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.
