Character is Whats Left When You Leave

1 Samuel 16:7

"...The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

While I was recently on a technology imposed computer vacation, I evaluated many things about myself. I truly think this is important for every Christian to do often. The world has a tendency to affect every portion of our thoughts and actions if we don't keep them in check and in line with what the Lord wants for us. One of the things I evaluated was my own character. What exactly is character? Character is defined basically as a destinguishing mark or impression. So if you apply that to yourself, what kind of mark do you leave behind? That my friend is your character.

The greatest understanding of character comes from the bible. The first occurrence I found was in Genesis. The first two humans on earth had only one promise to keep and they messed it up. Not only did they mess up, they lied about it and then blamed each other. Although they failed, Adam and Eve spent the rest of their lives trying to make it up. Character is cumulative. You aren't born with character, you die with it, it's something you create over a lifetime of difficult circumstances. All people fall short of the Glory of God and sin. Can you admit that sin? Are you able to accept responsibility for the mistakes that you make or do you place the blame on others? All of these things matter to God; He made that very clear in Genesis and through out the bible.

Our characters as Christians are constantly tested. When Moses led God's people out of Egypt the Israelites were constantly tested in order to shape their character. The Desert of Sin was an immense and hostile environment. There was no water and no food, and very little faith in the people even though they had witnessed such greatness as the parting of the Red Sea. They told Moses he should have let them suffer in Egypt rather than die slowly in the desert. As always, God provided for their needs in spite of their doubts and grumblings. If you can't recognize yourself in the Israelites you aren't looking very deep. How many times does God save us just for us to turn around and complain again?

It is in the testing that our true characters are defined. In 2 Chronicles, Hezekiah was a man that did "what was good and right and faithful before the Lord" during his lifetime he was struck ill and nearly died. This wasn't punishment, but testing. Sometimes in order for us to see the flaws in our own character, the Lord has to humble even his most faithful servants.

I didn't really come to any conclusions about my character except to understand that I am still building it. Every day I live is another opportunity to turn to the Lord with complete faith and trust, even when I don't understand what's going on. One thing I do know is that when my casket is closed, my character will remain on earth as a testimony to my life, whether good or bad. Then, when I face my Lord at the judgment seat I will not be able to prepare a defense against the people that have hurt me or the injustices that I endured but I will be accountable for every way in which I reacted to them. That's definitely something to think about.

God Bless and Happy Character Building!

Romans 5:3

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

© 2005 SecretAngels.Org

All works submitted under this copyright may be freely distributed to honor and glorify God.

Secret Angels is a non-denominational, private foundation, who's mission is to uplift all women. Through counseling, mentoring and resources this organization hopes to help women become the wives and mothers that this society is so greatly in need of. Their goal is to provide positive mentoring environments and support networks as well as offering many different types of resources and assistance to aid each individual overcome the burdens and strife of modern day life. Secret Angels believes that through their efforts, women will be better able to raise strong, responsible, self-supporting families and positively effect society with greater self-esteem, confidence and faith in God.

---

Google News Updated : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:25:10 GMT Scientists Reprogram Adult Cells' Function - Washington Post Canada.com Scientists Reprogram Adult Cells' Function Washington Post - 4 hours ago By Rob Stein Through a series of painstaking experiments involving mice, the Harvard biologists pinpointed three crucial molecular switches that, when flipped, completely convert a common cell in the pancreas into the more precious insulin-producing ... Health Buzz: Hope for Diabetes and Other Health News U.S. News & World Report Researchers Report Advances in Cell Conversion Technique New York Times Los Angeles Times - USA Today - Boston Globe - RedOrbit all 433 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:41:39 GMT Obama to attack Bush, McCain in speech tonight - CNN BBC News Obama to attack Bush, McCain in speech tonight CNN - 33 minutes ago DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Democratic nominee Barack Obama will attack John McCain for pushing the same policies as the Bush administration in a speech at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night. Video: Remembering Dr. King's legacy 28-Aug-08 AlJazeeraEnglish Remembering The "Dream" As Obama Lives It CBS News Voice of America - Washington Post - The Associated Press - Seattle Post Intelligencer all 1,221 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:51:33 GMT De La Hoya shies away from retirement talk - ESPN Washington Post De La Hoya shies away from retirement talk ESPN - 2 hours ago By Dan Rafael Oscar De La Hoya announced his exit strategy from the ring at the beginning of 2008. After a glorious 16-year professional fighting career, De La Hoya was making plans for retirement. De La Hoya to face Pacquiao in December Sports Network Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao agree to fight Newsday The Associated Press - Asianjournal.com - SportingNews.com - Los Angeles Times all 294 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:08:50 GMT EU agrees to support Georgia, but stalls over more severe action - International Herald Tribune Boston Globe EU agrees to support Georgia, but stalls over more severe action International Herald Tribune - 5 hours ago By Stephen Castle BRUSSELS: Struggling for a coherent response to the Russian military actions in the Caucasus, senior European Union diplomats Thursday agreed to increase assistance to Georgia but shied away from threats to impose tough sanctions ... West mulls few options in Georgia-Russia crisis Christian Science Monitor Turkey in tight spot between Russia and NATO Reuters Los Angeles Times - Daily Star - Lebanon - BBC News - Times Online all 403 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:02:30 GMT Comcast Sets Monthly Bandwidth Limit for Customers - PC World The Oregonian - OregonLive.com Comcast Sets Monthly Bandwidth Limit for Customers PC World - 50 minutes ago Comcast, the largest provider of cable-based broadband service in the US, will limit residential customers to 250 gigabytes of bandwidth a month beginning Oct. 1, the company announced late Thursday. Comcast to cap monthly consumer broadband starting Oct. 1 CNET News Comcast to Cap Data Transfers at 250 GB in Oct. PC Magazine BetaNews - The Associated Press - Ars Technica - Yahoo! Tech all 80 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:34:38 GMT Top-Seeded Ivanovic Loses in Second Round - New York Times New York Times Top-Seeded Ivanovic Loses in Second Round New York Times - 1 hour ago Ana Ivanovic, above, fell to Julie Coin of France in the second round Thursday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. By RAY KRUEGER Ana Ivanovic is out of the United States Open. Ivanovic shocked by French qualifier Coin at US Open Sports Network Top-seeded Ivanovic loses in huge upset at US Open The Associated Press Bloomberg - Tennis-X.com - Monsters and Critics.com - Reuters.uk all 339 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:06:49 GMT Movie Review - New York Times Washington Post Movie Review New York Times - 2 hours ago Don Cheadle’s character, the son of a Sudanese father and an American mother, is a trained warrior with an ambiguous edge. By AO SCOTT “Traitor,â€� a somber, absorbing and only moderately preposterous new thriller written and directed by Jeffrey ... Critics Consensus: Babylon Condemned, Traitor Fails Rotten Tomatoes Cheadle anchors twisty tale Chicago Tribune TCU Daily Skiff - Colorado Springs Gazette - Washington Post - International Business Times all 349 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:09:11 GMT RSS For Web Pages Increase Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Honesty

Those who pride themselves on their honesty should also concern... Read More

Without Love

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 30,... Read More

Musicians Survival was Truly a Miracle: Singer Songwriter Fights for his Life

Every morning when singer-songwriter Michael Alan looks into the mirror... Read More

The Beauty of Life

"An unexamined life is not worth living."-- SocratesI have just... Read More

5 Things That Americans Can Do To Remember Reviving, Surviving and Thriving in the Wake of Sept 11

For those people who lost friends and loved ones... Read More

Keep on Keeping on!

Whenever we are working on our dreams we are going... Read More

The Emmaus Journal ~ Quietness

The Emmaus Journal QuietnessAs a state of being, quietness is... Read More

The Fighting Father

This man is an Anglican priest but with a difference.... Read More

The Power Of A Dream - Success Always Start Off With A Dream

Back in the good old days of school, the teachers... Read More

Addicted To Her

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 4,... Read More

He Who Laughs...Lasts---Where Has All The Laughter Gone?

I love to watch people at airports, malls and even... Read More

Where Do You Go For Your Intellectual Feast?

(excerpted from Leading an Inspired Life)Pity the man who has... Read More

Israel Is My Son

"And thou shalt say unto Pharoah, Thus saith the Lord,... Read More

Nuthin but Blue Skies

"Welcome to Canada," Ken shouted to me over the roar... Read More

Living on Purpose: One Rock at a Time

I just got back from Colorado where I spent a... Read More

The Nature of Anger

Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and Improve... Read More

Life Is Worthwhile If You

(Excerpted from the Jim Rohn Two Day Weekend event -... Read More

Life is a Mystery...or is it?

Being the last of three daughters, I was a suprise... Read More

A Word Fitly Spoken ~ Believe

A Word Fitly SpokenA word fitly spoken is like apples... Read More

Have You Ever Felt GOD in You?

God is the primordial Creative Force that is believed to... Read More

Lesson Learned

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 9,... Read More

No Problem!

Thanks to Walt Disney's "The Lion King", children the world... Read More

Inside Secrets On How To Stay Afloat During Tough Times

Do you find yourself asking questions when tough times come... Read More

Rocking The Boat

I work in a factory, and we have supervisors who... Read More

5 Simple Tips On Using Your Senses

1. Breakfast in Bed.Imagine a lavish breakfast arrives brimming over... Read More