This race that has been set
before me is all about my character. My
character is more valuable than any accomplishment I can lay at the feet of
Jesus. Whether in good times or in bad;
it is tribulation that brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven
character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint because the
love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who
was given to us. (Romans 5)
For the last 6 years, I have been a Spanish teacher, paving my own way
for the success of my students. Over the
past year, in an effort to build my students’ self-esteem and confidence in the
face of tremendous peer pressure, I have tried to motivate them to be confident
in their answers and careless about perfection.
So today, I gave my students an
end of the year growth assessment. At
the end of the assessment, one student in particular was very worried. She was the last one in place at her desk after
all the other students left my classroom.
I told her, “I noticed you started and then stayed stuck in one place
for a while on your assessment. I said,
“You’re always able to skip around, but if you stay stuck you lose time.” After I walked away she came to my desk and
said, “I just don’t want to let my team down.”
You see she is involved in sports and drama club. And she is just an all-around good student. In that moment, while she was speaking, I
realized that character comes before all things, my assessment and her grade. I told
her, “You’re character matters more than your grade.” Our character is invaluable in the eyes of
God, and I am so glad His grace covers my lack most moments of every day.
They say your character is
defined by what you do when no one else is looking. Can we talk about the things we do in secret?
Or are things we do in secret left
unspoken due to your shame? Jesus has
taken your sin and nailed it to the cross. When you were dead in your transgressions and
the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having
forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt
consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He hast taken it
out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2) He has
taken your shame as well, because you are no longer guilty in the eyes of the
Father. I urge you to walk or run in the Light.
Matthew 12: 33
Either make the tree
good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree
is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:35
The good man brings
out of his good treasure what is
good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
Romans 5: 1-5
Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in
which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our
tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and
perseverance, proven character, hope;
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured
out within our hears through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
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