Shalom!
It's almost the end of the month of August now, which means I've been serving here in Sri Aman for a complete 9 months. That also means I have came across hundreds of different people's characters, so much so as they had came across mine. Character is that one thing that defines who we are, apparently from the outer appearance, and that is also a disadvantage because it is hard to evaluate our own character; unless of course we ask directly to the people closest to us. But then, that also is not a precise evaluation. In order to know our own character, we need to ask the one who created us and formed us in our mother's womb- God the creator.
A good question arose in my mind: Why does character matter…..???
Before we sort out the probable answers, let us look at what God wants to say about ‘character’:
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
(Proverbs 3:1-4)
Next, we look at what our good friend Paul preached to the believers in Galatia:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
We can easily fool people for a while by our words and actions, but who we are on the inside will ultimately show itself on the outside. Our words and actions will reflect our hearts.
Character is so important because it is a direct reflection of our hearts. For example, committing to worship shows that God comes first in our hearts. Committing ourselves to kindness shows a commitment to serve others. What is our hearts committed to? If we are not sure about it, then others probably aren’t either.
Lastly, ‘even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right’ (Proverbs 20:11)…. ‘Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind’ (Psalm 26:2)
CHARACTER builds COURAGE and gives the COMMITMENT to CHANGE..!
1 comment:
So true. I've come across a saying that is common with the old folks: Mulut ya jaik, tapi hati ya manah. The thing is the Scripture says otherwise. Our action would naturally correspond with what is in our heart.
Post a Comment