5 Character Traits of High Achievers

The historic moment of the 18th Asian Games in 2018 is still vivid in our hearts. Its spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, along with the achievements of the athletes who fought to bring honor to Indonesia, gave our nation a fresh spirit.

If we can be proud of the success of our sons and daughters of the nation, imagine how proud God would be if we were willing to display achievements in life that bring honor to His name. We can do this through education, career, business, as well as family life and our daily relationships.

Now, in order to achieve something meaningful, we need to have a number of supporting character traits, which we can learn from several Bible figures. Those five traits are:

1. Confidence in God and Yourself - David

When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was still young, ruddy, and handsome in appearance.

But David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

– 1 Samuel 17:42, 45

At that time, physically and in the eyes of most people, David was not fit to go to war, let alone fight the giant Goliath. He was still very young and had no experience on the battlefield. Yet when no one believed in him, David still stepped forward and placed great confidence in God.

Walt Disney was fired from his job as a newspaper cartoonist because he was considered ‘not creative enough and lacking good ideas.’ His first studio went bankrupt, and his requests for funding were rejected hundreds of times by investors. Yet Disney did not let other people’s opinions affect his confidence in himself. He kept creating until he was able to build one of the world’s largest animation studios and win dozens of Academy Awards.

Perhaps you have been in the position of David or Disney, when friends or others around you looked down on you. Yet you must remain confident in God and in yourself. If you stay focused on the conviction to achieve something, whatever the obstacles and challenges, nothing will be able to stop you.

2. Dare to Dream Big - Noah

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to build it: the ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within a cubit of the top, and put the door in its side; make lower, middle, and upper decks. – Genesis 6:14-16

Had Noah ever imagined that he would build a massive ark to save many living creatures from the flood? Probably not. Yet Noah made room for God to bring about a dream according to His standard.

Dreaming itself is an act of courage. So if you do not even dare to dream big, it will be difficult for you to produce extraordinary things.

Do not forget to involve God in every part of the process. No great dream comes true instantly or without hard work. It took years and teamwork from all of Noah’s family members to build the ark. Yet God was with them so they could complete the project on time.

For those of you who are feeling hopeless or confused about where to begin, try applying this method for achieving your resolutions. If Noah, at 600 years old, could make his dream come true, then surely we can too!

3. Ready to Take Risks for What Is Right - Jonathan 

But Jonathan had not heard that his father had made the people swear an oath. He reached out the staff in his hand and dipped the tip of it into the honeycomb; then he brought his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 

Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." Then Jonathan told him, saying, "I did taste a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. I am ready to die." Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." 

But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, he who has brought about this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not have to die.

– 1 Samuel 14:27,43-45

Jonathan did not hear Saul’s command that anyone who ate before the army of Israel won the battle would be cursed (1 Samuel 14:24-46). Yet after eating honey in the forest, Jonathan dared to face the consequence, namely the death penalty. Unexpectedly, the people defended him, and so he was freed from the curse.

Jonathan’s readiness to bear risk was greater than his fear of admitting his mistake, and that is what makes him an inspiring spiritual figure to this day. Jonathan did not whine, lie, or make all kinds of excuses to avoid punishment.

To achieve success, we must be ready to accept the risks of every step we take. Lying or manipulating facts will not lead us to true achievement. Only by having the courage to bear the risk for what is right can we offer our best achievements to God.

4. Persistent and Unwilling to Give Up - Peter

At that moment the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he broke down and wept. – Mark 14:72

Even though he had once failed by denying Jesus three times, Peter did not give up. Later on, he became one of the most steadfast apostles in carrying out the mission of evangelism. Because of his perseverance, Peter became the leader of the apostles and the foundation of God’s church (Matthew 16:18). 

When his miracle was questioned, see how different Peter’s response was:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered: "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed." – Acts 4:8-10

For those of you who are struggling up and down in pursuing your dreams, keep trying. Thomas Alfa Edison succeeded in designing the light bulb after conducting 10,000 experiments. Even though he faced so many failures, Edison did not give up because he believed that ‘every failed attempt is one step forward.’

A person who perseveres also has a philosophy like the ant (Proverbs 6:6), which works to gather food every day so that it has a “savings” of provisions. Remember that your failure today is a saving for your achievement in the future. It may take the form of experience, skill, wisdom, or new ideas that will one day become the foundation of your success.

5. Dare to Change - Paul

For what I eagerly expect and hope is that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:20-21

Paul is an example of success for people who are willing to change. From someone who deeply hated Jesus and killed His followers, he became one of the apostles who tirelessly preached the Gospel. That change certainly was not easy. Now he was on the opposite side from the Jews, who were trying to kill him (Acts 9:22-23). He also had to face the suspicion of the disciples who were afraid of him (Acts 9:26).

Changing ourselves does not always feel pleasant. Basically, human beings find it hard to change and leave their comfort zone. Avoiding change is part of our biological reaction for survival. Yet to achieve great things, we must dare to step outside our usual patterns, leave behind bad character, and try new ways.

So, what are you waiting for? Start developing the five character traits above so that you can achieve things that glorify God’s name and benefit others. Amen! - References: https://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/09/27/five-ways-to-make-peace-with-failure/#246fba5c3640 https://succeedfeed.com/walt-disney-was-fired-rejected-300-times/ https://www.inc.com/business-insider/21-successful-people-who-rebounded-after-getting-fired.html - Church GKDI currently exists in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area. If you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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