The Power of Change: Three Vivid Images for a Disciple of Jesus
True wisdom is not passive—it forms character through discipline, effort, and vision.
Wisdom Scripture
Acts 6:3 (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.
Wisdom Quote
In Greek, sophia also connotes the ideas of knowledge, ability, skill, and the application of wisdom to life. The New Testament uses sophia to describe the intellectual and/or spiritual ability of human beings—such as Jesus (Matt. 13:54; Mark 6:12; Luke 2:40, 52), Stephen (Acts 6:10), Joseph (Acts 7:10), Moses (Acts 7:22), and Solomon (Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:31).
It also refers to a special endowment of the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:13; 12:8; Eph. 1:17; Col. 1:9), a gift from God (Jas. 1:5; 3:17; Rev. 13:18; 17:9), and even a personification of God (Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:35; 11:49).[1]
Insights: Three vivid images for a disciple of Jesus
Paul gives Timothy three powerful images to convey the nature and necessity of disciplined character:
“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”
—2 Timothy 2:3–6
You are to train yourself to grow in character like a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. What do these three have in common? Each works hard. Each disciplines himself to develop the skills necessary to fight, compete, and cultivate.
They rise early and often stay up late. They work whether the weather is sunny or rainy. Soldiers drill, athletes exercise, and farmers pull weeds. None of them become effective by accident.
Throughout history, many have captured this truth in variations of the same wisdom: Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.
If you truly want to change your character, you must begin in your mind, take action with your body, and develop habits that reinforce the person you are becoming. Over time, that transformation will impact others for good.
According to tradition, Michelangelo said, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”
Let’s get started. Envision your transformation. Set your goal high. Where will you begin?
