Apicontent

You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:16)

Character is the essence of who we are. Our character is comprised of the values and convictions that have been shaped by our relationships and life experiences. Character is developed over time.

Character changes usually require a great deal of time.

Every person has external and internal qualities. The external qualities are easily perceived, but the inner ones require careful observation. When the prophet Samuel was sent by God to anoint a new king of Israel to replace Saul, God cautioned him, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them.

“There is no way to grow a saint overnight. Character, like the oak tree, does not spring up like a mushroom.” —Vance Havner

People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

God is committed to transforming you into the character likeness of Jesus.

Here are some guidelines you can review yourself to help you discern the character in others.

Words reflect the inner self.

It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. (Matthew 15:11)

Actions speak louder than words.

A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. (Luke 6:43)

Friendships indicate standards.

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV)

Expenditures demonstrate values.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:21)

Difficulties reveal strengths (and weaknesses) of character.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character. (Romans 5:3–4)

Character is who you really are. Whenever God reveals something in your character that he wants to change, stop and ask the Holy Spirit to help bring about the necessary transformation.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV)

Do you trust your thoughts? Most people do. And almost everyone assumes the thoughts in their head are their own.

But in reality, at any given time, the thoughts you assume to be your own can actually originate from four different sources.

Some Thoughts Are from God

God is able to give us divine insights. For example, at one point Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was. “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being’” (Matthew 16:16–17).

Peter spoke what he was thinking without realizing the thought had originated from the Holy Spirit.

Some Thoughts Are from Satan

Later Jesus was explaining that he would need to go to Jerusalem where he would suffer, die, and then be raised from the dead. Peter took issue with what Jesus had just said. “‘Heaven forbid, Lord,’ he said. ‘This will never happen to you!’ Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s’” (Matthew 16:22–23).

Although well-intentioned, Peter had become Satan’s spokesperson, and Jesus, recognizing the origin of the thought, rebuked him.

“We can’t stop the Adversary from whispering in our ears, but we can refuse to listen, and we can definitely refuse to respond.” —Liz Curtis Higgs

Some Thoughts Are from Our Old Nature

Because we are born sinful beings, our natural thinking becomes polluted with concepts that are contrary to God. Paul explains it like this, “The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God” (Romans 8:6–7).

This old pattern of thinking is natural to us even after we become followers of Christ. That’s why Paul also said, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2, TLB). God uses the truths and principles found in the Bible to reshape our thinking patterns.

Some Thoughts Are from Our New Nature

As the Holy Spirit renews our minds, we develop a new pattern of thinking. In 1 Corinthians 2:16, we read, “’Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”

To think with the mind of Christ means we now view life through this new filter of his values and desires.

The Importance of Right Thinking

In order to identify a thought that is not from God, ask the Holy Spirit for help. He can expose thoughts and attitudes that are contrary to God’s will and lead you into all truth (see John 16:13). It’s not a sin to have a bad thought enter your mind. It only becomes destructive if you permit it to remain and dwell on it.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)

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

Are you a glass half-full or a glass half-empty type of person? We all have different personalities. Some of us have a naturally more positive outlook on life, while others quickly see the downside of any given situation. But regardless of how we were designed, God wants to cultivate a gratitude-filled heart within each of us. Thankfulness is mentioned in many New Testament passages that focus on the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives.

So how can we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to develop a consistent attitude of gratitude?

Choose to look at life from a gratitude perspective.

Thankfulness is a choice. It is intentional. You can’t experience gratitude if you are focusing on negative circumstances. Regardless of your difficulties, God is still a loving, good God.

Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

“The joy of the Holy Spirit is experienced by giving thanks in all situations.” —Bill Bright

There is always someone who you believe is better off than you. And there is always someone you know who has it worse. The joy of the Holy Spirit is experienced by giving thanks in all situations. The secret to living a life of gratitude is not to covet someone who has more but to be content with what God has chosen to give you.

Look for signs of God’s love and goodness to you.

Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes so you can see what God is doing in your life right now. Watch for his fingerprints on your daily activities as he orchestrates events and guides your footsteps.

May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. (Colossians 1:12)

Make it a habit to thank God for all that you notice as being unique in your day. Be alert and anticipate God’s involvement in your daily life. As you focus on his presence, the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to show you what God is doing in your life.

Meditate on God’s mercy, lovingkindness, and goodness.

There are times when we feel we deserve better. In reality, looking through God’s divine standards of holiness and righteousness, we deserve far less. It is only because of God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice for us that we can enjoy blessings that will last for eternity.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

Be content with where you are and with what you have. When your life is characterized by a heart that overflows with gratitude to God for his goodness, you are the kind of person other people enjoy. Ask God to give you a heart of gratitude so others will enjoy being in your presence. Develop a habit of thankfulness and contentment.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8, NIV)

Have you ever heard, “I will love you if …” expressed either in words or by someone’s actions? In either case, you got the message. Love for you was based on conditions. If you met the conditions, you would receive love. If you failed, you weren’t worthy of love.

The world operates on performance-based love. And unfortunately, that is how most of us unwittingly live. But God offers us a different way to experience love and to share the love.

“God loves me if…”

What do you believe about God’s love for you? Do you feel like God loves you more when you are good and less when you are disobedient? The truth is, we do not deserve God’s love. There is nothing we can do to earn it. It is freely given to us because that is God’s very nature. We are beneficiaries of God’s love because of Christ’s death for us on the cross.

The apostle Paul explains, “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38). Is there anything that “nothing” does not encompass? Consider Jesus’ parable of the Lost Son (see Luke 15:11-32). This boy squandered his inheritance in reckless living. Yes, his father was disappointed and heartbroken by his son’s choices, but he never stopped loving his son and he welcomed him home with open arms.

“You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving.” —Amy Carmichael

God loves you unconditionally and will do so forever. However, unconditional love should not be equated with unconditional acceptance of behaviors. God loves each and every sinner but hates our sins. Hebrews 12 tells us that God will discipline us in love as a Father disciplines his child.

“I love me if…”

How do you feel about yourself? Do you struggle with self-condemnation when you do not live up to your own expectations and standards? If you have accepted the pardon for your sins that Jesus purchased for you on the cross, “there is now no condemnation for (you) those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NIV). God wants you to hate your sin—not condone it. But he does not want you to live a life of self-condemnation. Confess your sin to God, repent of it, and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you see yourself as the forgiven, loved child you now are in Christ.

“I love you if…”

Do you make others feel like they need to perform in order to receive your love? You were created in the image of God and God is love (1 John 4:16). He wants you to be a vessel through whom he can love others around you. That is only possible to the degree that the Holy Spirit radiates the love of Jesus through you.

Ephesians 5:1–2 tells us, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us” (NKJV).

You are to be Christ’s mouth, hands, and feet so others can see Jesus in you and feel his love through you. That is God’s desire for you. “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you” (1 Thessalonians 3:12, NIV).

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)

What is it you fear? Is it rejection? Failure? Health that may not last?

We want a guarantee that everything will work out fine for us. But there are no guarantees.

“Our future may look fearfully intimidating, yet we can look up to the engineer of the universe confident nothing escapes his attention or slips out of the control of those strong hands.” —Elizabeth Elliot

Is fear holding you back from pursuing something God wants you to do? The Bible tells us, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

When we live with a spirit of fear, our minds are filled with every imaginable bad thing that could happen. We don’t want to move forward until we have assurance everything is safe. Only God can take away fear, he is the answer!

Fear of Being Hurt

No one wants to experience pain, whether physically or emotionally. But we can all become more courageous as we shift our gaze to our loving, powerful heavenly Father.

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The LORD is my fortress, protecting me
from danger,
so why should I tremble?
(Psalm 27:1)

God provides us with his light so we can become aware of real danger, instead of imagined danger, as we move forward.

Fear of Rejection

Venturing into new relationships can be unnerving because we cannot be sure of how we will be received by others. Rejection is painful. But when we keep our focus on God and his unconditional love for us, what others think becomes less important.

We can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

When you experience “rejection,” remember that what God thinks of you is what really matters.

Fear of Abandonment

We desire faithfulness and security in relationships. But, sometimes people disappoint us with their lack of commitment. However, God is still with us.

“For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the LORD your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.'”
(Isaiah 41:13)

God’s commitment to you will never falter.

Don’t let your fear prevent you from moving forward. Share your fears with God and ask him to replace them with confidence in his loving care for you. Psalm 34:4 assures us, “I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.”