Developing Godly Character (pt. 2)

“Not that I have already obtained all this,  or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

                                                                                    Philippians 3:12

None of us can claim perfection, but we should be making it our aim! A simple definition of the word aim is: to direct ourselves at a target. Aiming for perfection, then means that we do all the adjusting.

Before the days of radar, ships coming into a harbor would depend on a lighthouse for two primary things: to guide them into harbor and to warn them of dangerous reefs, rocks or jetting shorelines. The interesting thing about these lighthouses is that they never move. If a ship’s captain would veer off course, away from the lighthouse or away from its beam, it was always up to him to adjust. The lighthouse held its position.

Similarly, when I was in the military, on the firing range qualifying with my weapon, the targets never moved! If I missed the mark, it was up to me to adjust my sights, redirect my aim, or better control my breathing if I was going to hit the mark.

That phrase “missing the mark” is also one way in which sin is defined in scripture. There is nothing that will throw your pursuit of godly character off course faster than sin. Sin is at the root of every character flaw.

Character is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. It is moldable based on its influences. Our character can be bad or it can be noble depending upon what we are allowing to mold our character:

“Don’t be misled, “Bad company corrupts good character.”

                                                                                                1 Corinthians 15:33

Sin is a darkness that invades and corrupts our character. Jesus admonished us to evaluate those things we allow ourselves to take in through the lamp of the eye in Luke 11:34-36:

“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”

No part dark! That is Jesus’ desire for each of us. It is the aim of godly character.

 

Pastor Scott Burr                                                                    

http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/