Do Everything For God - Changing your Character

We were created to worship him. In everything we do we have to do our best.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

— Colossians 3:23–24 ESV

Whether in a job, a hobby, or giving help to someone — it isn't why you are doing something that changes, it's how you approach it. If you approach it with excellence, you get excellence back as the fruit. What you put in is what you get out.

The Law of Sowing and Reaping

God put a universal law in place:

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

— Galatians 6:7–9 ESV

This applies to anyone — believer or non-believer.

When we shift our minds from "I want to get benefits, take, take, take" to "What can I do to help you? How can I best be of use here?" — this is where the serving mindset begins. Jesus was a servant leader. He didn't need anything, yet he lived his life as the example of how we should live.

The Waterfall Effect

If you are having a hard time shifting your mindset, remember this:

Thoughts become Words. Words become Actions. Actions become your Habits. Habits become your Character.

Our goal is to take on the character of Jesus. He is our light, our example. Once you are a believer, a process called sanctification begins — where the things of the world slowly start having less "flavor." They don't attract you as much. You push this process forward through the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

(Sanctification: When you are saved through your faith in Jesus Christ, something great starts happening. The fruit that grows in you because of your salvation is the works that come out of you. Faith = Salvation. The fruit of your salvation is the work that comes out.)

Reverse Engineering Your Character

We can reverse engineer this process by going backward:

• To change your character → change your habits
• To change your habits → change your actions
• To change your actions → change your words
• To change your words → change your thoughts

The amazing thing is that by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, a measure of the Holy Spirit is now in you. This is where taking thoughts captive begins.

A Framework for Each Step

Thoughts — If my thoughts don't please God, take them captive and rebuke them.

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." — 2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

Words — If my words don't please God, don't say it.

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." — Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Actions — If my actions don't please God, don't do it.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." — James 1:22 ESV

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." — 2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

Habits — If my habits don't please God, change them.

"Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control." — 1 Corinthians 9:25–27 ESV

Character — If my character doesn't please God, die to self and give the throne back to God.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." — 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

"Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." — Ephesians 4:22–24 ESV