Since the end of our Fabulous February Photo of the Day event, I have found myself with nothing to really write about. Sometimes it is just that way for me. Sometimes I need just some quiet to think, read, think some more, read more...well you get the picture. One thought has been consistently coming to the forethought of my mind ~ passion. I find people's passions to be very interesting, and very telling about who they are as a person. No, I do not judge them based entirely on this one thing, but I really believe it gives me an open window into what makes them tick.
Just scan your news feed page on Facebook any given day and you will most likely clue into issues that people are passionate about. Politics, religion, lifestyle choices, relationships, injustices, humor...it runs the gamut. In fact, KONY 2012 has picked up some real steam in the past 24 hours with a video (which I haven't viewed yet) that went viral and has incited the passions of young people to right a wrong. Millions have viewed it, with many deciding that they must act. While I don't know the details of the issue, it is exciting to see young people passionate about something bigger than themselves ~ adults, we could take a clue sometimes! :D
This has me asking myself, "What am I truly passionate about?". How do I really judge that? Some say that you can judge a person's heart by their checkbook. Oh boy. If you looked at mine lately, you'd say I was passionate about eating out. Not really. But, if you look deeper there is a clue to what I am passionate about. When I was balancing the old checkbook and mumbling about eating out, it dawned on me that all but a very few of those meals were ones where I'd met with another person for ministry, encouragement, fellowship, or just plain old fun. That clued me in to one passion ~ people. I do enjoy people. I love learning about how they view life, what makes them happy, what makes them angry, what fuels their passions. I love to encourage their hearts (often through their tummies!). I love to laugh with them over old stories of antics we'd been involved in or future adventures to embark on. I want to be an influence in their lives.
Another area that I looked at was my social media involvement ~ my Facebook posts. While I used to be a lot more political than I am now, one might say that I am passionate about it by the number of Fox news articles I happen to post. Nope. It's not about the politics...it's about the character of the person for me. I was sad and thrilled when Mike Huckabee stepped out of the presidential race for 2012. Sad because I respect the character of that man. His character is built on his relationship with Christ. I was thrilled because his decision to step down was IN SPITE of what the world said- go for it. He sought the face of his Savior and came away from that encounter knowing that the Lord did not want him running. He said no. He is one of the very few good political stories that I've posted. Most have been examples of the character-less individuals who are running this country. They sit on both sides of the aisle and I despise their greed. And I fear that it could easily be me making self serving decisions if I were in their shoes.
A final area is my blog. What do I find myself writing about, thinking about, talking about? That's easy...the Lord and His Word. He has grown me so much and His Word has peeled away layers of wrong thinking and I find myself just having to talk about it. Not because I've arrived, but because He deserves so much glory and gratitude from my life. I've been told that it appears as I have it together. Trust me, appearances can be deceiving. I am truly a mess on the inside most of the time. However, I don't camp out there. I embrace that I am a work in progress, that He sees me through the cleansing blood of His Son, and that I am a daughter of the King. That's pretty special. I have come to a point in my life that I welcome Him in to make the changes needed ~ it's not usually an easy thing to allow. It's always a huge blessing in the end. His Word is invaluable in the transformation. I just finished a word study on honesty. I am still working through all the implications of that study, but it has so convicted me that immediate change has occurred where I was lacking character in this area. God's word...it never returns void.
So, what am I passionate about?
Influencing the hearts of people to develop godly character through Jesus Christ and His Word.
Think I found my new life mission statement......
Showing posts with label character. Show all posts
Showing posts with label character. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
What's in a name?
Proverbs 22:1 ~ A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
I finished reading a book that was more of a reminder than something new, but it was good nonetheless. It was a book on character by Andy Stanley called Louder Than Words . I honestly believe it was something that the Lord was directing me to read, because I have had innumerable opportunities to witness fallout on this very subject over the past 4 weeks. From professional situations to deeply personal wounds, so many of us battle the protection of our character on a daily basis. It has become so much in the forefront of my mind that I decided to do a bit of biblical digging on the issue myself.
Interestingly, I do not find the word "character" in the Bible, but another word that is much easier to grasp ~ 'name'. Many times it is found giving an identity to someone, such as which family they belong to or the tribe with which they are a part. Sometimes, a name gave authority. In Deuteronomy 18:20, the name of the Lord was given to prophets to speak His words, and when someone falsely claimed to declare something in His name, they died. It is also something so special that the Lord will give those who remain faithful until the end a uniquely special one (Rev 2:17). It is found 958 times in the KJV, and of that, 864 times it refers to name, reputation, fame, glory. That is how it is defined in the Proverbs verse quoted above and this is the one in which I am most interested.
While the definition includes the word 'reputation', I believe it is really something much bigger than that. You see, in our culture, a reputation can take a hit on a constant basis. The Internet alone makes it easy to spread rumor or lies in such a short amount of time and we often fail to discern the falsity and decide to believe it. We cannot control what someone says about us. However, we can control what sticks to us. That's where character counts...
It's in those moments of decision that seem so insignificant that can be the slippery slope to decimating your character and we all deal with them. Maybe for some, it's the way you dress. Shirt too low cut, skirt too short, jeans too tight. Pretty soon a pattern develops. Next thing you know, the tag "trashy", "easy", or others more graphic terms seem to be flowing out of others lips in describing who you are, not how you dress. Maybe for others it's the "harmless" white lie...adding minutes to your time card or skipping out early, 'borrowing' items from work, hiding the credit card bill so the spouse doesn't see the recent charges. Within a few times of telling the "harmless" untruth, the pattern is developed and you are given the name of liar where everything you do or say is questioned by someone. Maybe yet for others it's the relationships you've developed. You are "just friends" with a member of the opposite sex. What starts out as time hanging out together leads to longer periods of spending time alone with each other. While you may not be doing anything inappropriate, the longer this progresses, the more your character will be questioned. Chances are probably pretty high that one of two things will happen in this circumstance: either something inappropriate will happen or someone will get hurt and/or be angry. Or maybe it's the decision to make an excuse for failing to be a good friend/spouse/sibling/parent/child etc. Maybe you get so busy in your world that you fail to check into the world of another that you once cared about. Do you try to right the wrong prior to it falling apart or do you wait for the other person to make the move? When confronted, do you make an excuse or do you admit your failing? Do you make the one small step in the right direction? Maybe it's none of the above, but it's being a gossip or are you constantly causing strife among others?
Convicting stuff for certain. I know as I type on this difficult topic, the Lord is convicting me of areas that I have allowed to slip by when I must be obedient to Him and need to be making the tough choice on the most basic of details. We do need to sweat the small stuff, because therein lies the pattern of the big things. In all of these examples, it begins with one small, seemingly insignificant decision. A decision that you and I control.
I finished reading a book that was more of a reminder than something new, but it was good nonetheless. It was a book on character by Andy Stanley called Louder Than Words . I honestly believe it was something that the Lord was directing me to read, because I have had innumerable opportunities to witness fallout on this very subject over the past 4 weeks. From professional situations to deeply personal wounds, so many of us battle the protection of our character on a daily basis. It has become so much in the forefront of my mind that I decided to do a bit of biblical digging on the issue myself.
Interestingly, I do not find the word "character" in the Bible, but another word that is much easier to grasp ~ 'name'. Many times it is found giving an identity to someone, such as which family they belong to or the tribe with which they are a part. Sometimes, a name gave authority. In Deuteronomy 18:20, the name of the Lord was given to prophets to speak His words, and when someone falsely claimed to declare something in His name, they died. It is also something so special that the Lord will give those who remain faithful until the end a uniquely special one (Rev 2:17). It is found 958 times in the KJV, and of that, 864 times it refers to name, reputation, fame, glory. That is how it is defined in the Proverbs verse quoted above and this is the one in which I am most interested.
While the definition includes the word 'reputation', I believe it is really something much bigger than that. You see, in our culture, a reputation can take a hit on a constant basis. The Internet alone makes it easy to spread rumor or lies in such a short amount of time and we often fail to discern the falsity and decide to believe it. We cannot control what someone says about us. However, we can control what sticks to us. That's where character counts...
It's in those moments of decision that seem so insignificant that can be the slippery slope to decimating your character and we all deal with them. Maybe for some, it's the way you dress. Shirt too low cut, skirt too short, jeans too tight. Pretty soon a pattern develops. Next thing you know, the tag "trashy", "easy", or others more graphic terms seem to be flowing out of others lips in describing who you are, not how you dress. Maybe for others it's the "harmless" white lie...adding minutes to your time card or skipping out early, 'borrowing' items from work, hiding the credit card bill so the spouse doesn't see the recent charges. Within a few times of telling the "harmless" untruth, the pattern is developed and you are given the name of liar where everything you do or say is questioned by someone. Maybe yet for others it's the relationships you've developed. You are "just friends" with a member of the opposite sex. What starts out as time hanging out together leads to longer periods of spending time alone with each other. While you may not be doing anything inappropriate, the longer this progresses, the more your character will be questioned. Chances are probably pretty high that one of two things will happen in this circumstance: either something inappropriate will happen or someone will get hurt and/or be angry. Or maybe it's the decision to make an excuse for failing to be a good friend/spouse/sibling/parent/child etc. Maybe you get so busy in your world that you fail to check into the world of another that you once cared about. Do you try to right the wrong prior to it falling apart or do you wait for the other person to make the move? When confronted, do you make an excuse or do you admit your failing? Do you make the one small step in the right direction? Maybe it's none of the above, but it's being a gossip or are you constantly causing strife among others?
Convicting stuff for certain. I know as I type on this difficult topic, the Lord is convicting me of areas that I have allowed to slip by when I must be obedient to Him and need to be making the tough choice on the most basic of details. We do need to sweat the small stuff, because therein lies the pattern of the big things. In all of these examples, it begins with one small, seemingly insignificant decision. A decision that you and I control.
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