Character Study
I been thinking about passion and zeal…the full throttled excitement of following Christ and diving into all that He has for us. This musing and reflection led me to pray for passion to be released in my life…a good prayer don’t you think? Perhaps…but the Father spoke to me about a different approach.
“And endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:4
The channel for our passions, for our zeal must be our character. This character, forged by trials, tests, difficult circumstances and even successes, is a hope producer. Character produces hope because it can be counted on. It’s dependable, it’s noticeable, it takes a stand and doesn’t back down. Character shows up and hangs in when times get tough…it is a hero waiting for release.
Character is the throttle on my passion…and I need one…it controls the flow, regulates the release and…makes it more fruitful. I believe with all my heart that we need passion on this journey with Christ but it must be channeled through the character He imparts into us. This way we can passionately produce hope…and share it with people who desperately need it.
“Strong feelings do not necessarily make a strong character. The strength of a man is to be measured by the power of the feelings he subdues not by the power of those which subdue him." - William Carleton
What do you think? Is character and passion a good mix?
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