Building Spiritual Character
Influence is how your character affects other people. Character is what you are in the dark when no one else is looking.Your character determines your influence on others. The two work together in drawing people to the Lord.
A stressed-out woman was tailgating a man on a busy street. Suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He does the honest thing and stops at the crosswalk even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn in total frustration at missing her chance to get through the intersection. In the middle of her ranting she hears a tap on her window. She looks
up to see the face of a very serious police officer. The officer orders her to exit her car with her hands up. He takes her to the police station where she is searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a cell.
After a couple of hours, the policeman unlocks the cell door and escorts her back to the booking desk where the arresting officer is waiting with her personal things. He says, "I am very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn. I saw you give him an obscene gesture, and you were cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the "Choose Life" license plate holder, the "What would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the "Follow Me to Sunday School" bumper sticker and the chrome plated Christian fish on the trunk. Naturally I assumed you had stolen the car."By way of contrast Henry Stanley a journalist went to the interior of Africa to find Dr. Livingstone. Reporting on his time
spent with him Stanley said, "He made me a Christian and never knew he was doing it." That is the influence of a genuinely Christian character.
Some clergymen were discussing their opinions about the various translations of the Bible. One loved the KJV because of its simple beautiful English. Another liked the Revised Version because of its accuracy of translation. Still another chose Moffat's translation for is up-to-date vocabulary. But the capstone of the conversation came from a minister who said, "I like my mother's translation best. She translated it into life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw." That's the power of spiritual character. rut how do you build that kind of spiritual character?
Four ways to build Spiritual Character
If you want to be a person of influence you must build spiritual character into your life. Paul shares four things that Timothy must give careful attention if he is to be a man of spiritual
influence.
1Tim4:13 - 14 reads
"Till I come, give attention to
reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is
in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of
the hands of the eldership."
1. His first priority is to be READING.
He says, "Give attention to reading." Some commentators believe that the admonition is to the public reading of God's Word. Others emphasize the need for reading to develop his own personal walk with God. There is much to be said for each of these interpretations. In those days the people were amazingly literate. Children received instruction in the home, in the synagogues, and in public schools. The public reading of the Scriptures in worship services was an essential part at the their education. Notice how often the word "teaching"
occurs in the Word of God, and you will see the high importance God places on public and private education. The public reading of the Word of God in the synagogues was a vital part of their educational system.
Biblical illiteracy is steadily growing throughout the church. Many churches today thrive on praise Songs and popular psychology with a few Bible verses sprinkled in. Christians need to read the Word in the quietness of their own study. Public teaching is no substitute for personal daily devotional Bible reading.
2. His second priority is to be EXHORTATION.
"Till I come give attention to reading, (and then) exhortation..." teaching has to do with education. It imparts intellectual insight and knowledge. Exhortation is to exert influence on the will. It is to guide another in the way he should go. It is to encourage him to do what he knows is right. It presupposes that the other person knows what is right. It simply encourages and stimulate him to do what he already knows is the right thing to do. Once you have taught your children the difference between right and wrong you need only to exert your influence on him to do what he knows is right.
Every Christian needs a special Christian friend who will keep reminding you of who you are and use the power of personal influence to keep you on track. A little girl was climbing a mountain with her brother. She became very weary and discouraged. She said, "This mountain is nothing but a pile of rocks!" Her brother replied, "But the rocks are stepping stones for us. They help us climb the mountain! That's exhortation! When you get weary climbing the mountain of Christian experience, remember that those painful rocks are stepping-stones for us.
Isaiah 40-41 are a source of great encouragement and exhortation to Israel. In the last three verses of Isaiah 40 God exhorts his people saying, "He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the
young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
In chapter 41 the people seeing the strength of the enemies were afraid. Instead of surrendering in despair we read in verse 6, "Everyone helped his neighbor, And said to his brother, "Be of good courage!" Just a few verses later, in verse 10 we hear God saying, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." That's the power of exhortation. We really do need each other. We need to be encouraging one another, helping one another, and strengthening one another. What a sad lot Paul found in Corinth. He exhorts them in 1
Corinthians 1:10-13, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"
The Greek word translated "plead" (paraklesis) is very closely related to the Greek word for exhortation (parakaleo).
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