If people were asked to describe your character, what do you think they would say? Do you think about that as you move about your day to day life? If not, you should. And I don't mean that you should be overly concerned by how you look to people. But I do mean you should be concerned about what they see in you...do they see God?
In 1 Samuel 16:7 God said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". See, sometimes we get too wrapped up in getting people to think something about us, instead of being who God called us to be, and letting that show. God sees deep inside our heart, and he knows if we are trying to impress man, or Him. Of course we all like to be thought of highly by our peers, but I think when our character reflects God, He will take care of the rest. Character, by definition, means "the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves: someone's personality". Well, have you ever got to know someone and the one thing that made them less attractive to you was their personality, their character? It happens. A person's heart can show through and make them a beautiful person, or it can rob them of their beauty. And it can't be an act either. When your character is being "performed" instead of created by God, it will eventually show through. We have to ask God to build our character. We have to allow Him to use the situations that we face in life to form our character. If we don't, then the world we live in will form it for us. The hardships we face can create behaviors in us, and they will eventually come out of us. Behaviors that are less than honorable to God. But when we face something with the strength and character that God can give us, not only will it help us, but it will be seen by others. And we will show them what it looks like to go through something WITH God.
There will always be the people in your life who are going to form their opinion of you based on your past, based on the mistakes you've made, or even based on unforgiveness in their own heart. In those situations all we can do is be who God called us to be. We cannot try to "win them over" or walk in condemnation. We right the wrongs that we can, we love and forgive, and we allow God to guide and direct our choices, our feelings and our behavior. Then we leave it up to Him to work on the other person's heart.
Romans 12:2 tells us "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God". So trust me when I say that I know a lot of what I'm saying doesn't sound like reality, but it IS possible. God tells us in Romans NOT to be conformed to this world...that means in our thoughts and our actions...and our character. He CAN and WILL transform our heart and renew our minds IF we let Him. He can transform our old character, no matter how ugly it was, into something new and beautiful. It is His desire for us to reflect Him, and that always starts in our minds and our heart before it flows out through our words and our actions. Otherwise, they are just empty acts to make yourself look good. And that is not what God wants to see out of you and me....He desires to draw us closer to Him and make us more like Him. He desires for people to describe Him when they are describing the character they see in you.
God, thank You for continuing to work on us! Thank you for never giving up on us, and always trying to pull the good out of us. Holy Spirit please help those who have allowed the things of this word to create flaws in their character. Help them to look to you for the things they should think upon, feel and behave like. And as You transform us, may our lives speak to those who need more of You. In Jesus name, Amen
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