Character development is the intentional process of strengthening your resolve always to do the next right thing, so far as you are able. It’s not about perfection in performance. It’s more about your heart’s motives, and that’s a reflection of your character. Always start with character, and then move to competence.
Developing character is something like studying. You can’t “cram” the night before. Character isn’t performing its substance. It’s who you are at a soul level.
Character is who you are when no one is looking. It’s a lifetime of making the right decisions, based on God’s wisdom, and then acting upon that decision.
Developing your strength of character might be compared to developing muscle. You can’t have a trainer do it for you. You have to lift the weights yourself.
Here are five ways to help you develop your character. There are more of course, but these are at the top of the list and a good place to start.
5 pathways to develop your character:
1) Refuse to defend your authority.
There is no purpose in defending your authority; it wasn’t yours in the first place. However much or little leadership authority you have, it was given to you, either by God or by a person (or team), and usually both. It’s yours to steward not to own. And one day it won’t be yours any longer.
Leaders have authority, usually connected in some way to an organization, like the church you’re in. Influence is a better word, but the truth is that you have to be able to handle authority (influence), or you won’t be an effective leader. (Some leaders overdo it, and some barely lead at all.)
If your authority is challenged, lead with character, not power. Loving and serving people who challenge you instead of protecting your territory is not easy, but will always serve you well. This is extremely difficult under pressure, but it’s the right thing. In the moment it’s both a test of your character and develops it as you go through it.
2) Don’t resist relative obscurity.
So, how many followers do you have on Twitter? Instagram? Facebook? Perhaps this doesn’t matter that much to you, but most people at least notice. There is something about being known and having friends and followers, even if it’s on social media, that feels better than relative obscurity.
Real followers, however, meaning those you have responsibility for and lead in the local church can evoke the same feelings. It’s rare that a conversation goes more than a few minutes before someone asks me, “So, how big is your church?” There’s nothing wrong with that question at face value, but how you or I feel when answering that question may reveal something about our character.
We all want to reach more people for Jesus, but what may appear to be a small and unnoticed role in God’s kingdom may have a greater impact than we understand. And it may be more about your personal development than growing a church.
There have been leadership responsibilities that I just wasn’t ready for—but I thought I was. God and those with decision-making ability withheld that new role or opportunity because He/they were protecting me from something I couldn’t yet handle.
