This is a good post but the "how to" of character development is not mentioned. Maybe Skye assumes that all who read here know what to do and just aren't doing it.

Character devevelopment happens through obedience to God's Word; and that is no different for a pastor than for the layperson. It can only happen if one spends time reading the Bible with a clean heart. Then the work of changing the heart (which the Bible tells us is "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" Jer. 17:9) is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. And knowing that I cannot accomplish 'ministry' that pleases God in my own strength is such a releif. It's easy to forget that Paul planted, Apollos watered "but God gave the increase". This passage of Scripture in the 3rd chapter of I Corinthians certainly clarifies one's own importance and gives real insight to the building of character.

Thanks for the post.

These are great thoughts for all leaders everywhere. Regardless of the size of your church or position in ministry, to minister from an empty soul has devastating consequences.

As one who left ministry for four years because of an empty soul and life, I agree with the need for spiritual care... I would also add the need for a 'corporate' aspect to this with a 'soul friend' and/or 'soul group' to help navigate the internal journey together... that is what I realized that I needed during my four year wilderness experience
Thank you for the post.

Thanks for the coverage of this message by Dave. I sat under his teaching for 4 years at Church of the Open Door while in College and grew much from his concern for teaching the word in a way that produces disciples and not just gathering a crowd. I have always found the Spirit to be mightly at work in this man and through this man.

I have found over the years that what was important was that Jesus Loves me , not that I loved Jesus.

He has always been my support group even when I didn't go to one. He has shown me that because He is not a deficit, I am not one either.

As I read once... If God is not everywhere, He is not anywhere.

We start out wanting a " I and it " relationship because we were dead things. Jesus comes along and now it's a very scary thing this " I and thou " relationship because that is new to us.

As with Moses and the burning bush, we can not enter the presence of god with our sandals on or any man made conception of walking on Holy ground. We never meet God in the past or future... only in the moment.

Richard, while I appreciate your intent and words I think we dare not forget how important to God it is that we love him in return. This is called the greatest commandment. There is power for living in God's love but it is activated more fully by the Holy Spirit when that love is returned. It is simply an incomplete circuit for God's love to stop at me. The complete circuit is from God to me to God and others.

My friend leoskeo, I too appreciate your intent and words and also your concern.

The Life of Christ as revealed by Him to me over the years, has shown me that without Him I can do nothing. Yes, I can't even Love God without Him. I am fully dependent upon Him even for that privilege. That is why I say that what matters is that Jesus Loves me since I was bought with a price.

And as far as Loving God... what about Paul willing to be banished from His presence that He might save some.

To me, to fully realize what matters is that Jesus Loves us is to see Jesus as the switch in the circuit.

Perhaps we have the same common ground my friend if you can Amen this beloved statement by a dear friend of mine talking about Jesus Christ.

"It can not be, that any creature see Him as He is and not desire Him."

I can't keep any commandments other than the commandment keeper in me... that is, He's welcome at this house and I trust that he's at home. I eat the fatted calf not because I asked for forgiveness from the Father, but that he forgave me.

Thank you.

Someone wrote:

"Character development happens through obedience to God's Word; and that is no different for a pastor than for the layperson."

This is one of the great myths of the Evangelical era. Character formation does NOT happen by reading a book alone- no matter how inspired it may be.

For character formation to take place one must walk in the footsteps of others who have gained practical, Godly wisdom through a life of sacrifice and service.

Following in the footsteps of others. This is key. That was true for the disciples following Jesus. And it is true for us today in 21st century America.

For discipleship you need discipline. And for discipline you need accountability. And for accountability you need community.

Period.

You can read the Bible as much as you want. But without these added ingredients "Christlikening" will not happen.

Darren says, "You can read the Bible as much as you want. But without these added ingredients [following in the footsteps of others] "Christlikening" will not happen."

Just out of curiosity, upon what authority do you make this statement and in who's footsteps shall we follow?

Apparently you failed to read the rest of my comment; the part about the clean heart and the work of the Holy Spirit?

Good thoughts Richard, I think we have to remember it matters to God we love him. He wants that a lot, so much so at to command it. We agree together on this and discuss the "how" in getting t be that kind of friend to Jesus.

Darren, Totally agree but my perspective is that if we read our bibles and and don't do our bibles we will cave no community. If we build a community without the truth of scripture we have a community that lacks the God designed ability to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

To often we see bible study as an action to check off rather than a moment with our creator designed to teach us about his heart and desire in this world and how that desire is best accomplished. I know you know this.

Success to me is to be in connection with the Father and then to live out as Jesus did the doing whatever the Father wants done, saying what the Father wants said and loving who the Father wants loved. Success is to do this in community with others and to get as many people in that community doing this as well.

I've got to put a plug in for Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline". Perhaps some of you are familiar? I've done some outlines/study guides on the material for a class I taught -- see link on my name.

"Celebration" taught me much about how transformation into Christlikeness can happen in the midst of our busy modern lives. As the post says, it can happen, but it is not a quick process, but an ongoing relationship. (Not so popular in a "superficial" age of instant gratification where we're very resistant to the idea that we need to spend time and dig deeper.)

"Celebration" is not a light read, but worth the efffort to work through, and full of practicial information on how to pursue spiritual disciplines -- those things that we do to put us in a place where God can work through us and accomplish what we cannot do through our own efforts alone. To grow as a disciple implies you will practice disciplines, and I think it has to begin with the inward journey (ourselves) and then spread outward (to others).

A little more deep is Dallas Willard's "Spirit of the Disciplines". If Foster explains how to do disciplines, Willard explains more about why we should do them.

Both authors have been extremely impactful on my formation.

ALAN

I really appreciated this post, even if it doesn't address the "how to's" as one commenter put it.

sanctification is the word most of the church ignores...pastors who boldly teach this are often attacked spiritually and naturally....due to the simple nature of humans not wanting anyone to tell them what to do or how to live their lives...for the pastor or leader who diligently applies this biblical truth there is much blessing..altho in the natural it may seem not so apparent...but God is pleased...because they have chosen to teach the knowledge of God that mulitplies peace and grace...as peter wrote in his second epistle...the knowledge...epignosis...of God is the key to recieving this promise of God...character will naturally flow through this application of Gods word....†

Meoldy wrote:

"Just out of curiosity, upon what authority do you make this statement and in who's footsteps shall we follow?"

AND...

Apparently you failed to read the rest of my comment; the part about the clean heart and the work of the Holy Spirit?"

RESPONSE: I definitely agree with your comment about the work of the Holy Spirit. Clearly, the entire process is pointless without the initiative and overseeing work of the Spirit.

As far as your question about under what upon what authority I make this statement about how "Christlikening" happens, I'd say that early Church history teaches us this both implicitly and explictly. Obviously, early on- during the explosive growth of the Church, there was no final NT- just a group of believers "doing life together" (on much more than Sunday mornings by the way) through an apostolic passing down of wisdom.

As far as who we should follow- well, as I said, mature believers who are seasoned in the way of Jesus. If that's not defined enough for you, I'm sorry. Honestly, rigid modernistic boundaries just don't apply here. But again, this is exactly how the early Church grew to become such a vital, growing force.

Faith as often seen is considered a " religious " activity whereas in the image of God every creature steers it's course.

Not one conscious response is out of the realm of Faith and so we are told to "seek ye first", "ask and it shall be given you", "consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God" The ongoing fight between the black dog and the white dog is the Lord's and a divided kingdom can not stand."

We are in relationship with God our father through God the Son, by God the Holy Spirit... sounds like a winning combination to me. Jesus died for us because He love us... now He goes about proving it.

In my own recent spiritual journey, I found my soul sickened by the dichotomy between the projected "hologram" of my pastoral self and my actual inner-self - where I was yearning for deeper transformation, sanctification, character formation. My spiritual renaissance got a kick-start from a secular, yet deeply spiritual read: Robert Quinn's "Deep Change". On eof Quinn's premisies is that there is no REAL corporate change that is not preceded by REAL perosnal change. I am concluding that the transformational implications for me, my ministry, and the Body of Christ which I serve, are even greater than the potential impact on the intended secular corporate leaders/institutions. If you find yourself experiencing the same haunting yearnings I have had, read "Deep Change". You won't be sorry.

Very good post.

Why do we feel the pressure to choose external reputation and success rather than internal character and formation? The problem is age-old. It becomes more important to please people rather than God. Scriptures in John 12, Acts 4, and Galatians 1 and 2 as well as many other Old and New Testament scriptures all reveal that Bible people struggled with this.
We have talked much of the flesh and the devil as being enemies but not enough about the enemy of the world. What is the world? The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. This is not only drinkin', smokin', and partyin, but the forbidden fruit of self-exaltation. This temptation can blind us and cloud our calling and purpose.
If the internal is more important than the external, then we must answer the "what" to do (discipline, Bible study, prayer,etc) but "why" we do it (please God, dance for an audience of One!). Otherwise the "what" may be done for the wrong reasons.

Darren, I submit to you that a person can live a life of 'sacrifice and service' and be completely unsaved. The apostle Paul comes to mind (he required more than just words to get his act together, though).

The passing down
of 'apostolic' wisdom is what the New Testament IS. And there are no apostles recognized by anyone in church history beyond the original twelve. I know just as much what they said as any believers since the first century. So do you. And it is through the knowlege of what is in those letters and books, in conjunction with the OT, that the Holy Spirit is able to work in us. Any person who does not have a significant understanding of the Bible is not a reliable source for spiritual formation. And even some people who are very knowlegable of the Bible are brillant at twisting meaning. If a person doesn't know the book for themself, they could be vulnurable to misinformation, don't you think?

So I reiterate my original statement that "character development happens in obedience to God's Word". Do you not believe that the New Testament is just as much God's Word to man as the OT is?

Melody, not taking the bible disrespectfully but in a sense it almost seems that you are saying that what is important is the relationship we have with the bible rather than the person, the risen Jesus Christ and His mind that Paul talks about having.

I think that you will agree that somewhere down the avenue God shows us the futility of trying to live the Life. He so wonderfully emphasizes at some point that if there is any Life in us... it's Christ.

There is a sheering from the world, we are in it but not of it. That is what the Person Jesus Christ does for us, we become aware that we are in Love with a Person not with what we know of a book. This is what separates us from religion and all the trying that religion brings on.

Our chief concern is our first Love, the Person Jesus Christ as He reveals our marriage to Him at His expense. For this reason shall a man leave his mother and father...etc.

If Christ's life can be counterfeited even to a small degree than Christ died in vain. This is how we can tell Life from death.

Richard, please quote any words I have written here where you could even romotely construe that I believe one's relationship to the Bible is more important than one's relationship to the One whom the Bible is about. Even your chastising of me is wrapped up in loose quotes of the Bible.

I'ts amazing how bloggers can read things into someone's words that aren't there. I thought my original comment at the top of this page was dirt simple. The resulting conversation has become quite convoluted. Richard says, "I think that you will agree that somewhere down the avenue God shows us the futility of trying to live the Life." This in response to my having said, "And knowing that I cannot accomplish 'ministry' that pleases God in my own strength is such a releif." How are these two views different? What did I miss?

Melody. I do apologize for any discomfort that I may have caused you in my writing what I did. It was not intended so. I see now that I used you as a platform in venting my frustration in what may seem to me at times as an educated gospel rather than an all encompassing one.

I thought that my writing "But in a sense it almost seems that you are saying" took the focus off of you and into the generality of the point that I was trying to imply basically of the "Simplicity" of the Gospel without which we are short of a 24/7 living savior.

The statement " I think that you will agree..." was my pointing out that I was acknowledging a shoulder to shoulder walk in the only Life there is.

Thank you for writing back Melody since it has been a lesson learned for me. Once again thank you.