Grow Your Character

Here are three important adventures for every young believer to undertake in order to grow godly character.

Read Your Bible

The Bible is God’s Word and you will gain strength by learning everything it teaches. Start by reading the New Testament Book of Mark. It is a fun, action-filled book telling the story of Jesus.

If you want some help understanding it better, I’d suggest you get a good study Bible. My preferred version for guys is the Fire Bible. There is an edition for elementary-aged boys, teen guys, and adults, too. It has great notes and articles that will make God’s Word come alive. Make it your daily practice to read, pray, and memorize His Word. As you do, you will grow strong in faith and character, and will be equipped to resist temptation (Psalm 119:11).

Be Baptized in Water

Water baptism is a public confession of your belief in Jesus Christ and your commitment to follow Him your whole life. Jesus asks everyone who comes to faith in Him to be baptized in water as an act of obedience (Acts 2:38). Being baptized is not what saves you, but it honors Christ when we obey Him. If you have yet to be baptized, this is an important adventure God wants you to take. Talk with your pastor about obeying Jesus by being baptized in water as soon as you can.

Tithe

Tithing is the biblical principle of giving the first 10 percent of your earnings to the Lord. Malachi 3:10 states, “ ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough to store it.’ “ The storehouse is your local church. Bring the first 10 percent of your allowance or the money you make from side jobs, summer jobs, gifts, and other income and give it to the church for the advancement of the ministry. Everything you have belongs to God, and He asks that you return 10 percent to Him to show your gratitude, dependence, and devotion. He even promises to reward your obedience with more blessings than you can contain. What a great promise from God!

Battle-Tested Character: Jim Barger

The journey to becoming a man of God is unique for everyone. Many men spend their entire lives in church, never straying from the path God has laid out for them. This is the best choice. Some, however, drift from the way of God and follow their own path, making poor choices as they go. Thankfully, God is able to redeem the fallen man and set him on the true path. He is able to take a story of tragedy and make it a story of triumph. This is the story of Jim Barger.

Jim grew up in a Christian home, having been adopted as a toddler by a loving family. Never spoiled, Jim’s family taught him the value of hard work and discipline, while also instilling values of faith and reliance on God.

Jim Barger

Jim recalls when he chose to accept Christ and follow His plan:

“During sixth grade, Ding Tuling, an artist, held a revival at my church. He would illustrate his message by drawing chalk pictures. When he arrived at the main point of the message, he would focus a black light on the easel to reveal a picture that was ‘hidden’ under the one we had seen him draw. That absolutely astonished me. I responded to an altar call and made Jesus my best Friend.”

As a teenager, Jim’s faith faltered as he became entrenched in worldly things. Jim’s story isn’t one of a single dramatic choice to reject God. What happened in Jim’s life is what happens to most young people in his position. Little by little, the things of God became less important to him. Attending church, reading the Bible, and prayer were replaced with riding his motorcycle and spending time with people who were a bad influence on him.

Jim recognizes that his story is hardly unique, and he challenges other young people to learn from his mistakes. “Every man experiences tests as he journeys from boyhood to manhood. Many experiences are universal; every man will go through them at some point. How he handles the tests will forever shape his character.”

Jim decided that instead of following his father’s advice to attend college, he would enter the Marines. God protected Jim through this experience, and ultimately used it to make Jim who He wanted him to be. In the military, Jim learned electronics in a way that would help him establish a successful career after his tour of duty. Even when he rebelled against authority, God was able to use it for good.

When Jim reached the age of thirty, he rarely attended church with his wife. He mistakenly believed that since he walked away from his faith when he was younger, God could no longer save him. One Sunday, Jim reluctantly went to church with his family, and the text of the sermon changed his life. “Imagine my joy when I did go to church and the pastor preached on Psalm 51, explaining that David’s sin of adultery had led to a man’s death but God forgave him and loved him. The pastor gave an altar call, and I responded. In my haste to get to the front of the church, I nearly knocked down the pastor’s son-in-law, who asked if I wanted him to come with me.”

After Jim renewed his commitment to Christ, he was challenged in many ways. Jim felt strongly that God wanted to use him to minister to others, but he had no idea what that meant. He didn’t know if he should quit his comfortable job and become a full-time pastor or if he should become a leader for young men in his church. God’s voice told him to be patient and to walk through the doors that opened for him.

After a few years of leading young men to Christ and mentoring them in the faith in a boy’s program called Royal Rangers, the Spirit prompted Jim to leave his well-paying job and become an independent consultant and contractor. This was a huge risk financially, but because the Spirit was guiding Jim, he knew it was the right call.

The freedom this provided for Jim meant that he could travel and share the message of the gospel with more people, and could devote more time toward fulfilling God’s purpose in his life. God also blessed his business, and he was more successful than ever.

Jim has seen miracles, traveled the world, and proclaimed the good news to people everywhere. Though he once walked away from God, God never walked away from Jim. “Through all of the trials I’ve faced in my life, I have learned to be faithful to the adventure God called me on. I have learned that every battle I’ve faced has shaped my character in a way that honors God.”