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NOBLE CHARACTER
"Sow a thought, reap an action;
Sow an action, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What does it mean to have a noble character? Webster defines "noble" as the act of possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties; and, character is defined as having moral excellence and firmness; a person marked by notable or obvious traits. Therefore, a person possessing a "noble character" must live in a way that demonstrates high moral qualities. It requires a paradigm shift in our character from the way that we were to the way that we wish to be.

The standard for a noble character was clearly illustrated by the life of Jesus. When we profess to live a Christ-centered life, we will demonstrate the noble character of Christ. The life of Jesus exemplified the good and perfect will of God. When we allow God to transform our character, we will be new creatures. However, we will never be totally fixed. There will be times when we will go through periods where our character may be less than noble. We were born into a world of sin and we are powerless to walk in the perfect will of God all of the time. We will make mistakes because we are not perfect. God realized we were a sinner that is the reason God sent his son to deliver us from sin and to give us a perfect example to follow. When Jesus died for our sins, we are able to call upon his name when we need guidance or when we face challenges that will call our character into question.
Our character can be changed, but we are powerless to change ourselves. Our character must be transformed from the inside out. This transformation can only occur when we put our faith and trust in the Almighty. It is important to understand that everyone's character can be changed. There are no character issues that are too hard for God to change. But, we must be willing to trust God with the transformation.

A person's character cannot be changed from the outside in. Instead, a person's character can only be changed from the inside out. This means external forces or external stimuli cannot "force" a person to change their character. If attempts are made to change a person's character based on external stimuli, the change will not last. The primary reason motivational seminars, pep rallies, sermons, and self-help programs fail to facilitate sustainable change is because the goal is to fix the problem by tossing informational "life rafts" around the room. The problem

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