Godly Character

Character is something that not enough people talk about today whether it’s within the church building, outside the church, within our personal communities, or within our homes and this is something that I have noticed a decline of since I was a child. Unfortunately, despite the fact that this is such an important issue for each individual, this is an area of life that will only continue to get worse.

The problems that we face today may not be anything new as society has always been racked with problems but it does appear that the number of problems that we face do increase despite the fact that our advances in technology, medicine, science, agriculture, and on and on are so far superior to any previous point in history. Scripture instructs us that this is not a trend but rather, a pattern as many people a destructive and we love a train wreck despite the warnings from God’s word: “A [good] name [is] rather to be chosen than great riches, [and] loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1).

If so many of God’s children know this then why do so many go astray? Why do so many of God’s children overlook a good name and search out riches when we have the greatest riches to be found anywhere in our dear Savior, Jesus Christ? The more that I learn of man, the more that I am convinced this is just human nature as the more resources and opportunities that are available to us, the more desire that man has to conquer and possess as much as possible. We have witnessed this since the beginning of time which further illustrates the idea of free will: “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself” (John 7:17).

Although life is not easy, Christ puts it to us in such an easy and clear manner: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” This scripture points out different things including that it’s our choice of what we do as God does not force us and God is always waiting for us but it also shows just how easy God makes it for His complicated creation: “ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

There is a reason why we are instructed to be like Christ. No, not because God has some type of inferiority complex whereas He does not possess self-esteem or has a low opinion of Himself but instead, we are told to be like Christ so that our character and our actions will match up with Christ. Remember, it is We the People that fall short, not God and it’s We the People that lack knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, not God. When we are in God, we have a heart for God and desire to do all things like God but this does not mean we will be perfect but we will seek after God and the things that He expects of us: “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).