More on Character

Recently I posted about the distinction between personality and character (Personality or Character?).  Today I came across the quote that further illuminates the topic.

“The great sterling duties, the exact truth of word, the resolute refusal to countenance wrong, the command of temper, the mastery of indolence, the unstained purity –these, and such as these, form character, and fashion our souls into instruments in God’s hands for high and heavenly purposes in His Providence.  But the carefulness over details, the watchfulness against faults which we know to be faults, but which, notwithstanding, seem venial, the devout regularity and attention in our private prayers, the invariable good-humor of our manners, the seeking for occasions of kindness and unselfishness, the avoidance of little temptations, the care not to cause little annoyances and little troubles,–to attend to all this for the sake of Christ our Master is the natural and fitting expression of a loving heart.”

Frederick Temple

For more quotes by Frederick Temple (English academic and Bishop of Canterbury) , see these posts:

Easter Victory

Questions for Lent

Do You Serve Cheerfully?

 

 

 

Easter Victory

Frederick Temple was an English academic, churchman and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1896 until his death in 1902.  This quote showed up in my devotional reading and it seemed very appropriate to our theme, and the church season.

“The return of Easter should be to the Christian life the call of a trumpet.  It is the news of a great victory.  It is the solution of a great perplexity.  It is the assurance of a great triumph.”

Frederick Temple

For more quotes by Frederick Temple, visit these posts:

Questions for Lent

Do You Serve Cheerfully?

Photo by Adrien Olichon on Pexels.com

Questions for Lent

Frederick Temple (1821-1902) was an English academic, teacher and Bishop of Canterbury.  I found this quote of his that seemed appropriate to ponder on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season.

“Am I really what I ought to be?  Am I what, in the bottom of my heart, I honestly wish to be?  Am I living a life at all like what I myself approve?  My secret nature, the true complexion of my character is hidden from all me, and only I know it.  Is it such as I should be willing to show?  Is my soul at all like what my kindest and most intimate friends believe?  Is my heart at all such as I should wish the Searcher of Hearts to judge me by?  Is every year adding to my devotion, my unselfishness, to my conscientiousness, to my freedom from hypocrisy of seeming so much better than I am?  When I compare myself  with last year, am I more ready to surrender myself at the call of duty?  am I more alive to the commands of conscience?  have I shaken off my besetting sins?  These are the questions which this season of Lent ought to find us putting fairly and honestly to our hearts.”

For another quote by Frederick Temple, visit this post:

Do You Serve Cheerfully?

Do You Serve Cheerfully?

Frederick Temple was an English academic, churchman and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1896 until his death in 1902. He wrote the following quote which I found in my daily devotional:

“We often make our duties harder by thinking them hard.  We dwell on the things we do not like till they grow before our eyes, and at last, perhaps shut out heaven itself.  But this is not following our Master, and He, we may be sure will value little the obedience of a discontented heart.  The moment we see that anything to be done is a plain duty, we must resolutely trample out every rising impulse of discontent.  We must not merely prevent our discontent from interfering with the duty itself;  we must not merely prevent it from breaking out into murmuring;  we must get rid of discontent itself.  Cheerfulness in the service of Christ is one of the first requisites to make that service Christian.”

For other posts on serving follow these links:

The Spiritual Gift of Service

Martin Luther on Serving Others

How Have I Served?