if we are to please God in all that we do, then I believe we must learn to rediscover what it means to build character, honourable character. One that sets us apart and that shows the world the One we follow. Indeed, a character is an attribute that make up or distinguish an individual. For example, one character of God is that He is constant – the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In the same way, our character reflects our identity which sets us apart from a whole. In Christ, we have been given a new identity, we have been made new, reconciled to God our Father, the old has gone behold the new has come. Christians are supposed to be people of good character. That is, we ought to be defined by our attitudes which reflect Christ. Some of these attitudes are obedience, perseverance, love, kindness, faithfulness, patience, goodness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). How then do we build character? How do we reflect God by displaying such attributes? I would like to submit that it is simply by yielding to Him.

I know it sounds too vague so let me explain. To yield to God, is to be obedient to His will and commandments. To yield to God is to do what He asks you to do whether you want to do it or not. To yield to God is to surrender your very will and actions to His. What does God ask me to do, you might ask? One easy way to know and find out is by opening and reading His word found in the bible. Moreover, if you are in Christ, you have the very presence of God with you; the Holy Spirit who is an advocate constantly pointing us in the direction that pleases God. To yield to God, you must be aware of God, you must seek the things of God, you must listen to the prompting of the Spirit of God. This starts with spiritual disciplines, such as daily bible reading, daily prayer, daily meditation, and scripture memorization. The length of these activities does not matter but what is important here is the consistency. We are people of habits and these do not happen by chance or happenstance, they are a collection of repetitive actions. You have probably heard of the saying “repetition is the mother of all learning” which basically states that the more you do something the better you become at it. That is a proven fact. Is it any wonder then that God would give us the bible full of repetitive words about who He is, His character, His power and everything? Is it any wonder that God would have us talk about his commandments, his statutes when we walk along the road or sit at home, when we lie down or get up (Deuteronomy 6:7)? Doing so help us build a routine which then becomes a habit and from that habit we learn, we grow, we develop, we become more like Him, we reflect Him. The beauty for us Christians is that we have the power to do this, the Spirit of God enables us to take control of the habits we build. The problem we have is that we are far too easily satisfied with little. We do not aspire to do more or know more. We are fearful and afraid of failure. We are lazy. We avoid effort, we run away from anything that requires work from us. Irrespective of the situation, we often choose the easy path, the convenient path, the comfortable path. But who has ever built anything substantial and long-lasting without putting in effort? Without failing? Without persevering? We love the finished product but not the process of making the product. In the software world, before a product is launched it goes through a series of iterations, testing and development. Only once it has proven itself to stand against all the tests and the iterations can it be marketable. But the process of iterating and testing is simply painful for a developer, usually a task that no ones likes to do but one that is so crucial because it requires focus, patience and endurance. Without testing, the product can never reach the intended state. The same is with us. In our Christian walk we ought to let God make us go through difficulties, annoyances, inconveniences, and the likes because He is making something beautiful, a final product, one that is far better than the current one. Plus, He is the sovereign God who has a bigger picture and whose plans are always greater than ours. But this starts with building the small habits and persevering in those. Remember, he who is faithful in little will be faithful in much Jesus said. Therefore, how can you pursue habits that will build a character honourable to God in your life?

In the season of life you are in right now, how can you yield to God and persevere? May I suggest immersing yourself in His words on a daily basis to start hearing Him and listening to Him? Starting small and building up from that? Remember, the Holy Spirit of God enables you to do that. Therefore, what hindrances can you get rid off to focus on your heavenly Father and what He would have you do? What excuses are you coming up with to not meet with God, or to not obey God? Good character, good habits build legacy and such legacy often brings blessing to others. Today we are benefactors of Jesus’ legacy and that was not built in a single day. It took discipline, obedience to the Father and yielding to His very will. Would you start looking at the end result and the benefits that flow from it and persevere in building good habits? The author and perfecter of your faith awaits.