Being-Haved

Think on this…our whole lived we are told to behave. This is the goal of all children, to act in a way as to not bring shame on your parents. I remember times when I was misbehaving and someone would tell me ‘I’m telling your mom’. That would often be just the encouragement I needed to act better. That was the problem, I was acting, I wasn’t actually better I was just trying to perform well. You could find me later doing the very same things. It was an issue of Character verses Behavior.

Behavior is what you see when people try to live up to cultural norms. Character is who you are when no one is looking. It’s the seat of your moral center. You can alter behavior, but your underlying Character will eventually present itself. Whether good or bad your character will ultimately breakthrough. We are not usually taught how to develop those inner attributes to ensure good character. Internally do we not only understand why we are to behave, but are we in agreement. That is when we start to touch approach the inward character.

If we learn to deal with our character then our habits change automatically not the other way around. Nothing just happens. The issue is often that we have refused or neglected to deal with our character. The bible says, “For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! … First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.” Matt 23:25-27 I am learning to work on the person within, and I encourage you to do the same…Just a thought.