Christian Character by J.R. Miller

Character Reputation is what a man's neighbors and friends think of him. Character is what the man IS. Character is personal. It is not a possession we can share with someone else. We can give a hungry person part of our loaf of bread; we can divide our money with one who needs it; but character is something we cannot give away or transmit. The brave soldier cannot share his courage with the trembling recruit who fights by his side in the battle. The pure, gentle woman cannot give part of her purity and gentleness, to the defiled and hardened woman she meets. Character is our own — a part of our very being. It grows in us over the years. Acts repeated become habits, and character is made up in the long run, of those habits which have been repeated so often, that they become a permanent part of our lives. Sow a thought — and you will reap an act; sow an act — and you will reap a habit; sow a habit — and you will reap a character; sow character — and you will reap a destiny! As the tree falls — so must it lie; As the man lives — so must he die! As a man dies — such must he be; All through the ages of eternity! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Two men look at the same scene: "Be joyful always!" 1 Thessalonians 5:16 "In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy!" 2 Corinthians 7:4 Thankfulness or unthankfulness is largely a matter of the attitude of our heart. Two men look at the same scene: one sees the defects and the imperfections; the other sees the beauty and the brightness. If you cannot find things to be thankful for today, and every day — the fault is in yourself, and you ought to pray for a changed heart — a heart to see God's goodness and to praise Him. A joyful heart transfigures all the world around us! It finds something to be thankful for in the barest circumstances, even in the dark night of the soul. Let us train ourselves to see the beauty and the goodness in God's world, and in our own circumstances — and then we shall stop grumbling, and be content and thankful in all situations. "A happy heart makes the face cheerful!" Proverbs 15:13 "The cheerful heart has a continual feast!" Proverbs 15:15 "A cheerful heart is good medicine — but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ What are you doing with your time? "Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise — making the most of the time" Ephesians 5:15-16 Our days, as God gives them to us — are like beautiful summer fields. The hours are like trees with their rich fruit, or vines with their blossoms of purple clusters. The minutes are like blooming flowers, or stalks of wheat with their golden grains. Oh the endless, blessed possibilities of our days and hours and minutes — as they come to us from God's hands! But what did you do with yesterday? How does the little acre of that one day look to you now? What are you doing with your time? Every moment God gives you, has in it a possibility of beauty or usefulness — as well as something to be accounted for. Are you using your time for God? "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life!" Psalm 39:4 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Christian liberty We should keep watch over our words and deeds, not only in their intent and purpose — but also in their possible influence over others. There may be liberties which lead to no danger for us — but which to others with less stable character, and less wholesome environments — would be full of peril. It is part of our duty to think of these weaker ones, and of the influence of our example upon them. We may not do anything in our liberty, which might possibly harm others. We must be willing to sacrifice our liberty — if by its exercise, we endanger another's soul. This is the teaching of holy Scripture: "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." Romans 14:19 "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall." Romans 14:20-21 "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience — you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall." 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Black seeds without beauty "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Luke 22:42 "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Acts 9:6 The first condition of consecration, must always be entire readiness to accept God's will for our life. It is not enough to be willing to do Christian work. There are many people who are quite ready to do certain things in the service of Christ, who are not ready to do anything He might want them to do. God does not send us two classes of providences — one good, and one evil. All are good. Affliction is God's goodness in the seed. It takes time for a seed to grow and to develop into fruitfulness. Many of the best things of our lives — come to us first as pain, suffering, earthly loss or disappointment — black seeds without beauty — but afterward they grow into the rich harvest of righteousness! "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Think about such things! "The cheerful heart has a continual feast!" Proverbs 15:15 We pretty much see just what we are looking for. If our mind has become trained to look for troubles, difficulties, problems, and all gloomy and dreary things — then we shall find just what we seek. On the other hand, it is quite as easy to form the habit of looking always for beauty, for good, for happiness, for gladness — and here too we shall find precisely what we seek. It has been said that the habit of always seeing the bright side in life, is worth a large income to a man. It makes life a great deal easier. None of us are naturally drawn to a gloomy person, who everywhere finds something to complain about — but we are all attracted to one who sees some beauty in everything. Joy is a transfiguring quality. Its secret is a glad heart. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things!" Philippians 4:8 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Our plans and dreams "In his heart a man plans his course — but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 "Many are the plans in a man's heart — but it is the LORD's purpose which prevails." Proverbs 19:21 There are few entirely unbroken lives in this world; there are few men who fulfill their own hopes and plans, without thwarting or interruption at some point. Now and then, there is one who in early youth marks out a course for himself — and then moves straight on in it to its goal. But most people's lives turn out very different from their own early dreams. Many find at the close of their life, that in scarcely one particular, have they realized their own life-dreams; at every point God has simply set aside their plans — and substituted His own. There are some people whose plans are so completely thwarted, that their story is most pathetic. Yet we have but to follow it through to the end, to see that the broken life was better and more effective, than if their own plans had been carried out. "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Our best striving "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on" Philippians 3:12 The highest reaches of holiness which we can attain here on earth, are but broken fragments of the full Divine beauty. At the best, we can only become dimly transfigured; only faintly does the beauty of the Lord appear in us. The last design made by the great painter, Albert Diirer, was a painting showing Christ on His cross. It was all completed, except the face of the Divine Sufferer, when the artist was summoned away by death. Just so, at the end of the longest and holiest life — we shall have but a part of the picture of Christ wrought upon our soul. Our best striving shall attain but a fragment of His matchless beauty. We cannot reproduce the glory of that incomparable Face. But when we depart from our little fragment of transfiguration, we shall look a moment afterward upon the Divine features, and, seeing Jesus — we shall transformed into His lovely image! "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is!" 1 John 3:2 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We are not saved by believing a creed "Do not be amazed that I said to you: You must be born again!" John 3:7 That which makes one a Christian, is not . . . the agreeing with Christ's teachings, the uniting with His Church, the adoption of His morals, the espousing of His cause — but the receiving of Him as our personal Lord and Savior, and entering into a covenant of eternal friendship with Him. We are not saved by believing a creed which gathers up in a few golden sentences, the essence of the truth about Christ's person and work — we must have the Christ Himself, whom the creed holds forth, in His radiant beauty and grace! Many people think that being a Christian is . . . to pray a few moments morning and evening, to read a daily chapter or two in the Bible, and to attend church on Sundays. These duties are important as means of grace — but they are not true religion. Real religion is living out the principles of Christianity in one's ordinary week-day life. It is getting the Bible and the prayers and the services — into our thoughts and acts and character. We must not cut our lives in two, and call one part secular, governing it by one set of principles — and regarding the other part as sacred, to be controlled by another set of rules. All of life is to be made sacred in the sense that everything is to be done in such a way as to please God, under the direction of His counsel. We have just as much true religion as we get into our week-day life, and not a whit more! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ What a man IS There are virtues, fruits of character, treasures, spoils of moral conquests — which men carry with them out of this world. Someone says, "The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to be buried, is character." This is true. What a man IS — survives him. It never can be buried. His character lingers about his home, when his footsteps come there no more. It lives in the community where he was known. And that same thing — what a man IS — he carries with him into the next life. Money and rank and circumstances and earthly gains, he leaves behind him — but his character, he takes with him into eternity! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ True religion is intensely practical A little girl, when asked what it was to be a Christian, replied, "For me to be a Christian is to live and behave just as Jesus would live and behave — if He were a little girl and lived at our house." No better definition of practical religion could be given. Each one of us is to live just as Jesus would, if He were living out our little life in the midst of its actual environment, mingling with the same people with whom we must mingle, and exposed to the very annoyances, trials, and temptations to which we are exposed. We need to live a life that will please God, and which will witness to the genuineness of our piety. True religion is intensely practical. Only so far as it dominates one's life, is it real. We must get the commandments down from the Sinaitic glory amid which they were first engraved on stone by the finger of God — and give them a place in the hard, dusty paths of our earthly toil and struggle. We must get them off the tables of stone — and have them written on the walls of our own hearts. We must bring the Golden Rule down from its bright setting in our Lord's 'Sermon on the Mount' — and get it wrought into our daily actual life! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Work out your own salvation "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" Philippians 2:12 Each one's battle must be a personal one. We may decline the struggle — but it will also be declining the joy of victory. No one can reach the summit — without arduously climbing the steep mountain. We cannot be carried up on another's shoulder. God does not put virtues and graces into our lives — as the jeweler sets gems in a ring. God does not automatically remove and replace our unholy and sinful elements — with holy ones. Through personal efforts, each must win his way through temptations, struggles and difficulties — to all noble attainments. The help of God is given in cooperation with our aspiration and energy. While God works in us — we are to work out our own salvation. "To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me!" Colossians 1:29 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Family devotions Hearts that are drawn together at God's feet every day in family devotions — cannot drift very far away from each other. The domestic frictions of the day are forgotten — when all voices mingle in the same heavenly song. As the tender words of Scripture fall with their gracious counsels — all feeling of unkindness melts away. The family altar in the midst — wondrously hallows and sweetens the whole home. Besides, the family altar . . . puts new strength into every heart, comforts all sorrows, is a shield against temptation, smoothes out the wrinkles of care, inspires strength for burden-bearing, quickens every holy sentiment, and keeps the fires of devotion burning on every heart's altar. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Life comes to us in such little bits "Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11 "As your days — so shall your strength be." Deuteronomy 33:25 We should be thankful that life comes to us in such little bits. We can always live one day well enough. We can always carry one day's burdens. We can always do one day's duties. We can always endure one day's sorrows. It is a blessing that one day is all that God ever gives us at a time. We should be thankful for the nights that cut off our tomorrows from our view, so that we cannot even see them until they dawn. The little days, nestling between the nights like quiet valleys between the hills, then seem so safe and peaceful. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own!" Matthew 6:34 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The questions should rather be "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." John 16:33 True victory is not found in escaping or evading trials — but in rightly meeting and enduring them. The questions should not be, "How can I get out of these worries? How can I get into a place where there shall be no irritations, nothing to try my temper, or put my patience to the test? How can I avoid the troubles which continually harass me?" There is nothing noble in such living. The soldier who flees when the battle approaches, is no hero; he is a coward. The questions should rather be, "How can I pass through these trying experiences — and not fail as a Christian? How can I endure these struggles — and not suffer defeat? How can I live amid these provocations, these reproaches and testings of my temper — and yet live sweetly, not speaking unadvisedly, bearing injuries meekly, returning gentle answers to insulting words?" "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be My son!" Revelation 21:7 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ God has three axes! God has three axes! One He uses in pruning His trees, that the fruitful branches may bring forth more fruit. The work of this axe is not judgment or destruction — but mercy and blessing. It is the good, the fruitful tree — which feels its keen edge. "Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2 Then God has another axe, which He uses only in judgment in cutting down those trees which after all His culture of them, bring forth no fruit. "The axe already lies at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit, will be cut down and thrown into the fire!" Matthew 3:10. The picture is very suggestive. The axe at the tree's root, or raised in the woodman's hand to strike — shows that judgment impends, hangs ready to fall. At any moment, the tree may be cut down! "Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil!" Luke 13:7 The axe of death really lies all the while, at the root of every life. There is not a moment when it is not true — that there is but a step between us and death! Life is all very critical. There is not a moment in any day, on which may not turn all the destinies of eternity. It certainly is an infinitely perilous thing, for an immortal soul to rest an hour with the axe of judgment waiting to strike the blow which will end the day of mercy forever! Only supremest folly can be blind men to such vital interests! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ An ox stands between an altar and a plough It is always a solemn hour when anyone stands before God and men, to make a public profession of Christ. The act is nothing less than the consecration of a human soul to Christ's service, for life or for death. On the seal of an old missionary society, an ox stands between an altar and a plough, and written below is the motto, "READY FOR EITHER!" That is, ready for sacrifice or for service. This should be the heart-motto in every public profession; it should be . . . a solemn devotement to Christ, an entire surrender to Him for obedience, duty and sacrifice; a consecration of the whole life to Christ and His service. Such consecration all have made, who have publicly given themselves to Christ. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A time to laugh! "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:13 "All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast!" Proverbs 15:15 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live." Ecclesiastes 3:12 "There is a time to weep — and a time to laugh; a time to mourn — and a time to dance" Ecclesiastes 3:4 There is no inconsistency between holiness and laughter. It is no sin to smile. Indeed, a somber religion is unnatural. Gloom is morbidness. Our lives should be sunny and songful. Christ's religion is joyous, even amid sorrows. We hear songs in the night. There is a flower which is most fragrant after the sun has set, and in the darkness pours its richest aroma on the air. Just so, true religion grows in sweetness — as the shadows deepen. He misrepresents Christianity and the likeness of the Master — whose piety is cold, dreary, cheerless, joyless, or who frowns upon innocent gladness and pure pleasures. Sanctified wit has a blessed mission. Life is so hard, so stern, with so many burdens and struggles — that there is need for all the bright words we can speak. The most wretched people in the world are those who go about in sackcloth, carrying all their griefs in their faces and casting dark shadows everywhere. Every Christian should be a happiness-maker. We need a thousand times more joy in our lives, than most of us get. We would be better men and women, if we were happier. "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." Proverbs 15:30 "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Proverbs 12:25 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The grace of forbearance "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Matthew 5:38-39 There are at least two motives which should be sufficient to lead us to cultivate the grace of forbearance. One is that no insult can do us harm — unless we allow it to irritate us. If we endure even the sorest words, as Jesus endured His wrongs and revilings — they will not leave one trace of injury upon us. They can harm us only when we allow ourselves to become impatient or angry. We can get the victory over them and utterly disarm them of power to do us injury — by holding ourselves superior to them. The feeling of resentment will change to pity — when we remember that not he who is wronged — but he who does the wrong, is the one who suffers. And to help in bearing with disagreeable people or those with unamiable qualities, there is nothing better than a sincere wish to do them good. "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13 "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This is a wonderful secret which all of us ought to learn! "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame!" Hebrews 12:2 "In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice. In the morning I will order my prayer to You and look up!" Psalm 5:3 This is a wonderful secret which all of us ought to learn: We should not think so much about the toil and hardness of the way — but to look beyond to the brightness of the end! It does not matter how rough the road is — if only it brings us HOME at last! Many of us go worrying all through this life, keeping our eyes always downcast on the path we are treading. We see all the troubles, the difficulties, and discouragements — but we never raise our eyes to see the joys and the eternal blessings which are waiting for us. We ought to learn this life-secret, which made Christ look past the shame and sorrow of His cross — and see the glory beyond. Learn to look up toward Heaven! Think of its joys and its blessedness — until earth's trials shall melt away in the brightness, and its griefs and losses are forgotten in the hopes of eternal glory! "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal!" 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition — into the likeness of His glorious body!" Philippians 3:20-21 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We might find it filled with sharp thorns under the flowers! "Then He said to them all: If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23 It is our own cross, and not some other man's — which we are to take up. It is the particular cross that God lays at our own feet, which we are to bear. We are never to make crosses for ourselves — but we are always to accept those which our heavenly Father has allotted to us. Each one's own cross — is the best for him. Sometimes we think that our circumstances are peculiarly hard, and we compare it with the circumstances of this or that other person, and wish we had his cross instead of our own. But we do not know what other people's crosses really are. If we did, we might not want to exchange. If we put that cross which seems woven of flowers on our shoulders — we might find it filled with sharp thorns under the flowers! That cross of gold which seems so bright — we would find so heavy that it would crush us! The easiest cross for each one of us to bear, is our own! "Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation which God called him to!" 1 Corinthians 7:24 "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in poverty. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength!" Philippians 4:11-13 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Our own imperfections unfit us for judging fairly "Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law." James 4:11 "And why do you look at the mote in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3 Our own imperfections unfit us for judging fairly. With beams in our own eyes — we cannot see clearly to pick motes out of our brother's eye. One of the qualities which make us incapable of impartial judgment of others, is envy. There are few of us who can see our neighbor's life, work, and disposition — without some warping and distortion of the picture. Envy has a strange effect on our moral vision. It shows the beautiful things in others, with the beauty dimmed. It shows the blemishes and faults in them, exaggerated. Then, the lack of personal experience in struggle and pain, makes many people incapable of sympathy with sorely afflicted ones. Those who have never known a care, nor felt the pinching of poverty — cannot understand the experiences of the poor. Thus in very many ways, we are unfitted to be judges of others. "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls." Romans 14:4 "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother?" Romans 14:10 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The subtle beginnings of self-indulgence! We do many things which to our own eyes appear innocent and harmless — but which have in them a hidden evil which we cannot see. We indulge ourselves in many things which do not appear sinful to us — but which leave on our soul a touch of blight, and a soiling of purity — of which we do not dream! We permit ourselves many little habits in which we see no danger — but which are silently entwining their invisible threads into a strong cable which may some day bind us hand and foot! We spare ourselves self-denials and sacrifices, thinking there is no reason why we should make them, unaware that we are lowering our standard of holy living, and permitting the subtle beginnings of self-indulgence to creep into our hearts! "Blessed is the man who does not . . . walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers!" Psalm 1:1 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Do it! "Whatever He says to you — do it!" John 2:5 How can we know what Jesus says? We cannot hear His voice as the servants at the wedding heard it. He speaks now to us in His Word, and the reverent heart may always hear what He says as the sacred pages are prayerfully pondered. He speaks in the conscience that is kept tender by loyal obeying. He speaks in the providence which brings the present duty to our hand. There never is any real uncertainty as to what He says, if we are truly intent on knowing His will. "Whatever He says to you — do it!!" It is the doing which is important. We should never ask questions nor make suggestions, when Jesus has spoken — the one thing for us is obedience. We should never ask what the consequences may be, or what it may cost us — we are simply to obey. Jesus knows why He wants us to do the thing — and that should be reason enough for us. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We could not make the angels happy "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water — and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water!" Jeremiah 2:13 The human soul cannot be satisfied with any of earth's good things. This is not the fault of the things of earth — they are good and beautiful, in their own way and in their own place. But the soul is spiritual and immortal. Money and fame and power — can never be food for a soul made in the Divine image; nothing less than God Himself can answer its cravings.

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Christian Character

J.R. Miller

J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)

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