Thoughts on Character

I heard a great talk about character on the radio this morning as I drove to work. The speaker pointed out that skill, talent, power, position don't matter; what really matters is character. Who cares if you and I are great teachers, students, parents, spouses, chefs, artists, or athletes? When we stand before God He is not going to ask how many A's and B's we got in high school. He is not going to ask how many students went on to be famous or how many athletes won gold medals in the Olympics. On a personal level, He is not going to ask me to demonstrate the waltz or samba for Him just to make sure I am good enough for Heaven. No, indeed not. What matters to Him is our inner man: are we honest, merciful, joyful, forgiving, loving, patient? (Gal. 5) If that is the case, where should the bulk of our time and money be spent? It takes time to be holy, you know. Time invested in learning a skill is worthwhile only as long as we are here on this earth. While we need to provide for ourselves and our families, I think we tend to focus too much on those things instead of pouring our time and energy into becoming men and women of Christlike character. I am especially challenged as I pursue my hobby of ballroom dancing. Never have I enjoyed an activity more or had so much fun as when I am gliding around the ballroom floor. But am I willing to risk my character in order to be a good dancer? That seems to be a stupid question, don't you think? Basically, I think we need to evaluate the time we spend on cultivating a godly heart and compare that with the time we spend pursuing the areas in which we hope to succeed here on this earth. Undoubtedly many are pursuing a worthy prize, like Paul was. But if any of you are like me, there are certain things in life that get just a bit too much attention as the great goal falls by the wayside. I really like the passage that talks about a man in the military not being bogged down by the cares of civilian life. He has a battle to fight, he can't be bothered with anything else at the moment! We are all in a battle against sin and time to fight the good fight and spread the Gospel. Those tasks cannot be performed accurately unless you and I are willing to put in sufficient "training" time. I am willing to take up the challenge, but it is work - hard work. Pray for me, that I will be a woman of character. A bold, standing-up-straight-for-Christ woman, more concerned with the condition of my heart than the performance of my waltz.