Character Matters

Character, rather than intentions, is what separates the men from the boys, so to speak. It's what separates the doers from the dreamers, the givers from the merely sentimental.  I have been reading about the lives of old time Christians-the revivalists who changed the world. And though all of them were doers and sold out to Christ, some had major character struggles that eventually led to their ruin. I'm not talking about people who slipped up and then repented, but those with  glaring personal flaws that tainted their ministries.

I've ruminated on why some people have weaker characters than others, and I believe it comes down to the practice of excusing sin.  When we allow and excuse the little sins they lead to bigger ones, until eventually, our character is shot full of holes. These holes fall mainly into the category of the sins of the flesh: lust, gluttony, addictions, pride and the like.  We become self-serving rather than God-serving.  If I excuse the sin of gossip, I am watering the seedling of criticism, causing it to grow and flourish into a tree of judgmentalism.  If, however, I nip that sprout of gossip in the bud, I develop the muscle of self-control and can resist the temptation of idle chatter. So goes the sin of allowing the eye to wander lustfully, which eventually, if unchecked, progresses from adultery, pornography, and finally to the prison of sexual addiction. With addiction comes demonically entrapment, and that, boys and girls, is much harder to escape than the beginning sin of lust.   Selfishness, anger, self-pity, dishonesty, gluttony, drunkenness, drug use, etc. follow this same pattern.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."  To me this metaphor urges us to squelch the small sins in our lives before they rage out of control.  Confess and repent quickly, don't tolerate, excuse or nurture character flaws.  We don't have the luxury of laziness or self-indulgence. Our lives don't belong to us but to the KING!

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.