Last night at Campus Crusade (for those of you not familiar, it's a Christian organization on college campuses) I got some great insights on building character. Not just character, but Godly character.
We looked at a bunch of verses:
Proverbs 1:1-7
Psalm 1 and 51
2 Peter 1:5-7
John 15
Galatians 5
Romans 12
Our speaker did a great job of communicating the fact that there is clearly a lot of great information in the Bible on what Godly character is and how to build it. But can I be honest and say that sometimes all this talk of goodness, gentleness, self-control and the like stresses me out? I think it's because I don't feel like I've got it all. I am far from what the picture of perfect character (Jesus) would be. That's frustrating when your striving to be more like him...ya kno?
Then our speaker gave a great illustration of how this character is built. Think of a good recipe. You don't add everything at once and just stir it up right? Sometimes you have to mix things in separate bowls, cook something and let it cool, let things sit overnight, etc. Just like a good recipe that turns into a delicious treat...character takes TIME to build. It doesn't come all at once, it comes at the right time and when we are truly seeking God's heart.
Like it says in 2 Peter 1:5-7, make every effort to obtain these qualities. God will do the rest, and you will build them in due time. He is not only the author but the FINISHER of our faith, he WANTS us to be whole and complete. Now we know that we won't be perfect until we have left this world, but know that God is working on your character every day. That realization really gave me hope and made me excited.
Think of yourself as a good recipe...working toward that final product.
I think I'd be apple pie :)
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