CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

If I were to ask you to name someone with character, whom would you think of? I’m not speaking of someone you might call “a Character”, someone who goofs off, is silly, or is rather strange. I’m speaking of someone who has “CHARACTER!” I’m talking about someone who possesses desirable traits that you admire. Personally, I think of Billy Graham or Abraham Lincoln. These are men who feared God, strove to serve others and do the right thing. Jesus, our Savior, had tremendous character. He knew what God’s will was and always sought to fulfill it, no matter what the cost.

 

I was reminiscing the other day about someone I met in my past who possessed great character. I was in a “fast-food” place for a quick lunch. While I was eating I noticed several people coming in and sitting down at a table. One young man came walking by and he seemed somewhat familiar to me. He was slowly and carefully walking with the help of a cane. He glanced my way and said, “Hi, how are you doing.” I responded by saying, “Fine, how about you?” “Fine,” he replied. I pondered his face in my mind, as we all do, when we see someone we recognize but aren’t sure exactly who they are. I knew he looked familiar, and began racking my over‑sixty‑year‑old brain. He came to my rescue and slowly walked over to our table. He shared that I might not have remembered him. He told me that he had worked for UPS and had delivered to my optometry office in Cottonwood many times. A light went on in my head and I then put his face together with my memory. While he looked basically the same, some facial features were slightly different. His physical condition was nothing I remembered. In my mind, I saw him as a young man, full of vitality and somewhat athletic. The man who stood before me was struggling to walk with his cane. His coordination also seemed to be off a bit. He then began to tell me his story.

 

He shared that this last year he had been diagnosed with cancer. It started in his kidney. They had tried to do surgery to remove it, but apparently it had metastasized to other organs. He shared that he had gone through many surgeries and chemotherapy to attempt to kill the cancer. He currently has tumors throughout his body, with an especially large one in his left lung. Some time ago, he suffered a stroke on his right side due to tumors in his brain. After they removed the tumors, he went through physical therapy to regain function of his legs and arms on the left side. He successfully became mobile again, only to have another stroke on the left side from tumors that now affected his right side. He again went through physical therapy to regain motility in his arm and leg on the affected side.

 

I was overwhelmed with the reality of life at that moment. Suddenly my life seemed very simple and blessed. How lucky I was to have my health. Thoughts were racing through my mind as to how I might encourage this man who had dealt with so much in his life. What could I do to encourage this young man who had been through so much! What would God have me to say to offer encouragement to such a trooper? Then he continued with his story.

 

He shared that he knew that God can heal, but doesn’t always choose to. He shared that many people had prayed for him to be healed as well as himself, but he has grown to understand that God may not have this path for him. He shared that he has accepted the fact that he is terminal and will strive to live as best he can until the end. He shared that many good things have come about from such an ordeal. He shared this with a magnificent smile on his face.

 

I sat there somewhat stunned as he said good‑bye and walked back to his table with the rest of his family. I was overjoyed that he was a Christian and knew that God was working in his life, but was still overwhelmed with the heavy atmosphere of reality. Here amongst the hustle and bustle of an average fast food establishment, with screaming children and the aroma of hamburgers I had witnessed true CHARACTER. This young man had the ability to look death in the face and still see God at work. He had been through many struggles; torture and pain, but still could see God working.

 

John Wooden, the great coach for UCLA spoke of character when he said, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are; your reputation is merely what others think you are.” How true!

 

People who possess character choose the path of God, rather than the path of men. People who possess character choose to remain faithful despite adversity and struggles. People who possess character trust God for their circumstances and know that God’s will is not always easy to accept. People of character are found throughout scripture: Joseph, David, Ruth, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Elijah, Mary, John, Paul, Jesus and numerous others.

 

Do you possess character?

 

I would challenge you to evaluate yourself and to seek God’s power to strive to be a person of character. God needs more of us Christians to have CHARACTER. He desires that his children demonstrate character much like this young me I met so that others are attracted to the gospel of Christ. What gives us character is recognizing who God is and who we are and knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

 

Romans 5:1‑5

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

 

Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”