Have Good Character Before You Meet Your Mate!

The Definition of Character:

1.The aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.

2. one such feature or trait; characteristic.

3. moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character.

4. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takes character to face up to a bully.

5. reputation: a stain on one's character.

6. good repute.

7. an account of the qualities or peculiarities of a person or thing.

8. a person, esp. with reference to behavior or personality: a suspicious character.

9. Informal . an odd, eccentric, or unusual person.

10. a person represented in a drama, story, etc.

As we ready ourselves for the short or long journey to eventually meet and marry our future spouse, it is vitally important that we look introspectively into ourselves as individuals. We need to dig down deep to find out what is really inside of us.

Are we as single Christians filled to the brim with Godly character?

For instance, when driving and someone unexpectantly cuts you off the road, do you slip-up a middle finger? When this happens do you suddenly stop praying in tongues and in a day to night head-spinning second, start blurting out a curse word or two? Or do you honk on your horn like a maniac? No, never, right, wrong! Are you displaying Godly behavior when you find yourself in an unexpected long line in a grocery store and instead of displaying grace and patience, you get angry and complain about it to everyone in line including the cashier?

What about your behavior when you go through that fast-food drive-thru, gobble up the burger fries, and slurp down the coke, then look for a traffic-less long and dark road where you proceed to toss out our trash on the street or highway? When you know that God does not like that at all.

You rationalize quickly telling yourself that - nobody's looking, besides, this bag, cup, and now empty paper contents are an inconvenience to me and my 'clean' car. So unabashedly you proceed with littering the streets. Is there no remorse, no shame? Is this act inherently evil? Is this a shameless display of a lack of Christian character done privately? Do you get a check in your spirit to do the right thing, and save the garbage for the trash can? Are you convicted by the Holy Spirit? God is always watching and he knows all and sees all that you do, even to his planet.

What's your temperament in public, let alone in private, when things don't go your way? Does it just take a little egging on by a total hot-headed stranger to push your buttons and make you 'get ugly' by cussing someone out and acting unruly.

I personally have not done any of these things...(character check) well, to be honest, the finger once, and the trash throwing on a dark road years ago. The Holy Spirit instantly spoke to me about my bad behavior and I was convicted! I don't throw up my hand as I have learned years ago, because........... the stranger could be a fellow church member. Can you imagine that moment, when my fellow Christian brother and I saw each other in anger, and had just sat next to each other in Church the preceding Sunday, praising God! What strong conviction that fell on both of us. Needless to say, we were both single and not meant for each other. Future divorce averted!

I don't throw the trash out the car window because it's just wrong. None of us is perfect.

And in our quest to become better as human beings, as Christians keep this in mind. We fall, we fail, we are subject to make mistakes, and "off" judgment calls.

Remember, Donnie McClurkin's song "We fall down but we get up"?

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be character driven in our thoughts and actions, as found in Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Now if I could only make it to work on time all the time, and to Sunday morning service on time all the time. Sometimes, it's the little lessons in life that holds us up from our blessings.

I am a role model for Christ and will be for my future Mr. Godsend!