Spiritual Character Development (part 3)

Last week I was in class and just did not have the mental energy to give my best in posting a blog.  So there was a delay.  Here is the next posting as we continue on our journey of Following Jesus.

Wholistic is a fairly popular term these days. It means dealing with an entire system.  It is most often used in medical arenas in which the healing process involves not just the symptoms but the entire make up of who a person is.  When we examine the fruit of the Spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 we can see that God cares about the entirety of our relationships.  The first three aspects of the fruit of the Spirit reflect our relationship with God, the second three are connected to our relationships with each other and the final three, as we will see, deal with qualities of self.

The final trio of character traits is faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  When we understand these aspects of who we are to be we will see that they have an influence on every area of our life.  Who we are on the inside will determine how we live our lives on the outside.

Faithfulness – The person who is faithful is one upon whom you can depend.  When they give their word, they will see to it that they come through.  We use synonyms such as reliable and trustworthy to describe this person.  Faithfulness begins as one seeks to be the same kind of person that is seen in Jesus. One who was faithful, no matter the cost.  

Gentleness – This word is often translated meekness.  In our culture a meek person is sort of weak and mousy.  But that is not the way the term was used in the First Century.  It actually is used to describe a powerful war horse that can be guided by its rider.  It means “power under control.”  The gentle person knows how to manage authority given to them.  This person helps others feel empowered as well to accomplish tasks.  There is a unique humility to the one who is truly gentle.

Self-control – This is the quality that enables one to live a disciplined and principled life.  The self-controlled person learns to be content with what he or she has.  The self-controlled person is not typically swayed by peer pressure.  That quality of being steady comes from being focused on the fact that the most important relationship is found in Jesus Christ.  Complete dependency on Jesus leads to growing sense of self control.
Remember these are the Fruit of the Spirit. You and I cannot develop these qualities in our lives on our own by somehow trying harder.  We need to actively give our lives, our actions and our attitudes to God daily and ask him through the Holy Spirit to help us be people who reflect him to others.

Consider who you are on the inside and how it affects how you live on a daily basis.

Today’s Tip:  Evaluate your reliability, your humility and your ability to control yourself this week.

Look at your agenda for the next week.

            *What appointments do you have?  How will you work to be faithful in keeping them?

            *Who do you have authority over?  What will you do to empower them to be their best?

*What impulses do you struggle with?  Ask a friend to help you be more self-controlled?