The mark of character by Gulavi E.
I was asked to write an article on CHARACTER. I put it in capital because it’s a big word. I am still not sure why they asked me but I have a few guesses. One is that they searched and searched but couldn’t find anyone else- I was like on the third list of possible people to write. The other possibility is that in the whole CU I am the one most lacking in character and so the wise comm. thought it wise for me to write the article and hopefully I would pick up a few things.
WHO standards of article writing demand that any good article should start with a nice quote and a story with a moral. So here goes…..
Character is influenced and developed by our choices but it also influences and develops our choices
E. Gulavi, 2013, Vihiga
At the beginning of the year I boarded a KNH bound bus and as I was almost alighting I realized that the kange (tout for our international readers) hadn’t taken my fare. So I sat there wondering if I should pay or not. My mind quickly recalled all those instances when I had forgotten to collect my change and the kange hadn’t been kind enough to remind me so why should I remind him? We face this and many more dilemmas that reveal our character and also shape it.
Character is what makes you chose not to anastomose (copy, for non medics) during an exam even when everyone else is doing it. It’s what makes you chose to forgive someone who lied to you and hurt your heart and whom you felt wasted your time. It’s what makes you chose between the smooth talking guy who seemingly has everything but you are still not sure he is saved and the saved guy who gives you one meter holy hugs at CU and stammers just to say hi. It’s what makes you keep quiet when someone makes you angry and not to slap them so fast that you don’t remember doing it. It’s what makes you obey your parents in the Lord even when you think they don’t deserve it. All these are hypothetical (I think) just to reveal that character is not an easy thing to have, develop, learn especially since it doesn’t make sense to our friends who are not born again. I remember the first time I told one of my friends who are not born again that I don’t sign for people in class-sema kuchekwa!
A few important things about character are that it is a sum of a persons general tendencies and not a few isolated actions. These isolated actions however do influence how our character develops. In the life of David, he had a few of these isolated ‘incidences’ that revealed things that God wanted shaped in his character.
Character is not something you wake up one day and you have it. It’s not something you get as a bolus IV at a pharmacy. Ati nipatie actal tums mbili na IV character nusu! It’s something that Moses had to develop in the desert for several years, that David started learning when he served as a shepherd. Something you develop within over time, in the background. Something that can only be recorded as ‘he grew up in wisdom and statue, in favor with God and man’ I always believe that the growing up that Jesus did in these earlier years shaped Him for His mission.
Much has been written on character but some pillars that I found that are its foundation are: trustworthiness or reliability-to do what you said you will do when you said you will do it. The courage to do the right thing, respect of others even those you think are less important than you, how you tackle your responsibilities and the consequences of your actions, how accountable you are and how genuinely caring you are to others.
I know most of you think that they are of good character and its good to think so but it also takes courage for you to allow God to show you which traits He doesn’t want you to have. God will use many ways to do this. Currently God is using scripture to show me which traits I should change (I know many of you think I’m perfect…thanks). I remember before I got into a relationship I used to think so too. Through relating to a beautiful Godly lady, God has been teaching me a few things about myself I never knew existed; like impatience (waiting for her to get dressed when we are already late) and discipline in time management (juggling between time for God, ministry, family, education and her).Many of you will go through things that will help you develop your character or reveal character flaws in you. Embrace such opportunities and open your heart to be moulded that your character will become like that of Christ.
We are meant to be a representation of our Father. A good example is that of a seal. When a seal is used to authorize a document, it leaves an exact representation of itself but in order to do that there must be contact. For us to be exact representatives of God the Seal there has to be contact with Him so that He leaves a mark of His character in us. That by having constant contact with Him we are molded to be just like Him.
One of my favourite scriptures is Phil 2:5 which says that our attitude should be as Christ Jesus 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. He made himself nothing! That’s a very hard thing to do for us who spend a lot of our time trying to make ourselves something, trying to make a name for ourselves. Character is something you actively chose within yourself, to empty yourself, your ego, your pride and allow God to fill you with His character so as to become like Him.
I leave you with one last quote from Vihiga;
‘While character will make an ordinary man seem extra ordinary, a lack of it will make an
extraordinary man seem quite ordinary’.
Kingdom blessings.
