Alphabet for the Soul - C is for Character
Happy Monday friends! Grab a cuppa and join me for a chat!
For "C" I chose "Character":
"How you handle hard times is a true show of character." ~Submerged
I looked up character in the dictionary and in the Bible and my favorite definition was:
Character: moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character. - Dictionary.com
As a writer, when I hear the word character, I automatically think a person from my story, but the true nature of the word describes who that person is heart and soul. It’s the traits and the choices a person makes, how you handle hard times, what you do when no one is looking. Are you honest? Are you someone people can rely and trust? If so, then you are a person of character.
The Bible verse I chose for character doesn’t speak so much on what character’s definition is, though there are plenty of places where that occurs in the Bible and I’ll share those verses below for further study if you’re interested. Rather, this verse talks about how character is cultivated, and I’ll warn you, like many other things in life, it ain’t easy.
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." ~Romans 5:3-4
Character is produced by perseverance through suffering. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of suffering, and yet, God tells us that even our suffering, even all the hard, yucky, knock-you-to-your-knees trials, in the end produce character in us. Here’s the really cool part... character, in turn, produces hope. HOPE.
I don’t know about you, but I can always benefit from hope, and, again, the Bible so beautifully tells us why in the very next verse:
"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." ~Romans 5:5
Hope does not put us to shame. In another translation, it says:
"And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."
God loves us so dearly that even our sufferings do not lead to shame in disappoint, but rather, in the end by the working of God’s Holy Spirit which fills our hearts with love, we are filled with hope.
I’ve been through my share of suffering and I hold on to that hope as an anchor for my soul because I know that while "weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." ~Psalm 30:5
So, have hope, your suffering is not in vain. It is producing perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character hope, and hope does not disappoint because God never disappoints. He keeps his promises. Joy will come in the morning.
Bible verses for further study of character:
- 2 Peter 1:5
- Proverbs 31:10
- Ephesians 5:13
- Titus 2:2
- Ruth 3:11
And, don’t forget this week’s coloring page. I’m having a blast seeing all of you sharing your colored pages online. Thanks bunches for taking time to share. I’m loving being a part of this journey with you. Thanks so much for joining me!
While we’re talking character…who’s your favorite literary character? I know, tough questions. It’s so hard to pick just one. Mine is Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. He’s an amazing man of character.
Download today's Coloring page
"C" for Character
If you have not already, you can also download the front and back cover below:
To see all letters and download all coloring pages, go to the Alphabet for the Soul page.
Today’s post was brought to you by the letter C (a flashback to those of you who grew up watching Sesame Street).
Blessings,