Character

John 1:47-48, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’”

Everywhere I turn the same phrase keeps coming to me. It is that “Character is who you are when you are alone.” For me, if you read my writings you will know that I believe Character is what God is shaping with life. You might also see that I further believe Character has it’s origins within the soul of man as opposed to emotions which largely originate in the flesh or body of man. Thus my fascination with Character as I question God for understanding of the soul.

It is the soul that differentiates man from animal. It is the soul that succumbs to the flesh in sin. Within the soul is where lies, deceit, and guile are born. This is why character, the expression of the soul, is who we are when no one is around. Jesus saw Nathanael alone and judged his soul to be pure and without deceit. How does Christ judge our soul, our character when we are alone? And if not Christ, how do our children or spouses judge our character and soul when we are in the comfort of our home? Thank God for the accountability they represent.

The child can endless pretend to be something they are not to their parents, but a spouse is far more difficult to fool. They are a blessing so that we will rightly judge the character of our soul. Is the person we are a work, or church, or with our friends the same person that sits alone under the fig tree?

Better yet, is our life about improving the outside, or working out our salvation within the soul?

When Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge the change that came in them occurred at the level of the Soul. In came not only the knowledge of deceit, but the willingness to use it for personal gain. In came a murderous heart (soul). Have you ever realized that with very few exceptions murder does not exists in the animal kingdom? The majority of the killing is to eat and for survival. Oh sure dogs and cats kill seemingly out of murder of innocent creatures, but reality is it has been bred into them to kill for others… namely their master. A lion will kill the cubs of a rival, but by and large lying, murder, theft, covetousness, greed are all conditions of character and the soul. The soul knows the truth, and the lack of character causes someone to ignore it.

For me I have done my best to be the person in public that I am in private. I have tried to live by working hard, telling the truth, and doing what I say I am going to do. My honesty is often without tact, but for me today with this focus on Character is the desire to not change who I am in public, but to change who I am alone and in private. To continue in my quest to be like Christ… not to emulate Him on the outside, but to allow my soul and character to be transformed on the inside.