Character May Be Manifested In The Great Moments…

…but it is made in the small ones.

A person’s true character is often revealed during the great moments of life, but it is forged in the small moments through choices we make and actions we take on a daily basis.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net. 

There is nothing quite like an unexpected crisis to show one’s character. The day started out like any other. But by 10:30 p.m., it was obvious that our home of 15 years was in the direct path of a huge, Santa Ana wind-driven; and rapidly spreading fire. The Police and Sheriff departments called with warnings to leave.

Local news stations reported that evacuation centers were full and my husband was calling hotels. They too were full. I panicked and questioned my husband, “Why did we wait so long and where are we going to go?”  Then I told him, “We need a plan!”

He simply said, “Trust in the Lord.” Thankfully, we found a hotel, collected our things and convinced my reluctant mother to join us. I apologized to my husband and we were able to work together to leave. Thankfully our home was spared.

Character is so important. It starts with our thoughts and it develops through daily moment-by-moment decisions and actions we make; ultimately defining and revealing who we are during life’s great moments.

Google defines character as: “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.”

Having good character means we possess qualities of moral excellence; some of which include: wisdom, humility, integrity, patience and courage. 

One day we will have to give an account to God for our thoughts, words, actions and habits.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13 NIV)

Developing good character is difficult, because the problem is that we can’t be good on our own. For example, before I was a Christian, I confess that I was dishonest.

But, even Christians can struggle with doing the right thing. In our minds we may want to, but as I reacted during the fire, we sometimes operate in the flesh and not the Spirit.

Romans 7:22-25 says, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”” (NIV)

Thankfully, because of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit to help us.

Spirit filled living is the answer for developing the right character.

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (NIV)

As we submit to the Lord, He reproduces His character in us. Some people view submission negatively, but it is for our own good. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control, which is necessary for producing good character.

Each day we have opportunities in the small moments of life to cultivate good or bad character. With God’s power we can choose to speak with kindness to rude people. We can choose honesty instead of dishonesty. We can choose to tell the truth instead of a lie. Our responses and actions can develop into either good or bad habits.

Thus, our character made in the small moments of life will reveal itself in the greater moments according to habits that we form today.

This quote sums up how character is formed.

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” Frank Outlaw Late President of the Bi-Lo Stores

Would you like to develop Christ-like character?

Please click here if you would like to accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones. –Phillips Brooks

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Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• Submit to Get What You Want

• 3 Steps to Get the Help You Need Today

• S. Lewis on Integrity

• 3 Acceptable Sins You Can Enjoy Today…or NOT!

• Podcast: Are all Sins Equal?

• Podcast: Will someone lose their salvation if they commit terrible sins?

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

Faith Is The Deliberate Confidence In The Character Of God…

…whose ways you may not understand at the time.

We need faith and deliberate confidence in the character of God, especially when we don’t understand His ways. He is worthy of our trust even when we can’t imagine what He may be doing in our lives. Faith is making a conscious and intentional choice to place our confidence in the character of God in spite of circumstances and feelings.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.

I’ve had many opportunities to trust in the character of God through times of testing during the past 30 years. There have been trials, hardships and difficulties. Currently our family is dealing with long-term chronic and incurable disease, a variety of other health issues; and family members with difficult challenges.

These hard circumstances have caused me to have doubts at times. But, I have witnessed the character of God displayed through these tests. I have seen His grace and kindness in each trial. I am learning to have confidence in the character of God, even when circumstances seem to contradict the fact that He is good and loving.

Many people put their faith and confidence in people because they trust them, but how much more should we trust the faithful and unchanging character of God?

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19 NIV)

God will always keep His word and remain true but, sometimes life is painful and feelings can cloud our perception of God. In fact, our feelings can mislead and deceive us about the character of God.

To know about the character of God, we must turn to the Bible. When we know His character, we understand that He is always worthy of praise.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

We trust in the character of God and His promise that He is working for our good.

When we don’t understand life, we need a faith that is confident in the character of God.

Thankfully He has revealed Himself so that we can have faith in Him.

The character of God needs to be deeply ingrained in our hearts and minds, so that our faith will stand firm during trials.

Here are some of God’s wonderful character traits:

• Faithful – 1 Corinthians 1:9

• Loving – Psalm 25:10

• Compassionate – Psalm 86:5

• Merciful – Luke 6:36

• Just – Psalm 111:7

• Righteous – Psalm 65:5

• Good – Psalm 143:10

The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.(Psalm 103:8 NLT)

Oftentimes, I try to analyze and figure out why things are happening in my life. But, this is often an exercise in futility.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (NIV)

Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (NLT)

Because His thoughts and ways are too great for us to understand; we need an unwavering faith and trust in the character of God.

Do you have faith in God even when you don’t understand His ways?

Please click here if you would like to accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Faith is the deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time. –Oswald Chambers | CLICK TO TWEET

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• 5 Fantastic Spiritual Senses that Lead to Faith

• Faith Means Acting When You Feel Inadequate

• Honoring Those Who “Fight the Good Fight of the Faith”

• Faith is taking the first step even when…

• How to Tackle a Mountain-Sized Goal in Faith

• The Lord loves righteousness and justice…

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

7 Reasons Christianity Provides The Ultimate In Positive Thinking

Christians should be the most positive people on planet earth!

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My father, Claude A. Williams Jr., was an insurance salesman. He was well-schooled in positive thinking and practiced what he learned. I remember him listening to Napoleon Hill records on the small record player in his bedroom. He once took me to a positive thinking conference where we heard the top speakers of the day, including one of my “heroes” Zig Ziglar.

With Bible in hand, this guy looks like he’s focusing on the positive teachings of God’s Word!

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Yes, you could say that I also “drank the Kool-Aid.” But by that I don’t mean I was suckered into the excesses of some who took positive thinking too far. Or those who made it all about money. And neither did my father. He was all about helping people, especially the down-trodden he met and tried to help.

Leaving aside the excesses, I believe, as a pastor, missionary and Bible teacher, that Christians should be some of the most positive thinking people in the world.

Here are 7 reasons Christianity provides the ultimate in positive thinking:

#1. Christians believe in being thankful no matter what happens.

This is one teaching that the Bible is quite clear about:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (NLT)

• Ephesians 5:20 says, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NLT)

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Christians are thankful for:

• Murders

• Cancers

• Abuse

• War

• And other tragedies

Instead, it means that Christians quickly begin to find reasons to be thankful no matter what happens. Rather than “going negative” Christians grieve appropriately, and at the same time find pockets of praise that can begin to put joy back into living.

#2. Christians find life extra meaningful overall.

While many people find some kind of meaning in life, often that meaning is frankly quite superficial. I know some might think me judgmental, but if so, please look at this article where I examined some people’s trivial purposes in living: What is the Meaning of Life?

What meaning do Christians find? They find that life is lived to glorify the eternal and majestic God who created and rules the universe! There is no one higher.

Furthermore, Christians believe that we have a mandate to share the Good News of salvation through Jesus with the entire world and that the eternal destiny of every individual rests on their response to the Gospel.

Whether someone agrees with the Gospel or not, they have to admit that by definition, our mission is meaningful! This mission makes Christians more positive thinking about life!

#3. Christians look forward to a promised eternal reward.

As Christians, we don’t just have some vague hope that when a loved one dies, “They’re in a better place.” We have a positive assurance of that for our loved ones who know Jesus, and for ourselves!

Jesus made the promise in John 14:1-4;

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” (NLT)

Here Jesus said that we can have great assurance of heaven which wipes away all fear of death and eternity. And when asked how to have that kind of assurance this is how the conversation transpired:

5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6 NLT)

Jesus is that way to heaven! Learn about how to be headed for heaven HERE.

#4. Christians know that things will work out in the end.

Many people think that everything happens for a purpose, but they have no promise of it—it’s just a “hope in hope.” But that’s not a good foundation to build life on! In fact, it is no foundation—it’s just wishful thinking.

But as Christians, we have the promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)

For the Christian, we have God’s promise that everything that happens eventually works “for the good.” How incredibly positive is that?!

#5. Christians believe that our weaknesses are actually strengths.

Amazingly enough, the Apostle Paul wrote quite clearly that our dreaded weaknesses are actually strengths when Christ is working through us. He wrote about a weakness he called a “thorn in the flesh.” Although we don’t know what that thorn was, we do know this great lesson the Apostle wrote:

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT)

Let that passage soak into your psyche. It can help us turn confidence depleting situations into confidence building situations. What could be better than that? This fact has helped me turn my negative attitude to positive thinking over and over!

#6. Christians love everyone, even those who hurt us.

Jesus said to his followers, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies!” (Matthew 5:43-44 NLT)

There is perhaps no more vivid example of taking a negative and turning it into a positive. People all around the world are mired in resentment and bitterness. But the obedient Christian gets beyond all that by obeying Jesus’s command to forgive.

#7. Christians believe that God has a purpose in our problems.

Amazingly enough, this is what Christians are told about problems:

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT)

I don’t mean to suggest that all Christians do this all the time. But if we do, we’ll be some of the most positive people in the world as we consider troubles “an opportunity for great joy!”

CONCLUSION:

Well, there you have it my friend: 7 reasons why Christianity provides the ultimate in positive thinking. What do you think—did I get something wrong, or miss some reasons? I’d love to hear your feedback.

Your thoughts are welcome! Please leave your comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• Faith Means Acting When You Feel Inadequate

• You Can Do It!

• How to Tackle a Mountain-Sized Goal in Faith

• How Reluctant Leaders Become Confident Achievers for God

• 4 Characteristics in the Attitude of a Winner, Part 1

• 7 Biblical Christian Mantras I Find Helpful

• How Biblical Thought Replacement Creates Time and Energy

• How to Balance Content and Discontent in the Christian Life

• My Free Inspirational Quote Cards http://www.markalanwilliams.net/quote-cards-gallery/

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth