The Depth of Your Character

Hey, this is Tim, and welcome to the Student Life Podcast, where we explore the everyday challenges and big questions of life through a biblical lens while navigating the realities of a secular world. Enjoy. Yo, what up, family? So this is your host Tim Pratt Jr., and we're gonna get into character today. Like, it— the— we're gonna get into it today. Uh, matter of fact, the title of this episode is The Depth of Your character. And before we get into the content per se of it, I truly believe character is who leads, whether you're in a faith-based or the secular sense, just in general. And to my strong faith-based audience, uh, you might be saying, well, Tim, what about the power of the Holy Spirit? Holy Spirit is who leads us. He is who prompts us. He is who we should consistently surrender to. And I don't disagree with that at all. I believe that the Holy Spirit helps shape our character. Matter of fact, we should be the leading example of the depths of character because we have the perfect model in Jesus being fully man and fully God. And he also gave us the Holy Spirit as a helper. But I can't also deny that in sitting in worldly settings, if I may say, is that I have not met people and gotten to know people that don't believe in the Holy Spirit like I do. They might have an entire different belief system or no belief system, and they seem to have really good morals. Ethics about themselves, and they have lived a life of really good character. So again, I'm not trying to get into that debate of heaven or hell or right now of that, or lost or saved. I'm just talking about character. So what I'm trying to say here is that I do think we have to hold that tension. But however, as I said, with— to my faith-based, to the ones that believe in Jesus, we should be the leading example of what the depths of character look like. So this is where I'm coming from when I believe— when I, when I say character is who leads. So that being said, now this is kind of shaped up a little bit. If you haven't, I believe you can go on YouTube and listen to this message if it's still out there by Jim Rome. I believe it's called Cultivating an Unshakable Character. So some of this is mixed in here, but of course, some things that I kind of might disagree with, I submitted into scripture. So there'll be some slight changes based just that submission with me and the way I see the text. But nevertheless, man, I love Jim Rohn. Like I said, I believe he's one of the greatest motivational speakers, and I have learned a lot about character formation, I should say, listening to and studying his material. So, so, okay, let's go. Let's go. So character isn't what we say. Like, let's just get like, character isn't what we say. Listen, character is not even what we know, because if it was based off what we know, then a lot of people would have the depth of character. And it's not even what we intend to do or tend to be. I believe— now hear me, please hear me— character is what consistently shows up in how we live, lead, and this is the big one right here, respond under pressure. I'm gonna say it again. I believe character is, is the consistency. It's consistently showing up in how we live, lead, and respond under pressure. If you go sit with Luke, Luke 6:45, that passage of scripture talks about out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And we know that in this context, because I love to strive to keep the Bible in its original context, is that Jesus is trying to tie this. And when I say trying, what I'm saying, because he's talking to people. So inner formation, it's all about like what's going inner, not, not what we project or what we do in momentary, like with a momentary emotion, but what is going on in her. Because this is again, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So in other words, what is going on, what's really going on in us is going to eventually come out no matter how we try to fake the funk or shape it or whatever. What's eventually going on in us, the internal man, is going to eventually make its way out. And I believe that In that context, why I want to start with character shows up under pressure is because I believe pressure doesn't necessarily create character. I believe character, again, is being formed through those things. Like when I talk to— when my wife and I talk to our kids or when we examine our life or look over it, when I see character flaws, we're trying to address those because again, here goes, I believe that we're cultivating character. Jim Rohn talks about, if you think about it, it's something like a statue or something like that being chiseled. Well, he was like, if you look at it, they're chisel— that chisel or whatever, they're trying to refine it and shape it into something. So when we're doing that, hey, that's the area we got. We got to bring it under examination and deal with it. We got to call it out because we're trying to shape the character, ultimately point you to Christ. Don't get me wrong. So the power of the Holy Spirit can work within you. And he's the perfect shaper in my estimation of things. But as stewards over our kids' life, we're trying to deal with those things And I'll say all the time, parenting is such a— I mean, it's like my life itself is a humbling experience because I can look— I'm with me every day. But parenting, if I may say, is such a humbling experience, man, because you're trying to help form and shape someone that God has entrusted you with. And so this is why this is very important, whether you're caught up in co-parenting dynamics, blended family concept, I may say. I mean, I shouldn't call that a concept, whether it's your biological child, adopted child, step-parent or bonus parent, whatever it may be, like there's a responsibility there. Like I think I said, like, yeah, through adoption, whether it's your niece, nephew that you took in and kind of now being a parental figure, whether you're a grandparent, like you are helping shape. And this is the thing. Most people, a lot of times when things are going well, most people don't like— they don't see character. They don't. Because again, it shows up when that pressure, when that tension, when that conflict or uncertainty, when we have the opportunity, integrity now comes in place. Like, um, help me, Holy Spirit. When we have the opportunity to do something that we know that's not right, this is where character— and again, like I said, again, integrity matters as well. But now character can be displayed, uh, when we, we talk to kids all the time, but even as adults, peer pressure. What type of character is that peer pressure going to now expose? The character flaws, or is it going to expose that character formation? Because this, when that happens, I believe is, um this is when it really comes out. Not what we prepared. Again, not— it's what we've been formed. And so again, pressure, it doesn't necessarily create character in the way I understand it. Now, let's, let's, let's challenge it a little bit. You might say, well, what about like if I take a sports analogy when I, when I was playing sports and you get, you're getting pressure, the coach is putting you through certain things or whatever and trying to form you. Okay, that is true. Like in that, in in that aspect. And I don't want to sound like a contradiction because yes, that coach has helped shape you. But what I'm saying on the other hand is like when you go out in situations, because a lot of times when you're practicing and things like that, you're preparing for a situation like we are. But what, what about when pressure comes and you don't have time? So I believe again, that is more of a formation ground that helps your character withstand or show or become visible when you're faced with pressure that you don't see, because a lot of times you don't know what's going to be thrown at you in that game. But because you've been in that formation stage and it's been shaping and forming— I hope that you track it with me. Maybe not. Maybe I— maybe that one didn't land as much as I thought, but oh well. But what I'm trying to go and show the difference between formation and how we form character, and then when character has the opportunity to stand up. So in other words, is what I'm trying to say here is that I don't believe that you you rise to the moment. I believe that you fall to your formation. Let me say it again. You don't rise to the moment per se. You fall to the level of your formation. So again, if we're not being formed, then we won't be able to rise up to the moment. If we are being formed, we're able to rise up to the moment. And I just believe truthfully, man, what leaks out of us is what's been living in us the whole time. It goes back to that Luke 6:45, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So what's in us, what is going on internal will eventually make its way out. And I believe one of the tensions that we have to hold when it comes to character is, again, you can prepare for moments, you can sit up there, you can do everything, but you cannot fake formation. Because I've seen people go through things that should be preparing them, but they weren't really grasping to it. And then once that time's come, you see the lack of formation or the lack of character per se. So all of us truthfully can really look look within and say, man, am I really addressing with things that come up in the mirror as character flaws? Because if I don't address those things, then this is going to lead to the lack of my character. So when I'm presented, when I'm leading in high-stakes moments, very tense moments and things of the nature, are those character flaws going to start showing up? Or because I've been doing the work and continue to do the work, somebody will be able to look at me and say, hey, That's a man, that's a woman of very deep character. They, they, man, regardless if you agree or disagree with them, they have good character. So we have to sit with that. But this is another thing. And it— oh my God, this is— I would go as far to say I think I see this more with people of faith than I do in the secular sense. But my bubble is not that— not as big as yours may be. But what I mean by that, as I opened up earlier when I said character is not what you know, I believe sometimes competence can hide character gaps. Let me say that again. I believe sometimes competence can hide character gaps. For example, you can be very gifted, very charismatic, very capable. You can be very articulate, even very successful, and still have underdeveloped character. Because again, what we said is that if character was based on what we know, a lot of us would have the deepest character. But competence can only carry you for a while, but eventually character becomes the ceiling. So again, just because we're competent in an area doesn't mean that we have deep character in that same area. I love, like, what Jim Rohn says here: Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development. I'm going to say that again. Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development. 1 Timothy 3:1-7. You know, a lot of these— a lot of us in the ministry context point to these being like leadership qualifications. Check this out. Mostly all of them are about character, not skill. Hear me. Most of all of them are about character, not skill. Paul emphasis integrity. Here we go. Something self-control, something of character. Humility, something of character. This is not a talent. This is character. So remember when we said that earlier when we talked about integrity, all of these things, I believe, make up character. That's why it's so important. I'm going to like before I'm probably gonna say I wish I was tracking. I wish I had a little ding ding ding sound with how much we're going to say character today. But it's very important because I think we live in a world that is sacrificing it at many different altars of, you name it. Character is still important, people. Like, like I'm telling you, it is still important. Have character. But moving along, gifting again, gifting can open a door. Gifting. You've heard it. You probably heard me say your gift can open the door, your gift can bring you in front of people, but it's character that will keep you there. That's so true. Gift— gifting can open door, but character is what sustains you when you get in it. Your gifting and your talents can help you attract the right person. It can help lead to the right management or leadership opportunity. It can help lead to a lot of opportunities.. But I'm telling you right now, if you don't have character, you will not sustain it. You will eventually be found out. Because one of the things that we have to understand is that we can lead publicly and we can struggle privately. And what we're doing in those private struggles— again, here it goes, Luke 6— is that it will eventually surface its way up to our public display. So whatever we're struggling with, whatever we're confessing, if we're not really dealing with some things because it's not necessarily a bad thing to struggle, like don't let anyone like make you feel humiliated or ashamed because we all have struggles. But it's what are we doing? That sometimes confession, like we always talk about confessing the bad things, like, but what about just confessing the distance between what I'm doing publicly and how I feel about something, probably. Like, for example, if I'm upset with God, if I'm thinking about something and I haven't necessarily done it, I confess to it. Get with somebody that can— that's mature and that can help you and walk with you and sit with you in those private things so you don't have to end up going down a road that's going to end up leading to a lack of character. Like, we don't have to do it, man. So again, and don't allow success to hide what time will eventually expose. Let me park right here just for a second. So we live in— some people are what we call exposure culture, where a lot of people expose people. And I see the good and the bad in that. I think we have to be careful with it. But I believe truthfully in my heart that God always gives us an opportunity to repent. I really do. I believe that any time that we are caught, that we are exposed, I don't really believe it was just one time. I believe something was resonating, even if it was just resonating in our heart and we never addressed it and we, and we never went to someone that's mature, that can love us and help us and steward us and not judge us. I truly believe in my heart when exposure comes, I don't believe that it was just one time. I always believe now we might have— we can do something. Yeah, somebody might do it 10 times and you do it do it one time, that's my— you might be looking at that and it's like, well dang, I, I did it one time, they did it 10, and why they didn't get caught to the 10th time and I get caught on my first time doing it, my second time doing it? That's besides the point. In both situations, it resonated in the heart with both individuals. I do, and I believe that there's an opportunity in all of us that we can bring light to that thing and not go down there. So just because something is working, or just because something is we're allowed to do something and we feel like we're getting away with it, it doesn't mean that it's healthy per se. We want to think about character that lends to— again, so here's another one. We said character is formed, not declared. I have a thought. I don't know if this one is going to land well, but again, character isn't what we claim. A lot of people profess Jesus' name and don't look nothing like him. So character isn't what we claim. Just because we talk a good game, just because we project a good game doesn't mean anything. It's what's being shaped over time through obedience, correction, and surrender. Here it is for my people that love the Holy Spirit. Character is who through— it is shaped over time through obedience, correction, and surrender. And I hope you love the Holy Spirit because this is where he truthfully, as he indwelled in us and as he works through other believers, It's slow, it's quiet, and hear me, it often goes unseen. We can go to James 1:22, doing the word versus hearing it. When we hear the word of God, we should strive to obey it, not just hear it. When we are hearing the word of God and we don't put it into practice, we are hearers only, and we're like a double-minded person that looks in the mirror and goes away, forgets what he looks like. So We have to understand that formation happens through obedience, not just exposure alone. I can be exposed to a lot of things in my position, the seat that I sit. I'm exposed to things that, that helps me, that helps create an appetite. But if I don't strive to contextualize it and sit with things and go back and here it is, apply those things, what's the point of reading 20 books just for knowledge if you're not going to try to find a few things to help you grow? What can you tweak? The work in itself. It just becomes knowledge and it just— nothing else. It just be like, oh, I have the knowledge. But sometimes again, we can get tricked, we can get faked out because we think we're knowledgeable about something. I think sometimes it leads us again to that competence alone is that we're actually doing it, and that's the furthest from the truth. So we want to make sure that we are actually applying it. Like Romans 5:3-5 talks about suffering, endurance, character, hope. It's like this loop. Character is produced through the process, not just intention alone. It is a process, man. Boy, I hope this is landing because, man, listen, I'm, I'm around a lot of different people again in the secular ministry sense, you know, having kids, 16, 13, and my little girl and looking at their lives and the things that they're going through, whether it's the bad decision or good decisions, whether it's secret things or whatever. In my life, sitting with my wife, again, sitting with people, doing life with people, you just see this from so many different angles. And then, like I say, most important, start with myself. I sit in the context of my life. So character, like, it's the reputation. Don't just look for the moment. It's the consistent repetition of obedience over submission, over surrendering. This is what I believe truthfully forms character. Seek knowledge, but man, strive to get wisdom. Ask the Lord for wisdom. Uh, because again, when God now allows the tests and trials, it reveals truthfully. When you think about it, in my life, it always reveals it. And I'm telling you right now, as my name is Tim Pratt Jr., a lot of times, man, when God allows those tests and trials, again, here's that pressure, uh, and he reveals to me through that because he already knows, it shows me, man, listen, don't ever think that you've arrived because you haven't. So my posture is geared towards, Lord, help me. And every time, as much as I stay in that posture and that dependence on the Holy Spirit, that tender relationship, like I'm doing my part, but at the same time, I'm ultimately trusting God to keep me, to sustain me, to help grow me, to help mature me. That is where I always see real growth. The growth, the moment that I take my mind off of that and I think, oh man, look at you, Tim, you know, you're doing your thing. That's cute. Boy, it's always a humbling moment if you're not where you think you are, especially without the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, that's me. That's my personal life. So then, man, I'm about to land this thing. So one of the things I would say as well is that unchecked character does not stay private. So kind of already just said that in a way where, you know, when we miss these character flaws, when things are revealed to us and we don't do them. But this is truthfully like, this is where it gets really real in leadership. Because character gaps, a lot of times I think that we think that they just stay with us, but they do. People truthfully really close, that's really living in tune, and people that are just highly observant and doing the work, they can see it. They might not say it yet, oh, but it's coming. But it does, it affects the way we lead. It affects the way how we treat people. It affects how we respond, and it affects what kind of environment we create. Because it's a gap there. And, and sometimes we just don't want to see the gap. But Proverbs 27:19 talks about as water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person. I'm going to say that again. As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person. So our inner life will always— our inner life becomes our outward impact or lack of it. There will always be some type of impact, good or bad. What are you doing in your inner life? Because that's again, eventually what's going to come out. So leaders, again, we can go to Titus, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy. Leaders are stewards. Character matters because people are impacted by our leadership. And if we don't have good character, that is what's going to lead to the impact of the people that we're leading. This is why it's very important to me. I don't really care if I build a name that doesn't matter to me. I don't care if I cultivate a name. How does my wife see me? Does my wife see the depth of my character? She can get upset with me. She can get mad at me. She— we can have seasons where we're just kind of not— but one thing I don't— she— you know what? But I could never say that my husband lacks character. That is what I want my wife saying about me, that her husband, me, that her husband does not lack character and vice versa about her. And that is what we desire to cultivate in our kids as well. So again, your tone, your tone flows from your inner life, your reactions, like how you see things, how you're dealing with those things internally. It helps shape the culture, it helps shape your household. We have to pay attention to these things. Are we exhibiting consistent character? Then now I have to— this is where I met with my faith because I don't just believe in moral outside of just of God. When it comes to me, the model is Jesus Christ. Am I looking like Christ? Because people will experience what I'm carrying. And I believe that the Holy Spirit is within me. And so I believe that I want people— I want people, I desire people to see the Holy Spirit more than they see Tim Pratt Jr. Yes, they're going to see my personality and all of that, but what I desperately want them to see It's like, man, dude, he looks like Christ. He looks like he's a Christ follower. When I read the Gospels and I read the Bible, man, he looks like him. That is what I desire people to see. So we just don't lead with our words, man. We lead with our character. All right. In closing, in closing, character requires ongoing examination. Hear me. Character requires ongoing examination within the body of Christ. We talk about sanctification. Character isn't something that we just check off and like, okay, done. I got the ultimate character now. Don't have to do it anymore. It's something that we consistently, continually bring before God. It's not perfection, but faithfulness. It's not perfection, but awareness. It's not perfection, but it's humility. It's not perfection, but it's a consistent state of surrender. We can see it in Psalms when David is— Psalms 139. Search me, O God, He searched me. It's a mirror, like what is going on in me? This is a posture. This is a heart posture, not just a moment in time. I don't do it one time and then move on. This is the consistent posture that we should— we should make sure that we're doing. We want to examine ourselves consistently. Self— hear me— self-examination is a part of spiritual maturity. Consistent self-examination is a part of spiritual maturity. Like, listen, man, I'm telling you, awareness, that self-awareness, it precedes growth. Like it does. I mean, like when you really think about it, I strongly believe in self-awareness, self-regulation and all of that, but it precedes growth. I really do. And hear me on this one. Humility. Having a posture of humility. Here it is. Because what did we talk about earlier? Character is something that can be cultivated. So humility is what keeps me teachable. Like, I can know what I know, but I still want to assume a posture of humility because there's also a lot of things I don't know. Oh man, I wish I had time to go there with— oh, I'm not going to do it. Kiki. But, but so God forms us. God forms us through all these different type of things, man. And it's just very important. He forms us. Us in the context of what we're willing to face. A lot of us, again, here it is, we try to project and we try to pretend to be, and it's almost like we think we can trick God. And I don't know why, like, I mean, in one single thought, he sees it all. He knows it all from the beginning to the end. He's not confused. One single thought, God, with everybody on this planet, he, he, like, my mind can't even fathom that. So why do we think we can trick him? So anytime he asks us a question or any time that he's dealing with us or he's showing and revealing something, it is not that it just arrived to him like, oh, I just seen this in my son Tim Pratt Jr. No, he been— it is always to bring us face to face with us so he can help us, whether that's vertically or through someone else. So hear me, the most dangerous version of you and me is the one that we stop examining. Here we say— I'm gonna say this again— the most dangerous version of you or me is the one that we stop self-examining. I'm gonna just say that one more time. Matter of fact, I'm gonna say it like this and just speak it to you because I believe in all inclusively, but I believe it hit a little bit harder since I— if we're just having a conversation. So I started with myself, it's true to me, but the most dangerous version of you is the one that you, you stop self-examining. So at the end of the day, people, hear me, at the end of the day, don't experience— people don't experience our intentions. They don't. They experience our character and who we are. That's what it is. They experience our character and who we are is always leading, whether we realize it or not. So this goes back to when I said character is always leading. They experience our character and who we are is always leading, whether we realize it or not. So what I'm trying to say here is that if you don't have the depth of character that God is calling you to and desires to cultivate in you. Trust me, somebody is seeing it. They just haven't said nothing yet. So, man, I love you all. I hope this one sticks. Share it with somebody, man. Share. Look, I want to challenge you. Share this with somebody. Just anybody. I'm asking, just reach one person. And share it with someone, whether it be your spouse, your kids. I would encourage you to sit down with your family and talk about this episode. Not again, not that I'm trying to build a name or anything, but man, this one like here, I— it's just we need to see more character in this world because again, man, in the age of social media and everybody trying to get paid and get a check and all this type of stuff, we're sacrificing at the altar of everything. And I just don't believe that's the way God desires us to go. I really don't. So I love you all, man. Again, praying be blessed. Thanks for joining me today on the Student Life Podcast. And remember, learning never stops and wisdom grows as we seek truth in both scripture and life. And until next time, keep walking faithfully and thinking deeply. Be bliss.