Wednesday, April 9th

If there is something lacking in today’s society at every level it’s persons of character. You can’t get through the day without hearing about the moral failures of our leaders and the people who live around us. So let me ask you this: who is a person of character? A person of character is a person determined to do what is right in spite of the personal cost. This definition pretty much sums up Noah’s life. Noah was the only person of character in his generation. Can you imagine Noah living amongst an entire generation of characterless people? I mean every single person had a total lack of character. According to Genesis 6:5, their every thought was only evil all the time.

So, this leads me to a second question. How does a person develop character? Do me a favor, pause for a second and imagine Noah doing what was right when everyone else was doing what was wrong. How did he do that? How did he develop such strong character? I don’t know about you but at times I have trouble doing what is right even though not every person in our generation is evil. Sometimes I think what I shouldn’t think, sometimes I say what I shouldn’t say and sometimes I do what I shouldn’t do. Again, how does a person develop character? The answer may surprise you…you don’t. If you truly want to be a complete person of character, perfect in your generation, that’s something only God can do in you. That’s the way Noah developed character, by walking in close fellowship with God.

In chapter 5 of the book of Galatians it says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In other words, it is the fruit of the spirit that produces character in a person. In closing I have one final question for you, if character is the result of the fruit of the spirit, how does a person obtain the fruit of the spirit? If you asked Noah his answer would be, “by walking with God”.

Bible reading
Genesis 6:9

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Heavenly Father, I want to be a person of character, I want to do what is right despite the personal cost. I know it’s not easy, especially in these times I live in. That’s why it’s so important for me to walk in constant fellowship with you. It is only through the fruit of your Holy Spirit that I can become the person I want to be.