Last week I wrote about our staff core value, “Aligning our loves and longings with those of Jesus and encouraging our students to do the same.” This is really about having the same “heart” that Christ had and to valuing what he valued.
If we aspire to do that, we will live into the next core value, “embodying and encouraging Christian character.”
Character is formed from the consistent, outward work of the heart. It has its roots in our loves and longings and produces and displays the fruit of this over time.
The word “Christian” comes from the Greek word Christós, meaning “Christ,” and therefore Christian character can best be identified and understood through a close relationship with Christ and knowing and seeking to follow the character he embodied.
Some clear attributes Jesus exemplified were integrity, honesty, self-discipline, dependability, compassion, and a servant’s heart. He also exhibited the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
While some aspects of character development can be worked on independently or within nurturing relationships, we acknowledge that it will bear the most fruit when it is the product of the work of God’s spirit within and through us. Like the Fruit of the Spirit – it is the spirit who grows and develops these attributes within us and not something we can achieve on our own.
As a staff we want to partner with parents in connecting students to the work of the Holy Spirit and also to following Christ’s example – to not only love what he loved but to live as he lived. Doing this will produce positive habits which in turn and in time will develop Christian (Christ-like) character.