Your character is the result of a process. It is not something that happens overnight. It takes time and careful consideration. This process requires the chipping away of anything that should not be there.
The best illustration I can think of is that of a sculptor. A sculptor must examine the stone before he begins to fashion a statue. If the artist does not study the marble and strikes the chisel in the wrong place or with too much force a small crack becomes a fissure and could ruin the entire stature before the project has even begun.
We all have to work on our character. The problem for many of us I that we try to work on it too fast. We think that if we can get rid of all the bad stuff right now, then we will get to where we want to be faster. But, the error in thinking this way is that we risk causing damage to our own souls. Just because something needs to change doesn’t mean it can change today. If we don’t know how to change it we will hurt ourselves and those around us when something comes flying off!
Another component of this process to consider is this: should we even be the ones doing the chiseling. Pride can become an obstacle here. We may not want others to see what is going on in our lives, so we hide and trying to “fix” ourselves. Or, we actually think we have the wisdom and knowledge required to achieve the goal of transformation. After years of walking with Jesus and of working in ministry I have come to one conclusion that I feel confident in. I don’t know how to change myself. I need others to graciously correct, but more importantly, I need God to mercifully remove those characteristics that need to go.
A few years ago, a youth ministry friend shared the video below. It was a remarkable dramatization of how God wants to work, how he needs to work in our lives. But, it also shows how and why we find it so difficult trusting God to do it “right.” After you watch the video take some time and reflect on how God would use this season of Lent to begin the process of chipping away everything that does not reflect him.
Add Comment