Character: Connecting the Dots of Life

     Last week we commemorated the life and influence of a man who lived only a few short years in one of the most controversial periods of our nation's history; Martin Luther King Jr and the Civil Rights Movement. 

     After watching his illustrious and most popular "I Have a Dream" speech with my students, I contemplated what I considered to be one of his most profound statements, "that my kids would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

     What, really, does that mean? As I pondered his statement I began to wonder if it was about the color of his skin at all. Clearly, he said he didn't want his children to be judged by the color of their skin. But what is the underlying principle of the rest of his statement, "but by the content of their character?"

So, what is character and how is it developed?

     Character is not defined by your skin color, socio-economic status, social club involvement, personality, level of education, or retirement account. Your character is not an achievement or accolade to be won or lost. We don't place our character on the mantle as a trophy of some accomplishment.

     Our character is the ongoing development of our heart, mind, emotions, and will. Good character, then, is our ability to connect the dots of life's circumstances to a greater purpose than the events themselves.

     For the Christian, good character is recognizing that God's plan for our lives doesn't revolve around our appearance or the opinions of others. Good character is God's handiwork in our lives as we gladly submit to Him to accomplish His purpose in our lives. Romans 5:1-5 says that when we endure in life we are developing character that is producing hope; hope that we will one day see change. And until that day, may we be like Job and "wait until my change comes" (Job 14:14).

     Are you living a life of good character? What's more important, the applause of man or the smile of God? The character that Christ desires is producing a hope to endure the circumstances of this life to one day finally enjoy the eternal goodness of God.

 

Lessons from the Ski Slopes

Black, blue, and green! This is representative of 2 major facets of the weekend; the slopes of a West Virginia Ski Resort and the progression of the color of bruises that surfaced from the various encounters with the snow. However, there were several thoughts from the trip that I hope are insightful for the future.

Life is best lived in community. With five guys (no burger & fries) all traveling together, sleeping in the same hotel room, and roaming the side of a West Virginia mountain made for an outstanding weekend of fun.
 

Have a plan. There are some essentials to making the trip a succes; know where you're from, where you're going, a general idea about time of arrival, fuel in the car, and cash or card on hand in case of emergencies.

Risk is good. Setting out on an adventure with friends stretches your innovation and abilities to the max. The adrenaline rush of skiing at the peek of snow-capped mountains is meant to be kept in check by the accountability of true friends. Know your limits! One of the guys asked a great question, "Where's the line between having fun and being foolish?"
 

Waiting is worth it. The real excitement of skiing down the mountain can be found in stopping to view the sites of others; whether to be impressed by their expertise or entertained by their inexperience.

 

Joy drives endurance. The first few runs are like remembering to ride a bike again and the end of the day always ends with "Last run!" A conscious effort for your brain and legs to unite is needed. Cooperation between your will and your actions is absolutely required. And true success is determined by walking away from the slopes on your own two feet.

 

How does this apply to the Christian life? I'm not sure there's a more appropriate passage of Scriptures that exemplifies this story like Hebrews 12:1-2. There's community in the cloud of witnesses. There's a plan to lay aside distractions. We embrace the risk when we choose to run the course set before us. Waiting and relying on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, is always worth it because He saw the joy beyond enduring the cross.

 

What does community look like for you? Are you being intentional with your plan to run toward the things that God is passionate most about? Are you finding joy in Jesus?

A Falcon and a Follower

I listened intently as a friend described with such enthusiasm his hobby of training a falcon to hunt small creatures in the wild. I was so enamored by the work he put into training this bird that I continued to ask questions.

The description of catching the bird, giving it proper care, rewarding good behavior, and disciplining unwanted habits are all part of the process to training the bird to obey his commands. Over and over he continued to mention that the key to successfully training the bird, nonetheless, was actually placed on the bird itself.

I can remember him saying multiple times, "the bird's hunger must become greater than his fear." What fear? I suppose there may be a discontented fear to retreat. Instinctively, the bird has a fear that this man wouldn't have the bird's best interest in mind.

This bird that once lived in the wild, suited with incredible instincts to position itself to attack its prey is being fed from the hand of its keeper. Now, the bird lives under the authority, supervision, and subjected rule of his master.

There is no doubt that my friend is doing and will continue to do whatever is necessary to provide not only the necessities for this bird but also the perks of being a well-trained subject of his falconing endeavors. 

How familiar does that sound to being a follower of Christ? God, in Christ, has called us out of the darkness where we attempted to prey on the things of this world, realizing that we have never really been satisfied by the temporal things of this earth.

This Christian life requires radical obedience to our master. We must submit to His leadership in our lives. Our faith must defy the fear of the unknown and trust Him to provide for all the needs we have as His servant.

Matthew 5:6 says "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied." Our appetite must crave the righteousness of God. Philippians 4:19 says that "our God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory." We must trust that His hand and provision for our lives is enough.

Is your hunger for God overcoming your fear? Is He becoming the treasure that truly satisfies the deepest longing of your soul?

What's your AIM?

I recently had the difficult task yet distinct honor of speaking at the funeral of a 17 year old young man who many would say died much too soon. As the various speakers stood to share of the many memories created with this young man I couldn't help but ponder the scene I had encountered in the parlor just days before.

While stories of his inquisitive spirit, his daring antics, and his passionate pursuits all rang throughout the chapel I continued to set my gaze on the orange plastic coated archery target placed on a table alongside the many photo frames that recollected so many of the memories created in such a short span of time.

What did that archery target resemble? Why did it re-direct my attention and thoughts as to what I could say? What kind of picture could it be used to portray of this young man's life? What pondering thought could it produce for the rest of us gathered in the chapel that day?

With every hole punctured deep within that orange plastic covered piece of foam was an attempt to take AIM. This kid had placed an arrow on the string, pulled back the bow, and released that arrow toward a particular mark. And this action really personifies both his life and all of our lives.

All of us, including him, find ourselves taking AIM at various marks in life. For some, it's taking AIM at being smart, cute, athletic. For others, it's entering into a relationship, choosing a career, or planning for financial success.

You see, every one of the those attempts to hit the bull's eye on that target was an attempt to hit the mark. And in life, there is a bull's eye that we all find ourselves seeking to AIM. For many of us, we are hitting all around the bull's eye by living a good moral life, helping people in need, donating money to great causes. The problem is that our sights are not set to AIM at the right target.

Psalm 121:1 says, "I lift my eyes up to the mountains, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord." The target for which we should take AIM is none other than Jesus Christ. He draws us to Himself, He helps us set our sights on Him, and He provides the means for hitting the target--true obedience--in the midst of all the distractions in this world.

What is your target? Where are your sights set? What is your AIM?