{"id":9020,"date":"2012-08-15T13:00:54","date_gmt":"2012-08-15T17:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/?p=9020"},"modified":"2024-11-20T09:09:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T14:09:16","slug":"character-education-standard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/character-education-standard.htm","title":{"rendered":"Character Education a Good Thing? – Depends on the Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Character<\/a>A previous post<\/a> posed three questions to be asked in order to determine if character education is a good thing.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0 What constitutes good character?
\n2)\u00a0 How do we acquire these character traits?
\n3)\u00a0 What is the ultimate purpose in developing good character?<\/p>\n

Let’s begin by asking, What constitutes good character?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Character Educations Must Use the Right Standard<\/h2>\n

2 Peter 1:3-9 lists faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.\u00a0 We find some similarities in this list to those provided in Galatians 5:22-23 — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.\u00a0 1 Timothy 6:11 exhorts us to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”\u00a0 And, Colossians 3:12-14 describes the character of our new life in contrast to the old which is to be put off or gotten rid of — “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Notice how LOVE is a common thread in all of these lists.\u00a0 2 Peter 1 puts love as the ultimate quality to which our growth should take us.\u00a0 Galatians 5 begins its list with love.\u00a0 Colossians 3 raises love above all other virtues.\u00a0 This should not be surprising since Jesus identified love as the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37-40).<\/span><\/p>\n

—— If a trait doesn’t grow out of, look like, and result in love, you had better examine your list of traits.\u00a0 As Colossians 3:14 explains why.\u00a0 Love is what binds all the other traits “together in perfect unity.”<\/span><\/p>\n

None of these lists are identical. Perhaps we do not have one comprehensive list because God is so great and can’t be contained in a single list of traits.\u00a0 Yes, God … His character … is the standard for what constitutes good character.<\/p>\n

—— Beware of character education based on any ethical or moral code that is self-determined or governed by society.\u00a0 It is doomed for failure as “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12).<\/span> This kind of character will easily lead to justification or rationalization as it becomes relative to the situation, constantly changing to fit the circumstances.<\/p>\n

As we see in 2 Peter 1, God wants us to “participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”\u00a0 We have a God whose character does not change.\u00a0 And so, we are always honest because our God is truth.\u00a0 We remain pure because our God is holy.\u00a0 We always extend compassion and kindness because our God is love.<\/p>\n

—— If your character education is not based on the character of God, you have some major problems.<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/p>\n