Going back to the ancient Greek, the word character as a noun meant an engraved or imprinted mark and ultimately came from the verb charassein, which meant to sharpen, cut in furrows, or engrave. However it's done, it sounds like building character is not a particularly pleasant process. Jesus knew first hand just what it meant to have distinguishing marks engraved or imprinted in Him. “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:16). If all of God's children were resurrected today and restored to their proper and perfect forms, we would still be able to tell which one is Jesus Christ because He had distinguishing marks, or characters, engraved into His hands and feet and side, all of which were still visible after His Resurrection. It is one thing to feel compassion for others and run to help them when we ourselves are feeling fine or even great. But what happens to our ability to help others when we've been carved into and cut up and are perhaps suffering even greater than those around us? “Character is revealed … in the power to discern the suffering of other people when we ourselves are suffering; in the ability to detect the hunger of others when we are hungry; and in the power to reach out and extend compassion for the spiritual agony of others when we are in the midst of our own spiritual distress.” (David A. Bednar, “The Character of Christ”). We cannot follow in Christ's footsteps unscathed. We cannot become like Him without having a few marks of our own engraved or imprinted into our flesh or in our souls. God does not permit us to suffer only so that at some future date we will have a more understanding heart for those who suffer in similar ways. He allows us to be carved up and beaten and bruised so that in the midst of our agony, we can show our character by helping others right now. But we don't have to do it alone. Not even Christ Himself could make it through the Garden of Gethsemane without getting help from an angel and going back again and again to wake up His friends so that they could also help in their small way. I hope and pray that the carving and engraving process can be swift for all of us and that none of us has to suffer more than we need, but I also hope and pray that we do not deprive ourselves of the opportunities to show forth our character by reaching out to lighten the burdens of others even as we stagger under our own weight. I know that there will be those we help who will be just as glad as us to see our characters revealed.
