Dear Members and Friends of Evangelical United Church of Christ,

When we hear the word, “character” many images come to mind: a symbol such as a letter or a number on the computer keyboard (a job reference gives you up to 900 characters of space to say what you want to say), one of the persons of a drama or novel (Charlotte the spider and Wilber the pig in the children’s novel Charlotte’s Web), an eccentric personality (a colorful person who marches to the beat of a different drummer), or an attribute that defines our inner self (honesty and integrity). I would like to focus on the latter.
As we go throughout our spiritual journeys, the measuring stick for our character is Jesus. Do we love others as he did? Do we follow God’s Word as he did? Do we reach out to those on the margins as he did? Webster’s Dictionary defines character as one of the attributes that makes up and distinguishes an individual. Words that describe good character are moral firmness, commitment, self-control, perseverance, and truthfulness – the essence of Christ.
How a Christian deals with the circumstances of their life speaks volumes about their character. Christian character is formed through a lifelong process that begins the moment we are born. It’s not an instantaneous development, but a consistent lifelong learning.
Character development is similar to the formation of a pearl within the shell of an oyster. The pearl is formed over a period of time as layers build up around a particle of sand or other irritant that has made its way into the shell. The oyster secretes a liquid called “Mother of Pearl” in order to protect itself from irritation. This liquid hardens and forms a smooth surface around the offending grain of sand. The layers created eventually produce a natural gem.
Character development takes time. I would suggest there are four things to know:
1.) Character is more than talk. Anyone can say they have it, but action is the true indicator.
2.) Talent is a gift, but character is a choice. There are a lot of things in life that we have no control over. We don’t get to pick our parents, our upbringing, our talents, or our IQ. But we do choose our character.
3.) Character brings lasting success for people. Good character will open up doors and create opportunity-ties. A lack of character creates mistrust.
4.) People cannot rise above the limitations of their character. There are many examples of highly talented people who fall apart when they reach a certain level of success (musicians, movie stars, athletes). The key to that phenomenon is character. Success without a good foundation of character is bound for failure.

There’s a story of a man who took his daughter to the carnival. She immediately ran over to a booth and asked for cotton candy. As the attendant handed her a huge ball of it, the father asked, “Sweetheart, are you sure you can eat all of that?” The daughter answered, “Don’t worry dad. I’m a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.” That’s what real character is – being bigger on the inside.
Christian character is not about how good we look on Sunday morning. It’s about who we are when no one is watching. It’s about the little tests we face everyday that challenge our integrity. Of all the quali-ties we possess, our character is one of the most important.
I wish you many blessings as you grow in your faith and understanding.
Shalom,
Pastor Bill
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