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.
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.
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