<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel\u201d (Ezra 7:10).<\/p>\n
OUR \u201cNATURE\u201d IS GIVEN TO US BY GOD, BUT OUR \u201cCHARACTER\u201d IS CREATED BY OUR CHOICES. What we do with the raw materials of our created nature brings into being a character that is either good or bad. Of course, the fact that character is a matter of choice does not mean the choices are always carefully<\/em> made. Indeed, many people simply live by default, going with the flow and ending up with a character that has been chosen haphazardly. But haphazard choices are still choices. Whether we\u2019ve been careful or careless, we\u2019ll still have to account to God for our decisions.<\/p>\n Ezra is said to have \u201cprepared his heart.\u201d Apparently he had given some thought to the sort of man he wanted to be. Surely he was aware of what the major alternatives are that lie before a human being, and his choice to pursue godliness seems to have been a deliberate decision. It\u2019s not unlikely that Ezra had given some consideration to the matter of consequences.<\/em> There is no more consequential choice than the choice of one\u2019s character, and Ezra had no doubt considered that some kinds of character would take him places he didn\u2019t want to go to.<\/p>\n It is worth noting the particular character Ezra prepared himself to have. This wise man determined that he would (1) seek<\/em> God\u2019s will, (2) do<\/em> whatever he learned, and (3) teach<\/em> to others the things that he had both learned and lived. We could look a long time and not find a better three-point program for character development. Seeking, doing, and teaching . . . the will of God. These things are close to the heart of what human existence is all about.<\/p>\n If we\u2019ve not already done so, it\u2019s urgent that we prepare our hearts. It\u2019s time to think seriously about what matters most to us. What kind of people do we intend to be? \u201cWhen a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind\u201d (Seneca). But preparing our hearts requires more than charting our course. We must also count the cost and resolve that we\u2019ll pay the price to have a character that\u2019s worth having. The devil is eager to test how well prepared our hearts really are.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one\u201d (James Anthony Froude).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n