Developing a Godly Character
Posted by aaronjen | Filed under Books, Theology
Semester 2 is well and truly under way now and one of the requirements for my Theology course is to take part in a Supervised Experienced Based Learning (SEBL) unit each semester. Last semester I was in a group on “Discipling and Mentoring Women” and it was by far the most enjoyable learning experience of its type that I’ve had here at Bible college. So this semester I’m in another women’s group on “Developing a Godly Character” with most of the women who were in my group from last semester (except the facilitator who is on sabbatical), plus a new facilitator and some women from her group last semester. We’re going to be working through Bill Hybels’ book, Who You are When No One’s Looking, each week looking at a different character trait he identifies in order to fill out the picture of what a Godly character looks like and how to develop ours more fully. So, I thought for a bit of fun, I might take the opportunity to share via a series of posts my thoughts and reflections as I work through the book.
But firstly, we were asked to prepare for the unit by completing this questionnaire on “Assessing Your Christian Character”, and my results made me feel, quite frankly, horrible, thinking I must be a very negative person and not very Christian. But then, having compared my results with the traits listed in Hybels’ book, I noticed there seems to be no place for appropriate anger or lament for a Christian (something that was a major theme in my Psalter class last semester and has opened my eyes to its absence in the Church). I think sometimes these sorts of books can be so ‘pie in the sky’ and so divorced from the reality of the here and now, a world of fallen human beings where bad things happen and are experienced, which concerns God and should concern us.
I’m not sure how I’ll feel by the end of this book, but right now I have my qualms about it been too ‘seeker sensitive’ (as Hybels notes in his Introduction that it for both Christians and non-Christians, p10) that it won’t be that applicable to our Bible college setting. The reviews of the book on Amazon.com contribute to this initial impression. Of special concern was the comment in one review that this book can help you achieve the things ‘which lead to a successful and contented life’. On the contrary, I think we need to have ‘holy discontent’ – sure we have the good news, but that doesn’t separate us from the reality of a fallen world. We’re not on that side of eternity yet. We can’t just put on our blinders and pretend all is right with the world. I think one of the ways the Holy Spirit guides us is by clueing us in to the injustices of the world, ways in which we can contribute to building God’s kingdom now. I agree with Hybels when he says our character is who we are when no one’s looking (pp7-8), but I also think that Christians need to constantly be on the lookout to ensure we’re not being dualistic. - JRR
Tags: anger, Assessing Your Christian Character, Bible College, Bill Hybels, character, dualism, holy discontent, injustice, lament, SEBL, seeker sensitive, Supervised Experienced Based Learning, Who You are When No One's Looking
