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Jul 14,  2021

 

This year on the Drove, we planted seeds, placed them in soil, and put them in our newly built greenhouse to provide them with the perfect environment to grow into starter plants. When the time came to transplant them into the ground, Lee tilled the soil and we all pitched in to replant them. This was done with specific methods for each type of plant to help ensure that they would take root and begin to grow. From here, Lee began the watering process and dad began cultivating the soil. The goal was to produce a good crop. In order to help make sure that we had plants that produced both a high quantity and high quality of fruits and veggies, dad composted. He utilized compost from our compost piles to fertilize the ground, and he went a step further by creating compost teas to continue to feed the growth. The process has been highly successful, and we are seeing a tremendous amount of produce. Granted we have lost some to varmints, but that is an entirely different subject.

 

Recently, God has been speaking to me about a different kind of growth. I’m quite sure that you, like myself, have heard countless messages or done a number of studies on growing the Fruit of the Spirit, but that is not what I am going to talk about. Although, there is without doubt a connection to such growth that I’m sure you will draw on your own. Instead, however; I am going to talk about growth of character. Which, in connection with the fruits, I believe to be where we exhibit them. For example, we could say that several of the fruits are displayed in the character trait of humility. It also occurs to me that character is something that has to be cultivated in order for it to be rooted, and that is what God has been speaking to me about.

 

I am going to do my best to explain the thought process that He has been taking me through in regards to cultivating character, but I readily admit that I am still learning and am simply sharing some present revelations. Let’s begin by looking at a tangible example. When we meet someone, we begin assessing the type and extent of relationship we may or may not want to have with them. Hopefully, when doing so, we are wise enough to realize that character counts and so we begin assessing what type of character they have and what we value in regards to character. Let’s stick with the already used example of humility. Humility or humbleness is without doubt a Godly characteristic. With that being said, it’s something we should look for and value in both ourselves and others, but what occurred to me recently is that when assessing our character and the character of others, it is equally important to not only assess what character trait is present but also what the depth of that character truly is.

 

Maybe you are like myself and at this point you wonder how do we truly measure depth of character? Whether we are measuring our own depth or that of others. I would say that one way we do so is by paying attention to our actions. In regards to humility for example, how do we/they behave or respond to circumstances that require us/them to admit when we are wrong or when we don’t know something? Are we able to say I’m sorry, I was wrong, or maybe it's I’m not sure, or I know nothing about that, or that’s not really my area of expertise?

 

As I began praying over this and pondering, I also began to ask the Lord what is necessary to cultivate character that is truly rooted. I did so because it also occurred to me that just because an individual is able to say those things doesn’t always mean that they act in those things. Back to our example, maybe in a certain circumstance I have said, “Oops, that’s on me. I didn’t do that the way I should have, or I was wrong”, but then what? Did I have the depth of character to go beyond the lip service of admitting I was wrong, or did I merely appear humble without roots? In other words, do I appear to possess a certain character without truly allowing that character to forge how I live and respond, and if so, what can I do to cultivate that character so that it is genuinely a part of who I am? It is here that it occurred to me that I should pay attention to mindset.

 

In the world of education, we talk about growth verses fixed mindsets. The connection for me in this was that a person with true humility is not one who merely appears humble or speaks humbly, but rather one who behaves humbly and that the mindset they possess is what will in fact cultivate a bumper crop of actions that walk out humility. In other words, I can say I’m sorry a million times, I can say I’m not very good at that, but if that’s all I do my character is mediocre at best. In fact, sometimes what appears to be humility can indeed be false humility which produces a ton of rotten fruit. Things like manipulation, codependency, self-loathing, insecurity, and probably others are often the result of an ingenuine humility or a lack of understanding of true humility, and such things serve no good purpose in our lives or the lives of others. It’s like a student who says, “I’m just not good at (fill in the blank with whatever)” but then does nothing about that. That’s what we call a fixed mindset. Instead, we try to teach them to say, “I’m just not good at that, yet.” This is what we call a growth mindset, so rather than accepting their weakness as something that limits them and getting down on themselves or excusing themselves from doing the work, they learn that with patience and perseverance they can overcome their deficits.

 

As a teacher, I have seen students shift mindsets and find success that breeds confidence and builds into growth mindset and actual growth, but not all students choose to do so. It is important here to note, that when it comes to others, we can invest in cultivating, but the reality is that we cannot produce character or shift a mindset in anyone but ourselves. That is a work that only God can do, and He requires willing submission to the process. I’ve told students countless times, “I can teach you these things, but you have to apply them in order to see the results.” I must say, I feel like God has told me that a time or two as well.

 

At this point, you may be wondering what’s the gist here. I will say that I’m not entirely sure, but what I do know is this, God is working within me to bring about a discernment regarding the measure of true character; both within myself and within others, and I know that requires cultivating that growth and implementing a growth mindset. Before you go thinking that measuring another’s character sounds like judgement, let me say that there is a difference in judging and discerning. It is indeed important to discern truth and sometimes we have to accept that some things are facts. It doesn’t mean we don’t love or pray for or any of that, but it may mean we don’t yoke ourselves or that we set boundaries (which is especially hard for me as an empath and child of God who understands that behind actions or lack of is often bondage, pain, and unhealed brokenness), but I have learned (sometimes painfully) that like I said earlier, we cannot change such things in others even when our heart truly desires to help them see for their own freedom and abundance of life.

What we can do however, is cultivate our own depth of character, and as always, the bible gives us insight into how we can do this. There are many scriptures that speak to the things we can do, and if you have a few that come to mind I would love for you to share them with me, but the two I will leave you with are these, “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Phillipians 2:5) and “Take captive every thought as unto God” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

 

Until next time, I pray that the Lord will increase both our wisdom and discernment and produce much fruit and growth in our lives.

 

~ Jennie ~