BUILDING GODLY CHARACTER – Part 2 – Diligently Seek God

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). KJV

DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD

Loved ones, as seen from the above text, the saying is true that “God saved us to change us.” As
Christians, we are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We therefore are to become “living
sacrifices” as our mind (or character) is renewed and transformed.

We must be concerned about our character because we represent Jesus. We are His children (Galatians
3:26)… His ONE body (Ephesians 4:4)… His church (Matthew 16:18-19)… His kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

In Hebrews 11:6 we read, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." In this passage we
have two important concepts: faith, and a reward to those who diligently seek God.

To have Godly character, we must first believe in and seek God. Paul wrote that the God who made the
world and all things therein, gives to all life, and breath, and all things. He therefore has determined that
His human creation “should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be
not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:24-28).

How many really take Jesus at His word in Matthew 6:33? He says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." It takes faith to make this
passage a truism. Anyone who does not earnestly believe that God can solve problems is lacking in faith.

What is your goal in life? The goal you seek will reveal your character. Is your goal all about money? The
unbelievers in America and throughout the world seek, trust and depend on their education, labor skill,
moneymaking ability, and other resources. For a Christian to seek after and trust in God as Jesus
commanded is foreign to them.

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Thankfully, we have learned from Moses: “17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of
mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that
giveth thee power to get wealth…” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

This means that the believer must realize that God “allows" us to get our wealth. We certainly get the
education and go to work every day, but it is God who gives us the power to do what we do. As you seek
after God, your character must be one of faithfulness to the Father in small or large things.

Hopefully, your goal is more than to make money. Hopefully, it is to always do the right thing, for not
doing the right thing is sin (James 4:17). God is ever present to bless you, so be mindful of your personal
relationship with Him. He sees your every movement and knows your every thought and motive.

We learn from the wise King Solomon to “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Many people, even some who call themselves Christians, are actually afraid to trust in God. Why?
Because we cannot see Him with our physical eyes. There has to be a beginning of trust in our lives.

Maybe you started your spiritual journey with a God given amount of faith, but time and circumstances
eroded your faith, or you got caught up in "worldly" activities and lust that choked your faith and never
allowed you to go on to a deeper faith.

Faith is built just like constructing a building— one nail, one brick, one wall at a time. Your trust, your
faith, comes from a sincere study of the Bible, the true word of God (John 17:17). When your eyes open
and you begin to see the blessings God sends for your obedient Godly character, it builds your trust.

When a healing takes place, more trust is built. When a persecution or trial works out for your good
(Romans 8:28), more trust is built. Just like a physical building, we keep growing by building character
blocks every day of our lives. We have to learn and believe that it is God who provides for us under all
circumstances.

The Holy Spirit says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the
Father of lights…” (James 1:17). When we actually see and acknowledge God working in our lives, our
faith grows and increases.

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We have to make a conscious effort to remember God and His providence and secret intervention on
our behalf. With our eyes we only see this physical world we live in, the buildings we work in, and the
money derived from our labor. Yet, in the background God has us all in His hand. We have the duty to
bring Him to the forefront and give Him the acknowledgement He deserves.

When we forget God, our faith diminishes. When we stay away from worship services and Bible classes
our faith subsides. Remember, "Faith comes by hearing the word of God," said the apostle Paul (Romans
10:17). Faith is not built in a vacuum. We need activity to develop faith. Abraham is the father of the
faithful because he was willing to travel three days to Mount Moriah and sacrifice his son because God
asked him to do it (Genesis 22).

When unemployment and other disappointments come your way, then it's time to seek and trust God.
God will show you how He cares for you as He does the entire world (1 Peter 5:7). When you or a loved
one are terribly sick, you will surely call on God, but why not practice "seeking" Him even before tragedy
occurs?

Attend all your church services; remember who gives you your wealth; recognize God's power to deliver
you out of adversity; “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Remember that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. God really
wants us to find Him, discover who He is, and learn what His plan is all about.

There is no greater satisfaction than to diligently search for something and then find it. God wants us to
experience just that feeling of contentment in finding Him and trusting Him to be there for us whenever
we need help or encouragement. God wants to reward us for all we do to His glory. King David wanted
to build a permanent tabernacle for God, and God was impressed with David's gesture of recognition to
God.

We as parents want our children to remember us on special occasions. Our mates really appreciate
recognition when it comes unexpectedly. Sometimes we may find the mate asking, "Okay, what did you
do wrong?" This is probably an indication that we do not express appreciation of mates, children, and
other family members as much as we ought to.

This is especially true with God. He wants recognition! He wants us to search for Him! He really enjoys
our search, much like a child likes to find the "hider" in playing "hide and seek"! However, God does not
really hide from us, but He does want us to make the effort to find out how magnificent He really is.
Discovery is a rewarding experience. God sees to it that we are really rewarded for finding Him.

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Unfortunately, we often delay the search for God until we are in dire need and have no place else to go.
This is the often repeated story of the Israelites who sought God when they were enslaved and forgot
Him when times were good.

When we have found Him we can call on Him every day of our lives. Should disaster befall us, we are
already in touch with Him, and the search will not be long at all. The constant contact with God may also
prevent us from falling into a disastrous situation. So, there is every reason to have faith and seek God.
In your Godly character development, grow in faith and diligently seek God so you can experience the
heart-warming feeling of finding Him. To be continued with Part 3…Produce Fruit And Be Profitable.

To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for
me and my wife, Cynthia, and the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are
praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel.