Character Development – Transitioning to 2025

We made it to the last week of 2024 🥁🥁🥁glory to God in the highest! Thank God for His grace and mercies over our lives since the year began.

As we prepare for the New Year, one of our guest bloggers, Vicky, shares a message with us. Please, keep reading.

2024 is wrapping up and I know a lot of us have started taking stock, deliberately or unintentionally. Every year’s end, things around us start reminding us of what has worked, where we “failed” and places we need to brace up for the future. Since I accepted that I had become an adult in 2020 (lol), I realized that only Jesus would lay down His life to save me, so I needed to work on myself. At any point you are on your journey- the highs, the lows, or in-betweens, God is calling you to be more, to build Godly character.

One of my favourite Bible verses is Rom 5:1-5 (especially vs 3-5)

Character is typically spoken about in absolutes with no room for growth. Everyone loves the finished work of perfection, but the thing with character building is that it doesn’t stop. You will hear someone say that’s her character, either positively or negatively about a person’s actions. Truth is, it is forged over time, in and through different situations. Character is built in consistency- whatever I consistently do, however I consistently react, whichever I consistently choose- I BECOME. So, as we get to the end of the year, the main focus should be on reflecting and auditing our character this year- who was I in 2024, what did I easily slip into when things did not go my way, what was my reaction to good and bad things. In summary, how would I rate my strength of character and love walk, in line with Romans 5?

From Rom 5, God is asking us to choose to find His peace, joy, contentment, through our journeying with Him. The stress and challenges are working to build a formidable “tempered steel of virtue” (MSG translation) keeping us alert for whatever God will do next (in hope). 2024 may have been the best year yet for you or been the worst or been full of ups and downs, well, in 2025, we go again in faith. The Message bible translation puts it this way:

"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide-open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!”- Rom 5:1-5

It is as simple as this, enter into 2025, throwing open the doors to God again in faith. When we come, we get to understand that God has always been there waiting to be accepted in consistency with His character. Waiting to refine you into the person He desires you to be through the journey. You will find that in the centre of His will, you will be unafraid of winds and waves, gain new capacity, fear no troubles, and trust & obey!

When we come to God, we find Jehovah Rehoboth- the God in the business of opening spaces and making room for us to prosper and be fruitful- Gen 26:22 (read it), despite any conflict, contention or challenge happening around. If in simple faith we trust God in our daily choices in 2025, if we choose God, we can develop a character that is strengthened to weather any storms. However, the best part is, we find GOD-REST for our souls and that peace of God that saturates and stands guard over our hearts- Phil 4:7 (AMPC)

If you are not yet born again, how about throwing open the door of your life to let God in? He’s been waiting patiently to come in. Please say this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I accept you today as my Lord and personal Saviour. I confess that I have sinned, please forgive me. By your blood, cleanse me from every unrighteousness. Thank you for the new life you have given me, help me to serve you all the days of my life. Ultimately, please help me make it to eternity with you, in Jesus name. Amen