Character—it’s who a person is when no one is looking. Or when they are. Take your pick. A man or woman of character will be the same in or out, exposed or hidden.
If I’ve learned anything while raising my children, I’ve learned IT’S HARD WORK! And constant work. This is not a neat little 3-point project. No ma’am! This is a day in, day out, pulling weeds, tenderly loving, gently rebuking, calmly exhorting (well, mostly calmly!) profession.
Every confrontation, every bad attitude, every failure (particularly ours!) bears the opportunity to imprint the image of Christ onto their souls…how are we doing? This is my biggest concern about so many absent parents–who is going to teach them character?
Growing children of character is much like tending a garden, or keeping a sapling upright as it grows. It’s not something we can just stop in every now and then and check on progress. It’s tedious. It’s all the time.
Their character will be formed in one direction or the other, either by deliberate attention or by abdication. Let’s be deliberate!
Browse the list below, and use it as a practical, mental “check list” as you encourage your children to be men and women of character.
49 Character Qualities
Alertness, Attentiveness, Availability, Benevolence, Boldness, Cautiousness,Compassion, Contentment, Creativity, Decisiveness, Deference, Dependability, Determination, Diligence, Discernment, Discretion, Endurance, Enthusiasm, Faith, Flexibility, Forgiveness, Generosity, Gentleness, Gratefulness, Honor, Hospitality, Humility, Initiative, Joyfulness, Justice, Loyalty, Meekness, Obedience, Orderliness, Patience, Persuasiveness, Punctuality, Resourcefulness, Responsibility, Security, Self-Control, Sensitivity, Sincerity, Thoroughness, Thriftiness, Tolerance, Truthfulness, Virtue, Wisdom
