“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” – Daniel 6:4-5
“He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.” High praise from an enemy. Could this be said of you? Of me? Navonne Johns once said, “A persons character is shown through their actions in life not where they sit on Sunday.”
My character is who I really am because I can’t separate what I do from who I am. God cares about each of us and He cares about our character. The Bible could easily be classified as a character manual on how to live your life in a Christlike manner. As Christians, we have a code of conduct that we are called to – not because of what we can get out of it – but because of who God is, and who we are as His people.
As Christians, we are constantly striving to be more like Christ every day because that is what the Bible instructs us to do. When you hear the word Christ-like character, what do you think of? Someone that loves Jesus with all their heart, someone that reads their Bible all the time, someone that prays all the time, someone that goes to church all the time, etc. Well, all those things are great examples of Christ-like character. But the little daily things that we do contribute just as significantly to having a Christlike character.
God knows we are not perfect. He is the one who made every single person, and He did not make anyone perfect. We are not all geniuses, or world-class athletes, or successful business people. But as followers of Jesus, we should always try and have a more Christ-like character. Like I said they do not all have to be very obvious, some small simple everyday things are all great examples of Christ-like character. For example, just smiling at someone, or telling someone hello, or asking someone how their day is going, giving someone a shoulder to cry on, giving a listening ear to someone who needs to just talk for a minute, buying someone some groceries, or just sending a very nice encouraging text.
These are all excellent ways to show Christ-like character, but these things can also just be normal everyday habits. But even the littlest bit of Christ-like character shown can make a huge difference in someone’s life. It is the little things that make a huge difference. Basketball coach John Wooden said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
As Christians and as the Church we are to conduct ourselves in a manner that shows our changed heart, our gratitude for our salvation, and our love for the One who died for us.
Discussion Questions:
- How well do you understand God’s character? How well does your character reflect God’s character?
- What can we do this week to do the little things that make us more Christlike?