Daily Encouragement: Year 1, Day 5
Adapted from Handbook to Leadership
Many people desire a quick fix for their character problems. They want some sort of magic wand they can wave over their problems, and—Presto!—they’ll be gone. While a person may be able to acquire quick, easy techniques that provide short-term solutions, those don’t help build character that lasts. Ultimately, lasting character is forged on the anvil of experience, self-discipline, and dedication. If a person lacks integrity and character, the challenges of life will melt down and undermine any short-term successes.
How can a Christian gain wisdom that leads to character development? It won’t be acquired by an unguided groping in darkness. A leader’s search for wisdom must be directed. Its starting point is God’s revelation in the Scripture, and it involves specific injunctions and practical commandments.
Character isn’t shaped by the intellectual comprehension of truth. It’s forged by biblical truth that penetrates to the depth of the human heart. That only occurs as a man or woman grapples with God’s Word and contemplates its meaning and application. Ultimately, the goal of such a diligent study of God’s revelation is to develop a healthy fear of the Lord (Proverbs 2:5). A wise Christian has a reverential awe of God, holding Him in high regard. And that high view of God shapes character, which in turn controls thoughts and actions.