Build your Character

1-1-12 New Year

1. Access to the kingdom of God

2. Change
3. Character
4. Character of a child
5. The prayer of the psalmist
6. Proverbs 19:8
7. Naomi and Ruth

After a person is born again he no longer belongs to this world but becomes a
citizen in the Kingdom of God. Now as the person surrenders his life everyday to Jesus and stands in obedience
to His Word, he gains access into the Kingdom of God. This is where he finds solutions for his problems and
possesses the blessings that God has instore for him. A person who is born again, but doesnt surrender to God
has no access into the kingdom of God. He will start to live according to what his mind dictates to him. The mind
is predefined with the experiences of good and evil it has in this world. With this predefined mindset of good
and evil they will start to speak about Jesus, His goodness, His love, the miracles that He has done and
everything good of what they feel about God. Such people do not know or understand anything about the
Kingdom of God. The definition of good and evil should be according to God and not what we feel right. This
good of God will be understood only when we obey Gods Word.
Every time a person enters into a new job, new work or a new year he expects
good. In order to be good and possess good he tries to change his words, actions, becomes humble, and speaks
humble. But this change in a person is not approved by God as it is not by the Word but by his feeling of good.
Change is required for a person. Without a change there is no growth in anyones life. From a small boy to the
topmost person everybody who is connected to God through His Word will change. A person has a true and
perfect change only if he obeys the Word of God. This change should not be for a day or two but consistent all
through the day, week, month, and year. It should be as an inherent character.
Now how do we recognize a change? When a person starts to change according to
the terms of God, this change produces something called character inside a person. Character indicates a
persons action towards a particular work or a decision that which God wanted him to take. Character is not a
talent and not inherent inside a person. It is something for which you need to put your effort and learn. When
that character builds inside you on daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, God looks at that character inside
you. God is not bothered about your prayers or the good words that you speak about him. If you do not have a

character, God cannot trust you neither can He bless you? Character doesnt form if you kneel down, pray or
attend Church regularly but only when you obey the Word of God on a consistent basis. You need to defocus
from every other thing and focus on what God is telling you to do. It is then, that you build your character. When
God finds character inside you, He pours out His blessing on you. Whatever you do, you will prosper and even
though you fall down youll rise back.
Mark 10:13-16 Then they brought the little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked
those who brought them.
Here the disciples are following Jesus Christ, they are still learning with Jesus.
They do not know the values of the kingdom of God and Jesus is teaching them. When people were bringing
little children to Jesus the disciples felt Why should these little children come to Jesus when he is dealing with
other major problems. So they resisted the people who were bringing little children to Jesus. In Verse 14 But
when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the little children come to Me, and do not
forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of
God as a little child will by no means enter it. Children confess their wrongs, accept their mistakes quickly and
work back again, they forget issues, are quick and fast to learn and ready to obey.If your heart is not like a little
child, neither can you know Jesus nor can you enter the Kingdom of God. Verse 16 says And He took them up in
his arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. Kingdom of God is easy for a person whose heart is like a
child and it is to this person who has a character of a child that God releases His blessing. God trusts in your
character not in your victories or failures. As the character is given by Him, He leads you and guides you. It takes
an effort to build this character. Once you develop it in the inside you are a Christian valued by God.
In Psalm 25:1 the psalmist says To you, O Lord I lift up my soul. In this scripture
we see that David is praying about his soul. Soul is the decision making area of a person. Lifting up the soul to
God means no matter what desires or interests influence me, situations pressurize me, I will not step back but
will make my decsions only with your Word. This is the prayer of a man of Character. In verse5 He said In you I
wait all the day It means he has prepared his heart and mind to bring the Word to pass through the day, every
hour. He has to look into every hour of the day and see what temptations, interests and desires would come to
pull him and make him to decide with them rather than with the Word. The psalmist is not speaking about days
but a single day-Today. In verse 8, 9 he said Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he teaches sinners in the
way. The humble He guides in justice and the humble He teaches his way. God teaches a sinner how to get into
the way of God, so that he will not slip and fall down into evil again. Though he slips God will hold him. In verse
12, 13 he said who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall
dwell in prosperity, and his descendents shall inherit the earth. The one who lifts up his soul to God is the one
that fears God. Nobody or nothing can influence him today. It is then that God allows the Spirit of knowledge to
enter his soul. Then hell find the taste of God in his soul. He is the one, who is taught by the Lord who will enter
into prosperity and the word here assures that his descendents shall inherit the earth.
In verse 22 David said Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all their troubles. Redeem means paying a price and
bringing out of troubles.This is the prayer of a person who gave his soul to God. We see in Luke2:25-32 Simeon
who was waiting for the redemption of Israel- he has the same heart as David. The same character of seeking

God everyday and God brought solutions for them through Jesus. The redemption for which they asked was
fulfilled as Jesus gave His soul as an offering in the Garden of Gethsamane.

Proverbs 19:8 says He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good
The one who lifts up his soul to God gets wisdom into his soul. From then on he
will love every decision that he takes because every decision is made with wisdom. The second part of the verse
says that whoever keeps understanding will find good the good of God all through the year. Proverbs 13:4 says
The soul of a lazy man desires but has nothing Once you enter the kingdom of God, desire should not be
birthed inside you. If desires form inside you, you should give them to God and should not connect with them. If
you decide with them, finally you will end up with nothing.
Every day as you discipline your heart and mind and work with the Word of
God, you build the character which is of great value in the sight of God. It is the one that defines integrity and
uprightness in your life. Character makes you to be consistent and balanced no matter what your situation is. In
the book of Ruth when Naomi said to her 2 daughter-in laws to return to their fathers house. One of them
who are Orpah left, but the other one called Ruth clung to Naomi because of the values and character that
Naomi had. In Ruth1:16 Ruth said, wherever you go Ill go, your people shall be my people and your God my
God, where you die Ill die, let nothing but death part you and me. She followed whatever Naomi instructed her.
Finally she got married to Boaz and bore children in whose lineage comes King David. Ruth a moabitess, a
widow, who was barren, possessed the blessing of God just because of her values and character. She should
have gone back to her fathers house as Orpah did, but she clung to the values which she saw in Naomi and so
she was blessed. Situations will wobble. If you build character in every area of your life, it becomes pillar inside
you that will not allow you to move to the left or right.You will not ask God for a blessing because the pillars
inside you will automatically bring the blessing of God. If you possess the values and character endorsed by God
wherever or whatever least condition you are in, God lifts you up to the highest place.

GOD BLESS