Character Test

I have a test that I hold myself to. It's a test to see how my character is doing. Or more accurately, how I'm doing spiritually. My test is contained in a scripture. I use this list to keep myself in check. If I'm falling short in one or more of these area's I know what I need to work on. It is this:

1 Corinthians 13:4

4 ^aCharity ^bsuffereth long, and is ^ckind; charity ^denvieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself ^aunseemly, seeketh not her ^bown, is not easily ^cprovoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in ^ainiquity, but rejoiceth in the ^btruth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never ^afaileth...

I have other little tests I hold myself to as well. Things that test my level of spiritual maturity.

And I'd like to add another one to it.

I recently read a quote, and I wanted to write it down, but got busy, so I may not remember it perfectly, but I'm adding it to the little tests I give myself from time to time to see how I'm doing. It went something like this:

"Great people spend most of their time talking about ideas. Good people spend most of their time talking about things. Small people spend most of their time talking about other people."

(I admit I couldn't help thinking about PEOPLE magazine when I read this quote. There are publications and tv shows dedicated to talking about people. Do I love those?)

I love it when I read something like that and it makes me take an inventory of myself. What are my conversations about? When I have a chance to sit and talk with someone what is the focus of my words and thoughts? Are they on things that are great, uplifting, and leave the other person better than when I left them? Are they just normal, sharing how things are going? Or do I leave another feeling spiritually depleted with talking about other people in a negative way?

Just keeping myself in check. It is my desire to be great. And not because I'm working hard to resist being small or because I'm doing really great at holding my tongue or pushing small thoughts out of my head. I want to be great in a way that the smallness doesn't even enter into my thoughts or my soul. The battle doesn't even exist. I want to just be great because I am filled with Charity. I'm certain this will be life long pursuit. In the mean time, I'll keep checking myself :)