Character and the Cross

People who have character know who they are; they are centered and have the courage to be honest with themselves and others.” The character of a person is revealed in one’s values. Values determine actions, and actions are determined by motives. These three, values, actions, and motives, determine one’s character. However, though actions determine character in part, this does not suggest that all “good” actions represent “good” character. For example, a person who is always serving others, always smiling, always “there when you need them,” may be exercising a show of outward “godliness” in order to fulfill a void in their own lives.

There are many examples of “good” actions accompanying bad character, but good character has one underlying characteristic—“selfless” actions without the need to be recognized. Isn’t that what Paul conveyed in Philippians 2? “We are to look not every man to his own things, but every man on the things of others.” Paul further illustrates this with Christ Himself as an example of godly character and how godly character is formed. Let me remind you that though we can form a child’s outer character (actions) only God can change the heart (motives). That is why Jesus warned the Jews that they were honoring God with their lips but their heart was far from Him.

During my ten years as a Christian School administrator, I prided myself in character building. Our students were exemplary in the outward code of conduct. Though outward character building is vital, it cannot properly develop without God changing one’s heart and soul. If I could go back and do it again, I would change my emphasis from external performances to values and motives—“for where your treasure is (values) there will your heart (motives) be also.”

Recognition
In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul illustrates how inner character is formed. Using Jesus as the example he says, “He made himself of no reputation.” This is not an easy task for anybody. We all desire to be recognized, appreciated, and valued. A closer look reveals that this passage does not suggest that we cannot or should not be recognized. It explicitly declares that Jesus did not rob God, His Father, of His proper recognition (see verse 6). Literally, Jesus emptied himself of all his rights as God so that he could demonstrate to selfish mankind, true humility and servanthood. It is fine to be recognized for one’s accomplishments. It is not fine to separate one’s accomplishments from God’s enabling. For our very breath is a gift and extension of His goodness and grace (Acts 17:25). Recognition of God’s work of grace and enabling in our lives is foundational to the forming of one’s inner character.

Service
The Apostle Paul next declares that Jesus “took upon Himself the form of a servant.” As one begins to recognize that his or her gifts and abilities are a gift of God, it is a natural step to share this gift with others, which strengthens character. Freely we have received, freely give. Give children opportunities to use their talents for the benefit of others, being careful not to parade their talents as a cloak for our own pride! There is a fine line here, but true character is rooted in the humble recognition that “I am who I am by the grace of God.”

Humility
The next step Paul gives is one that we have addressed in part, “He humbled Himself.” I cannot say enough about this word. One point that I would like to emphasize is that grace and humility are twin sisters. The only way that we can obtain grace is by humbling ourselves, for God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Character cannot be formed apart from grace, and grace cannot be received apart from humility. Without God’s grace, man is an empty shell. For His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect (complete) in our weakness.

Let’s review:
1. Our character is formed by values, motives, and actions.
2. Our values and motives are formed by our recognition and appreciation of God’s grace and enabling of our gifts and abilities.
3. God’s grace is only given to those who humble themselves.
4. Our character is strengthened by selfless actions that benefit
others.

Point three is an interesting point that needs our attention. The strength of our character is determined by the recognition of our weaknesses. Again, “His strength is made perfect (complete) in our weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). The irony and paradox of God! Isn’t that just like Him? His ways are so past finding out!

Selfless Obedience
The next step in the formation of character is found in the continuation of Paul’s thoughts in Philippians 2. “He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant...and humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.” There are three words of significance here: obedience, death, and cross. This next step is obedience, which involves sacrifice and death—the kind of death that requires total selflessness. The highest level of character is selflessness, because greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. This level is revealed through unconditional love. The Apostle Peter also recognized a similar pattern of character development in his second epistle. The developmental phases that he suggests begin with faith and end in love. “Giving all diligence (the development of one’s character must be fought for), add to your faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love (2 Pet 1:5-7).” What an excellent eight-step program for character development! Again, our character begins in faith, is propelled by diligence, and at its highest developmental stage, ends in love.

The Reward
The benefits and rewards of character building cannot be overlooked. Paul states that he presses toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God. The rewards and benefits of character are rich and exciting. Paul gives us a glimpse of these benefits and rewards as he continues his theme on inner character in Philippians 2. “He took upon Himself the form of a servant…He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name (reputation) above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Our character is transformed because of our willingness to become sacrificial servants, depriving ourselves for the benefit of others, no matter what the cost (cross). The benefit that is shown here is that the servant becomes lord. He that is greatest is the servant of all. Likewise, the benefit and reward of humility is exaltation, but only as we take up our cross in obedience.

And if this isn’t enough, Paul heralds these words as his grand finale. “That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father.” Even in exaltation and lordship (benefit and reward) the benefactor gives recognition to the God of all grace and enablement.

ˆtable of contents

Boundries of Grace

Many who have attended my “Strong-Willed Parent” seminar have asked, “What if my extension of grace doesn’t change my child’s behavior?” “Does grace have boundaries?” The first question is easy to answer. Grace is not extended to change behavior, but to reach the heart. God’s display of grace on the cross had a two-fold purpose; first to show His great love toward us and secondly to provide a way that we might be forgiven and restored into the family of God. His demonstration of grace was unconditional and in no way dependent upon our changed behavior. To receive the benefits of God’s grace, however, there must be a repentant heart. So in one sense there are boundaries to the benefits of grace but not in the demonstration of grace. We as parents need to consistently demonstrate grace (outstretched arms) with the hope that our grace will soften our children’s hearts so that they will desire changed behavior. Changed behavior is both a work of grace and a work of God.
Once after a seminar, a man came up to me somewhat disturbed and said, “Your grace is aiding your son’s disobedience.” In response, I looked at him and asked, “How much grace is too much? Is leaving the throne of heaven, taking upon Himself the sin of the world, and then dying on a cross too much to win the heart of a child?” So how much grace is too much? I think the confusion over grace and the recipient’s behavior is the result of our misunderstanding of the role of grace.

As I attempt to restore my relationship with my oldest son, I must continually offer my grace and love. By open and outstretched arms, he needs to know that I will be there for him when he needs me. Though I may disagree with his choices or behavior, my disagreement and boundaries can be expressed with a gracious, loving spirit. Disobedient or disrespectful behavior strains relationships, but it shouldn’t cause parents to take an offensive, defensive, or vengeful posture. This shuts down grace and hinders reconciliation.

The grace-full parent still loves and actively pursues a restored relationship through acts of kindness, uplifting words, and when appropriate, generosity. You see, grace is active. It pursues restored relationships. That is why Christ, while we were yet sinners, died for us. Though a disobedient child/adult may not enjoy the full benefits of God’s lavish love and grace, the door always remains open for His return.

ˆtable of contents

Unlocking the Door of the Future

Character: the key to a prepared, purposeful, and powerful life.

Over the past twenty-four years I have observed many students who graduated from Christian schools and homeschools yet still lack the confidence, purpose, and skill to follow their dreams. In fact, rarely do they even dream about their God-given destiny. As a young college student, I changed my major numerous times. During that very critical time in my life, I lacked both direction and character--the two important elements that awaken a person’s drive to become all that God intended him to be. Contrary to popular opinion, this kind of character is not determined by one’s actions, but by one’s values. Focusing and modifying a child’s actions apart from their values leads only to hypocrisy, distorts reality, and clouds one’s judgment for a life’s calling. One of the least understood concepts in life is the connection between inner character and the development of skills to pursue one’s purpose in life. Inner character, skill, and purpose are the driving mechanisms behind true greatness. If what I am saying is true, then the development of one’s character is the foundation for life, assuming, of course, that one has a real relationship with the God who created him with a designed purpose.

Forging Character:
Character is formed, or rather forged, on the anvil of life. I can distinctly remember an event which genuinely forged my character in the area of work ethic. I was twelve years old, and we needed a new sewer line for our house. Rather than digging up our newly paved driveway, my father decided that a trench could be dug under a thirty-foot-long concrete patio, thus redirecting the sewer line. My dad was an iron worker, and since this was his busiest time of the year, he asked me if I would dig this trench before he came home next week. With a smile, he assured me that it could be done, “one shovelful at a time.” Immediately I began to plan how this could best be accomplished, or rather, how I could do the job with the least amount of work. I remember thinking that there must be a machine that could burrow under this patio and with the press of a button—presto! Finisio! Because I feared my dad, I didn’t dare refuse this task; but I knew that Mom would come to my rescue when she saw the hardship that had been placed on her only son. I really had no intention of digging this trench knowing that it was an impossible task; if I complained and held out long enough, Dad would surely come to his senses. Two days before his arrival, I hadn’t found any solution to my dilemma, and Mom wasn’t ‘cooperating’! In fact, she kept reminding me when Dad would be home.

I remember this as if it were yesterday. Just a few hours before Dad came home, I began digging into the solid clay (it seemed like clay). I dug one foot under the patio and knew that this was impossible and impractical. Surely Dad would understand. Well, Dad didn’t understand! In fact, as soon as he came home, he went out to inspect my work. Without saying a word, he began digging. “What’s wrong with him?” I thought to myself. “Go ahead and dig, you’ll see!” But the dirt was flying and Dad was digging. He had worked hard all week while I worked hard trying to figure out how to get out of work. After about twenty minutes I couldn’t take it anymore. I went out, took the shovel out of his hand and began digging. Again, he reminded me that if you persevere and don’t give up, you can accomplish anything.

It was one o’clock in the morning, but I did it! That entire time my dad was watching from the bedroom window, and when he saw me break through there was a grand applause of royal encouragement. I will never forget that moment. In fact, something happened to me that day that has remained with me ever since. Part of my character was forged that day and to this day has been an essential component to my life. That experience fortified my determination to accomplish whatever task God calls me to, no matter how difficult or impossible it may seem. In fact, I believe that those six hours spent under a patio prepared me to do what I’m doing today. You see, “the testing of our faith works endurance. But let endurance have its perfect work...that you might be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.”

Do you see the spiritual significance of enduring difficult tests? It is significant because when we endure, there is a “work” that is being accomplished—the work of forging our character which prepares us to be complete (perfect), lacking in nothing. Now that’s one reward worth pursuing. And there should be a reward. Our children need to learn that God gives special rewards that are the result of forged character. Forged character prepares us for our future, and galvanizes our determination to accomplish any task. “See a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings…” The Hebrew word for “work” carries the meaning of “polished.” When our work reaches a level of excellence—a polished work—we will receive our greatest fulfillment, reach our highest goals, and truly represent our Father as we should as a son or daughter of a King!

Though it is true that children need to learn that endurance forges character, prepares for life, and propels one to persevere, there is also a danger that must be addressed. The danger that I speak of is the root cause of many fallen leaders—pride. From our examples, our children must understand that the character traits of endurance, perseverance, and determination leading to great accomplishments cannot bring true fulfillment apart from humility. There is something very appealing about a diligent, skillful worker who is smiling, appreciative, and thankful. Without humility, determination will lead to accomplishments void of relationships. Humility is the recognition that all of my abilities and opportunities are gifts from God. Humility is portrayed in an attitude of thankfulness even for difficulties, with the realization that this, too, is a gift of God.

May the qualities of inner character, skillfulness, and humility unlock the door to a prepared, purposeful, and powerful future.

ˆtable of contents

Laziness 2

As I continue this article, I
would like to review briefly
for the benefit of our new readers. Children who appear lazy at home or school, but willingly work themselves to the bone for someone else, are not lazy. This lazy appearance is often a self-preservation response to provocative or overbearing parental (or teacher) control, dominion, or manipulation. Children burdened by a controlling adult live in fear. Fear lowers the level of reasoning (resulting in poor grades) and risk-taking. When a child begins to protect himself, his responses flow from a state of unconscious self-preservation, thus having the appearance of laziness. In school he appears to “not work to his fullest potential.” At home he appears lazy.

Children with domineering parents/teachers who place responsibility above relationship or achievement above moderation, will produce discouraged children. This is the reason Paul warns parents not to provoke their children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Discouragement leads to apathy and apathy to laziness (self-preservation).
Discouraged children often see themselves as failures. These children are less likely to take risks as the cycle of laziness escalates. Fenelon, in the 17th century, poignantly described the affects of unbalanced parental control: “A parent whose eye is ever upon her child, who is constantly scolding, thinking they are fulfilling their educative role in pardoning nothing, will oppress their child, specially those parents who place the weight of the family concerns upon them; all of this only torments and discourages (Education of a Child).” Solomon gives us further advice in his proverbial wisdom when he says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when desire comes it is a tree of life.”

A child who can never measure up to the standards of a grace-less adult lives in fear, which eventually leads to heart sickness (depression)! Shamefully, this is the pattern of parenting that I followed for years. In my zeal to “build character” and develop a work ethic in my children, I made chores an end itself. Responsibility above relationship! “Jonathan, go feed the horses, and when you’re done with that, water the sheep, and when you’re done with that, clean just two horse stalls and then come and see me when you’re done.” It’s no wonder he hid from me. Work must be given as a responsibility with relationship as part of the goal. Again, Fenelon gives wonderful advice to the overbearing parent: “But above all things, do not let it appear to the child that you demand from him unnecessary submissions…Suffer then a child to play, mixing instruction with amusement: let wisdom appear to him at intervals, and always with a smiling face. Be careful not to fatigue him by an indiscreet exactness.”

Fear-based laziness is easy to detect among children. Some children wet the bed; some are afraid to sleep alone; some have nightmares and others even have panic attacks. Some exhibit anger (fear and anger are close cousins) and some withdraw (depression - sick heart). These symptoms often surface in poor grades, low self-esteem, crying, etc.

The remedy to fear-based laziness is predominately found in the strength of a healthy relationship between Mom and Dad and the Lord Jesus Christ. A child who has spiritually mature parents who are a blessing and not a curse, develop the highest sense of self-esteem and self-worth. Another remedy in overcoming fear-based laziness is to build the confidence and skill level of the child. Solomon teaches in Ecclesiastes 10 that “if the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.” The word “wisdom” carries the idea of skillfulness. Children who reach a level of skillfulness in their God-given abilities not only develop confidence and security, but they are willing to take risks, and aspire to greatness. Solomon, in Proverbs 22, shares this final thought: “Do you see a man diligent in his work? He will stand before kings.” The word “diligent” also carries the idea of “skillfulness” or “polished.” When our children reach a polished state in their God-given abilities, they will truly shine!

ˆtable of contents

From Bondage To Blessing

The phrase, “That it may be well with thee,” is found four times in Deuteronomy, chapters four
through six. The implication of this verse suggests that God desires life to go well for us. Like most parents, we desire what is best. Good parents delight in the happiness and success of their children. These qualities have been handed down from our Father above.

In Deuteronomy 6:23, Moses tells us that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt in order to bring them in to a good land. In other words, He brought them out of bondage in order that He might bring them in to a place of peace and blessing. This same theme is repeated in the New Testament. God continues to deliver His people from bondage in order to bring us to a place of blessing. This process, however, is not always a pleasant one.

God knew that prior to “bringing them in” the children of Israel needed first to be refined. Only then would they enjoy and appreciate the blessing of the “promised land.” Deuteronomy 8:2&3 describes this refining process:
“And you shall remember all the way which the LORD thy God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to test YOU, to know what is in your heart… And He humbled you, and allowed you to hunger, that HE MIGHT MAKE YOU KNOW that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord does man live...And you shall also consider in your heart, that, as a father chastens his son, so the LORD chastens you.”

I know of no other portion of Scripture that more thoroughly describes this process of refining and preparing God’s people for abundant blessing. Indeed, this is what God is doing in our lives today. He is trying to “bring us in,” but first He must humble us and test us so that we might know what is in our heart. (He already knows!) Once we begin to recognize our heart’s condition and the futility of following our own way, His Word becomes our constant companion and guide. It is not until we are truly humbled that we will “hunger and thirst” for His Word.

ˆtable of contents

Resolved Conflicts Restored Relationships

Down by the Jabbok river, Jacob is attacked by a nighttime assailant. Contrary to popular belief, the Bible describes him as a man, and not an angel. The reason that most people think that Jacob is fighting with an angel is because the English versions of the Bible use the word “angel” when referring to this nighttime fight in the book of Hosea chapter 12. It is unfortunate that they translated the word “man” as “angel” when it should have been translated “messenger.” The Genesis account is clear when it identifies this attacker as a man. But he’s not just any ordinary man! Remember what he does when he touches Jacob’s hip? With just a touch he dislocates it. Now that’s power. If he possesses this kind of supernatural power, then why does the fight go on all night long? Why doesn’t he disable Jacob at the beginning? And why does he ask Jacob to let him go if he has that kind of power? You would think that Jacob, now with a dislocated hip, would be in no position to hold on to anything. Do you remember what Jacob’s answer is? What would you say to someone who just dislocated your hip with the touch of a finger and said, “Let me go”? I can tell you that it wouldn’t take me long to think it over. But Jacob says to the man with the supernatural touch, “NO, I will not let you go.” What’s wrong with him? Either he likes pain or he doesn’t quite get it. The man is obviously stronger and more powerful. Why, then, does Jacob insist on holding on? Do you remember what Jacob was doing when he was born? He was holding on! Holding on to his brother’s heel (trying to get a free ride in life). Jacob has been holding on to everything throughout his life. And the more he holds on, the more he loses. He held on to his brother’s birthright and lost the favor of his brother. He deceitfully held on to his father’s blessing, lost the favor of his father, and never saw his mother again. He held on to Rachel, a second wife, experienced marital strife and struggled with contentious children. Jacob was constantly “holding on” in life yet losing everything that was important. This time, however, he refuses to let go of the one person who can make a difference in his life—God. Jacob, at the risk of another touch is going to hold on even if it kills him. He knows that life is not worth living without embracing what this man has to offer. And Jacob says, “I will not let you go, UNLESS YOU BLESS ME.” There it is, folks. One of the most significant aspects of our relationship to God is to be blessed. Jacob finally understands that life without God’s blessing is not worth living. So now, after years of struggle and conflict, he is willing to hold on no matter what the cost. No matter how much it hurts, Jacob is going to hold on until the man blesses him. And that is how it must be with us. No matter what painful situation we might find ourselves in, we need to hold on to God and not let go until He blesses us. Not letting go may require us to endure a painful relationship or experience, but unless God blesses we must persevere in obedience and remain faithful. He will deliver us and bless us, but not until we have nothing else to hold on to—except Him.

ˆtable of contents

Kingdom Walk

One of the most significant
words in the Bible yet least
understood is the word “blessing.” In Genesis 25 through 36 the Hebrew word for blessing occurs forty-two times. To my knowledge, no other word appears this many times in this amount of Scripture in the entire Bible. I believe that God intentionally repeats this word to give special emphasis. The word “blessing” is used repeatedly in Matthew 5 as it describes the beginning of Jesus’ public teaching ministry. As He looks upon the crowds of hungry and thirsty followers, he has compassion and begins to speak to the disciples saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom...
Blessed are those that mourn...
Blessed are the meek...
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...
Blessed are the merciful...
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers...
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom.

At first glance, this list appears to be a group of disconnected wisdom sayings that teach us how to live the Kingdom life. A closer look, however, reveals that this list of eight wisdom sayings are intricately linked together and are foundational to spiritual growth. The first and most important step to spiritual growth, or “the Kingdom walk” is to be poor in spirit. To be poor in spirit means to be broken and humble. God cannot put together that which is not broken. Therefore, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Grace is given and received each time we exercise humility. Without complete brokeness and humility God will resist us.

After being poor in spirit, Jesus next teaches us that we are to mourn. In Psalm 34 David says, “The righteous cry and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Today, we rarely witness the tears of a Christian mourning over his sin. We have learned the art of disguise, and we hide our faults and failures well. I believe that if Christians would cry out to God mourning over their sin, a revival would break forth in their hearts. Mourning is the second step in our Kingdom walk with God.

The third characteristic of Kingdom life is meekness. Meekness is quiet strength that is gentle and kind. It always confronts wrath with a soft answer. It does not need to win. Meekness does not come naturally to me, for in my home I am controlling. In order to overcome this sin, I must first humble myself before my family and my God, then passionately cry out to God for deliverance, and then begin to practice meekness by the grace of God. Meekness is not achieved through self-reformation but must be a genuine work of God’s spirit. Genuine meekness begins to take root as God’s grace is sufficiently and generously given to the humble.

The fourth characteristic of a Kingdom walk is revealed in one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. It is the strong desire to be more like Christ—a desire that propels us to change—a desire, not to remain as we are. Until we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will remain hungry and parched. The Kingdom life requires a Kingdom walk of righteousness and perseverance. We must hunger and thirst until we have been filled. Though hunger pains are never pleasant, there is a sanctifying and cleansing work that is accomplished within us. There is also something very special about the taste of food and water after a long fast. Deprivation usually brings appreciation.

The fifth characteristic of Kingdom life is revealed in our merciful response toward others. This principle of the Kingdom is a direct result of our hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Righteousness is tested in our love and forgiveness of others. When we recognize how poor in spirit we once were, and how God is transforming us through grace, meekness, and righteousness, it is only natural to extend mercy to those who are still bound in their sinful patterns. Remember, grace and mercy are twin sisters and can never be separated. When we realize how much we have been forgiven, then we are free to extend mercy. For he who has been forgiven the most will love the most.

Mercy cleanses the soul and prepares us for the sixth characteristic of Kingdom life—being pure in heart. Do you see how these are all linked together? They are all dependent upon one another. The pure in heart will see God! We will not literally “see” Him, for no man can look upon God and live, but we will see the evidence of God in our lives. A Christian who reaches this level of spiritual maturity will have a keen sense of God’s presence in his life as well as in the lives of others. We will enjoy the glimpses of His glory and the benefits of a pure life. When one has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, he will rarely return to that which cannot satisfy. When one has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, he will rarely return to that which cannot satisfy. I like to compare this with an experience I had in Maine. I had the opportunity to eat fresh lobster right off the boat, steamed right out there on the rocky shore. Never had I eaten anything so succulent, so sweet, so tender! Since that time, I have not been able to enjoy eating lobster in a restaurant. It simply does not satsify now that I have tasted the best. In the same way, taste and see that the Lord is good, and the rest simply will not satisfy. You see, when you have tasted the best, it is hard to go back to that which does not satisfy.

The seventh characteristic of the Kingdom walk is being a peacemaker. These characteristics follow a natural progression. Unfortunately peacemaking is not one of my gifts. Since I am naturally a fault-finder, seldom did I hear “let’s see what Dad thinks.” In order to overcome this sinful tendency, I have had to persevere in practicing the first six steps of Kindgom life. If we follow this linked pattern of kingdom life, then we can see that humility, repentance (mourning), and meekness cause us to hunger and thirst for righteousness, resulting in a merciful, non-judgmental response. Our motives are pure in heart, and thus we become peacemakers—“let’s ask Dad!”

Jesus could have ended these principles of Kingdom life on the seventh. Seven being a perfect number would have given me something significant to write about. I could have tied this in with creation or something! But there are eight principles. Why? The eighth principle is the hinge which causes this cycle to repeat itself. Note the wording in the eighth Kingdom principle:

Blesssed are those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Principles four and one are repeated. Being persecuted for righteousness brings the reader’s attention back to the righteousness for which they were hungering and thirsting. There is nothing worse than genuinely growing in Christ and then having someone misjudge your motives; especially those you love. But this brings us back to where we began. It is a test to see if this Kingdom walk is real! The next repeated word is Kingdom. Do you see where this Kingdom principle is repeated? Yes, the first one—Blessed are the poor in spirit; the broken; those who are willing to walk in humility because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So there you have it. The cycle of spiritual growth starts all over again as we are tested and persecuted by the same righteousness for which we have been hungering and thirsting.

In my twenty-four years as a Christian, I have not come across a more thorough understanding of the steps that lead to spiritual maturity than these. Thank you, Dr. Patrick, for sharing your understanding of Kingdom life with me. May God Bless you all and may these Kingdom principles allow you to be a blessing to all!

ˆtable of contents