Character Development

"Character Development" - in the pressure of being developed certain things are "pressed out" - Pride, Arrogance, Inaction, even Fear among other vices. Like a balloon pressed flat under weight, the insides (air) are expelled but the shell remains. God then refills the "ballon" (us) with what He wants to fill it with - the Holy Spirit.


After a certain age, after life responsibilities have been handled (however well or poorly), what good is it to God, ok, to me that my character be developed further? I mean, if I have accepted Christ, try to live a consistent Christian lifestyle, and am reasonably handling my earthly duties - Why does God see the need to further develop my character???

I mean, beside working to maintain a personal relationship with God, I also consistently serve His people (Christian Service) and Fellowship and Worship with them. WHY then does God continually put me against the grindstone of situations, people and obstacles to "DEVELOP MY CHARACTER???"

1) Because we are called to perfection (Phil 1:6) As "good" as I am and as "hard as I am trying" I know that if He doesn't "exercise" me I will stop loving Him with all my heart, soul and strength. ANNNDD, I'll stop loving my neighbor as I love myself. I'm sure this will happen because just like physical sloth leads to atrophy, my sinful nature will wilt my spirit. Just like I find work/exercise n the physical, God will provide similar work in the spiritual realm to strengthen me against atrophy.

By no means am I saying sin is needed or justified so as to produce perfection - instead, simply in the absence of complete righteousness I must strive against what simply IS in this world in order to be perfected by God.

2) I am commanded by Christ to go tell others the things He has done for me and told me. Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and we are commanded to go and tell (Matt 28:19), and be laborers for the harvest (Luke 10:2). Understanding these mandates, by necessity and definition, as a Christian I will come in contact with people whose sinful natures are STRONG within them and have great influence - possibly over me too - if I do not develop a strong Christian character.

How can I love/Agape my neighbor (Matt 22:39) and lead him away from what he is doing and the certain hell he will go to if I am not strong enough in the Lord to NOT do what he is doing?

If I can't resist temptation and sin and allow the value of the gift of salvation (freedom from the penalty of sin in the past, power over sin in the present and ultimately, the very presence of sin in the future) to show through in my life how can my neighbor see the Kingdom of God??? How can my neighbor be saved??? If I don't present God to my neighbor the way God wants to be presented (God will do the actual saving) how can my neighbor be saved???

If I don't obey God and present Him to my neighbor (SomeOne I know is good for me) then I'm holding back a treasure, something I find valuable for myself. This seems to be in violation of our great commandment in Matt 22:39. Meaning, I'm NOT loving my neighbor as I love MYSELF. And if obeying that commandment is like unto the first commandment, doesn't that mean I don't love God with all my heart, soul and strength???!!!