Building a Foundation of Character

As followers of Jesus, the question that we have to continually ask is, “what kind of human being am I going to be?” 

Am I going to be a person of high character?

Am I going to live a life that seeks right choices?

That acts righteously? That serves selflessly?

Or am I going to be a person who cuts corners?

Who doesn’t practice self-control?

Who gossips behind my friend’s back?

Who follows the way of the world instead of leading others to the Way of Jesus?

The stakes are high, and the consequences are eternal.

What kind of person are we going to be?

Now, you may be thinking, “stakes are high? Consequences eternal? What’s up with all of this? Why’s it such a big deal if I live with high character? Why does it matter for me to make good decisions?”

And if you’re living with a fixed mindset on the here and now, you sort of have a point. Does anything we do in this life really matter? Does it really matter if I’m a good person?

But the thing about Jesus is that his call on our lives is to live with an eternal, outward-focused mindset. We’re called to love God and love others and our CHARACTER is the primary means for helping Jesus to usher in Heaven on Earth.

Character is our primary vehicle for sharing the Good News—the Gospel—that Jesus died for our sins and has extended us new life. That new life is a life of grace, joy, peace, patience, etc.

It’s a life of sound character. Character is the impression your life leaves on others.

Think about it, who do you want people to see when they interact with you? Hopefully there’s no hesitancy in your answer.

JESUS!

Do you see? It is our character that either points people towards or away from the God who saves.

I love how the Apostle Peter builds the attributes of character on one another.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love (1 Peter 1:5-7, NIV).

In other words, it’s a process.

It’s a process that—with the help of the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, which lives inside of us when we pledge our allegiance to Jesus as Lord—gives us the ability to live a life that is set apart, counter-cultural, and defined by eternal attributes, not temporary pleasures.

It begins with effort or desire on our part. Once we cross the line of faith, we’re not finished! That’s a lie that so many of us buy into. We accept Jesus into our heart and believe that life—our circumstances, our relationships, our decisions—will all just be great from there on out.

But following Jesus isn’t a silver bullet, it’s a daily surrender.

Make every effort to add to your faith. In other words, pursue Jesus. Desire the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus.

How?

Begin with goodness. Do what Jesus would do if he were you.

Well, how do I know what that is?

Peters says it. Through knowledge! Read the Gospels, become aware, and grow attuned to who Jesus is.

When we begin to know God and live like he would live if he were us, we start developing Christ-like character traits. Peter lists them: self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection or compassion for others.

And when all of this is formed in us and lived out of us, the overflowing, abundant fruit or result is love. A selfless, sacrificial, agape or unconditional love that breaks the walls of the world down like nothing else.

What kind of impression would a life like that leave?

Peter continues, For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:8-11, NIV).

What a promise.

What a picture.

Peter is laying out a life of character, a life that leaves an eternal impression on others. He’s laying out the process of building a life of character that honors God and ends with a rich, warm welcome into the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

It sounds nice, doesn’t it? It sounds like the type of life that we all, deep down, know we want to live.

And yet, how often do we forget? How often are we the nearsighted and the blind? How often do we forget that when we said YES to Jesus, when we confessed our sins and declared him Lord of our lives, that we were forgiven from our past and made new?

And that, because of that, we are now in PROCESS of becoming the type of person, of developing the character, of growing the person of Jesus in US.

Our greatest witness is our character in Christ. So, my friends, let’s be people who are continually growing in Christ-likeness.

Be encouraged.