This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
Writers, actors and playwrights will often talk about “arcs” in a story or a particular character. When preparing for a role, I think through where my character is (as a person, in relation to himself, to other characters in the play, to God, and etc.) as the play opens and where he ends up at the end of the play. The real work of the play is to discover the thoughts, actions, conflicts, and obstacles that occur between the two.
Art imitates life. The same questions I ask myself as a character in a play are worthy of being asked in my every day life. Those who profess a relationship with Jesus are living out a spiritual character arc and should quickly be able to describe the following:
- This is who I was before I entered into a relationship with Jesus
- This is who I have become in my journey of following Jesus
- This is who I am becoming and and ever hope to be as I am transformed by Jesus
Of course, like all good plays, we don’t know the end of the story until the final curtain. And, like all good stories and plays, if I cannot point out and see my own character development then something is dreadfully amiss (and critics will likely rip me a part).
Personal transformation and and character arc are evidence of those who truly follow after Jesus. As God works in us, our lives become a living, compelling story.
What’s your story?
Related articles
- Using Emotions in Your Character Arc (christinalibooks.wordpress.com)
- Writer’s Edge: Every Script Needs A Character Arc (scriptmag.com)
- New Beginnings (faithinadesert.wordpress.com)
- Your Past Does Not Dictate Your Future (p31abundantlife.wordpress.com)
- Captivated (tomvanderwell.wordpress.com)
Wayfarer 
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
It’s really hard not to evaluate (judge) people from a human perspective. I’m guilty. I try really hard not too, but my human emotions get in the way and things like jealousy, anger and such come out in an ugly way. I will admit though, as I age, I gain a better understanding of what matters in life. It definitely isn’t material things or status. Rather, its love and patience and grace and enjoying the time we have with our loved ones. That seems to me to be more of a Christ perspective. I pray that as I continue to live on this earth I will understand God’s perspective more and more.
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