I came across this quote recently and felt quite stirred by it. Though I may stumble and fall at times, I can say that I strive to be a woman of godly character – after all, without it, what else really matters?
I decided to look up “character” in the dictionary (I’m partial to Merriam-Webster), and this definition – about six down from the top – really caught my eye:
Moral excellence and firmness.
So when we consider godly and biblical character, our lives should be characterized by these traits, among many others – moral excellence, honesty, integrity, steadfastness, and compassion.
And while we may not always hit the target that we set for ourselves in terms of character (we all have off days, and the Lord is merciful to us, despite our shortcomings), surely it is better for us to aim for the biblical standard of character and occasionally miss, rather than shooting our arrows at random, don’t you think? 🎯
I really like this. I have been meditating on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 where Paul talked about disciplining his body so He can win the race. And I have been thinking of how this focus affected his character in a good way. Thanks for sharing this post
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Thank you for your comment, Efua! It’s an interesting link you have made between Paul’s discipline and the subsequent impact on his character. Surely, it’s a valuable lesson for all of us, no?
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Yes!🙂
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I think you’re exactly right dailyhopeful.
You remember that I began my job recently. Well I had a pretty stellar reputation at my previous long-time job of being a Christian man.
So I am the new guy at my new job, with no reputation at all, and what did I do?
I reacted not in love, when I was verbally mocked by a coworker.
I blew it. And of course I regretted it afterwards.
But worse, my representation of God was maligned at the outset of my first impression stage at the job.
This was out of character for me, and it happened at the worst time and place.
So that I believe fits your article.
Sometimes we don’t express the character that God has made us, sometimes we blow it.
But we strive to do right, and good character is our nature, because God dwells within us.
Lord bless you and your family dailyhopeful.
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You know what?
I’m gonna paste my comment into a short post, so that others can have some hope who have blown it,
Like I did.
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Great idea! I commend you for it. Extract the lesson and share it with others – that is how we all learn and grow! 💡
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Thank you for sharing your experience, Lee! I believe that God wants us to aim high, and even when we mess up, He can (and often does) repurpose the broken and jagged pieces of our lives to form something of great purpose.
So hang in there, Lee! The Lord still has a ministry for you at your workplace, despite what happened recently. ✝️
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Thank you for your help in my coping with my jagged pieces. I respect and appreciate your helpful words.
And I’m still praying for your job situation too dailyhopeful.
Have a great day sister!
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Bless you, Lee! 🙂 You are a good man, and I appreciate you!
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Yes, I do agree with you. Although it’s right to choose the high road, the right way, the way of God; oh, man! Sometimes it’s difficult, and we fail (thank you for your testimony, Lee).
That Chuck Swindoll sure came up with some excellent quotes.
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Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Kathy! It seems to me that sometimes we can be the most fruitful to God only when we feel that we are the least deserving (because we feel as if we have somehow disqualified ourselves from serving the Lord).
Not so! When we ask God for forgiveness and repent, then it’s a clean slate with us in the Lord, and He is free to use us as He sees fit.
Thank the Lord that we are no longer under the law, but under grace! ✝️
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I like this one: “If the seas were always calm, we would never build a better boat.” I saw it on a calendar a few years ago and fell in love with it. 🙂
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I love that quote, Calista! 💛 Here’s to building better boats!
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Amen ❤❤
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