Good morning! Today is Monday, March 30th, 2022. Let’s talk about who we are when no one is looking. The real me is not found under the footlights. It is found in the shadows where reputation vanishes and character lives. So let’s take a quiz to find out how we are doing. Read on …
Today's Reading:
Judges 4,5; Psalm 39,41; 1 Corinthians 13
Scripture
“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered …” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
Observation
All these qualities spell character … godly character. The initial verses of this chapter remind us that it is not in our abilities or skills where our greatest value lies. We can be a person of great positional authority, but that won’t define our greatest value. We could get demoted to the lowest post, but that still wouldn’t define our worth. Instead, God tells us that who we are is revealed in solid, sustainable, predictable character. That’s where we are graded. It’s who we are when no one is looking. It’s our default, our starting point, the core of who we are when there’s no one around that we want to impress.
Application
Godly character can be developed, but this course will take a lifetime of learning, unlearning, and relearning. So here is your entrance exam. Begin by placing your name before each of the qualities in verses 3 and 4 to see how you fare.
___________ is patient. __________ is kind. __________ is not jealous. __________ does not brag. ____________ is not arrogant. _____________ does not act unbecomingly. ____________ does not seek its own. _____________ is not easily provoked unto anger. _______________ does not take into account a wrong suffered.
How did you do? Remember, the greatest problems in the Church and families of tomorrow will not stem from a lack of leaders. Instead, it will emanate from the overabundance of underdeveloped leaders … leadership without character.
Our greatest victories will not be won on national or foreign soil. These battles must be won on the battlefields of our hearts, for this is where jealousy, unforgiveness, pride, anger, lust, and selfishness are camouflaged. When we win here, these victories will give off the fragrance of love that will define who we are.
Prayer
God, I pray that You would reveal the areas of my life where I lack love … a love that is according to Your definition. Help me to grow in love without pretense that reflects Your heart rather than mine, for that is the only kind of love that “fails not.”
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