The Psalms tell us that every child born into the world exists in the hands of God like an arrow in the hands of an expert marksman or warrior.
That means every person born into the world was designed to hit a target pre-ordained by God.
No one is random. Not even that chap who grew up in the orphanage after being abandoned by his parents, or the girl who could have sworn that the world was against her growing up.
You are a powerful weapon, designed and commissioned by God’s divine hand to hit a specific target—a target that contributes to the incremental progress of mankind when we hit it.
Like every arrow, you have three parts: the Nock, the Shaft, and the Arrowhead.
The Nock is your life’s purpose and vision that informs the direction you would very much like your life to travel in.
The Arrowhead is the collection of your giftings, talents, and potential.
Then there is the Shaft that links the nock to the arrowhead. The shaft is your Character that allows your giftings and talents to translate your life’s visions to fulfillment. It is the vital link that allows your life’s purpose to find expression through the giftings and talents you possess.
The shaft makes all the difference between high-performing arrows and a poorly performing arrows. It serves as the “spine,” which directly affects how the arrow flies in flight; a shaft with the correct spine ensures a stable trajectory and accuracy, while an incorrect spine produces an erratic arrow flight and reduces the chances of the arrow hitting the target when shot from a bow.
Same with us, character is what separates dreamers with potential from achievers with results.
Make no mistake, character transcends the discipline to wake up at five, hit gym at six, and run a mile before a power breakfast at seven. It is the sum total of how a man interacts with himself and the world around him.
If that interaction is of low quality, a person will cut corners and hurt others no matter how well-toned their abs are.
If that interaction is excellent, the person will change lives and leave behind a legacy of goodwill and transgenerational impact, AND their abs will be just as well-toned as the life they live.
Character begins with knowing who we are in God, and why He has brought us out of the quiet of eternity past to have us join the fray at exactly this era in the existence of man. As with every expert marksman, we are fired into existence, not one moment too early or one moment too late. We are meant to be here at this very time and in this very generation. This realization alone is a first step to understanding why, from the get-go, we must live very intentionally with a lot of focus.
Character continues with understanding our inventory of giftings, talents, and potential. How are we unique? What talents do we have that are outstanding or come easily to us? That inventory will point us to the skills, knowledge, and relationships we need to invest in to refine our talents and gifts into impactful, exchangeable value that the world can recognize, receive, and reward.
The construction of Character concludes as it starts, from our inside. In its final lap, before our potential translates into impact, Character will involve persistence, patience, and doggedness. And even when things start going right, it will deploy integrity so that all the progress we have made doesn’t come unstitched.
Today, I am challenging you to embark on the journey of character development. And if you are already on that journey, keep on going. If you are slowing down, level up. There is much at stake. The rest of us need your giftings to hit their target. And Character is how you get that to happen.
See you on Monday!