Habits of Jesus Day 8: Character

If you are looking for character in the life of Jesus, you don’t have to read much of the Bible to see that! But reading a whole Gospel from beginning to end (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) will show you the fuller picture of how He lived His life of character as a habit that never faltered. Because He is now in us, we have the capacity to grow in character and consciously add awareness of new ways to reflect Him in our life.

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life, full of the character of Jesus whom we have come to know intimately. We see God’s glory and excellence. Through this He has given us great and precious promises. By them, we may share in His divine nature, and escape the evil desires and corruption in the world. So, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Add to your faith, moral excellence. In your moral excellence, add knowledge. In your knowledge, add self-control. In your self-control, add perseverance. In your perseverance, add godliness. In your godliness, add mutual affection. In your mutual affection, add love. For if you possess these qualities and they are increasing, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in sharing your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1: 3-8

The good news is that sharing this and influencing others doesn’t mean we must be perfect! As if. Because a perfect Christian is not so attractive to people who are seeking God. Being authentic and real about who you are and how God is helping you, or has helped you, draws people into your circle of influence.  

Living out your walk with God in front of people can be scary and challenging, but someone probably did that for you! And you know how valuable that was for your journey. My Aunt Margaret was like a grandma to me. Even though she had six girls of her own (and had “adopted” my father when my grandfather died young), she took the time to listen to me and to point me to the spiritual solution. I knew she prayed for me and loved me. But the biggest influence was that she was full of the character of Christ. I knew she was always available. She was always kind. She was always patient. No matter which house rule I might have broken, she always loved me. She always smiled. 

Reminisce about one person who was like that for you. What quality of Christ did you see or experience that meant the most? 

2 Peter tells us it is through our faith that we can live up to His higher standard. Knowing the joy of exhibiting His character, we can practice self-control. When making new habits becomes part of who we now are, we can more consistently live the life He wants for us. But without affection and love, that godliness becomes empty and self-centered. We will be ineffective and unproductive. We will not influence anyone. No one will see Christ in us.

We have everything we need to live out the character of Christ for others. Not only do we see Christ in the Scriptures, but we see Him in others. And, surprisingly sometimes, we see Him in ourselves. It is because we share His divine nature. We are new creatures. He promises to fill us and spill out of us (John 7:38)! When this happens and I know it wasn’t because of any conscious effort on my part, I just feel good. And I know this is how God must feel all the time. Because He is the ultimate good. 

How do you want to reflect the character of Christ today?

Dearest Christ, You have been my model, but I want more! Infuse my character with Yours. Surprise me with Your love pouring out. Amen.