Iron Sharpens Iron

“God understands that the conduct of a man will never outperform the content of his character, because conduct is an expression of character. One precedes the other. Or viewed another way, if we want change, we need character to pull it off.” Every Man, God’s Man pg. 40

Conduct is an expression of character... It’s like your checkbook is an expression of your bank account. You have to have money in the account to cash the check. Checks not connected to a bank account have no value whatsoever. Why do we think it works any different in our lives?

When you asked God to bless you, to enlarge your borders, when you asked God to give you big dreams and to make you the man He created you you to be, when you asked God to bless you financially so you could be a steward of his resources, when you asked God to help you be a good father, husband or friend, when you asked God to help you love others as you love yourself... He agreed to help. The thing is His help did not come in the way you expected it. Rather than waving his magic wand He did something we would never ever do willingly. He enrolled you into his Character Development Class.

We serve a God who values character more than our comfort, just ask Job from the Bible. We have to accept that sometimes His best for us is hard, very hard, that his goal is the refinement of our character and that ultimately He is good whether we can see it in the present circumstances or not.

Guys if we want great things for our lives we have to allow God to build up our bank account to be ready to cash those great things when the time comes.

Luke put it another way...

Luke 6:43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Amen, Have an awesome weekend!

Rob