A person’s character is important, but having good character doesn’t just happen. Since learning and growing is a lifelong process, our character is being defined and built every day of our lives. What type of character you have and are known for is based upon what you believe, learn and cultivate in your life.
If you desire to have good character that includes honesty, humility, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, etc. then you will have to choose to focus your efforts on developing these qualities in yourself.
There are many ways to build character, some of which you may already be doing without realizing it. Since building character is a lifelong process there are character building ideas and resources that can be used at different times in your life.
Some things that you can use to build character as a child may not be helpful to you as a teen, while others will be significant to you as an adult.
Disclaimer: Some of the following links are affiliate links. I make a small commission from some of the links on this site. You can read my full disclosure here.
How to Teach Strong Character Building
Movies
In every movie there are character qualities to learn from, whether they be good or bad. Instead of just sitting down and watching a movie for fun, take time to observe and learn from the various character qualities demonstrated or portrayed by the actors and actresses in the film. Having quality family movie nights, that focus on character building AND that everyone (including mom and dad) can enjoy, is a lot of fun too!
Literature
Reading is a great way to build character. Inside the pages of a book you’ll delve into adventures, mysteries and more that will allow you the opportunity to cultivate quality character in yourself.
Whether you discover the importance of honesty in The Empty Pot or learn to be generous through Scrooge’s life in A Christmas Carol, quality literature always provides lessons on building strong character.
Character Matters
Through the Character Matters curriculum you’ll find 30 lessons based on building character. Students will define each character trait, write how they can apply it to their own life, answer questions about others who do and do not have the character quality being studied and more!
There is a Student and a Teacher’s Workbook, a Kids’ Activity Pack and Flashcards included in this character building set.
Character Badges
Children need to know what character qualities they struggle with and that require training. It can be frustrating for children to see that they are doing good things because often words of praise are spoken less than words of correction. The Character Badges system helps to build character in children by acknowledging and rewarding the good things they do throughout the day as well as tracking and providing consequences for the wrong decisions made each day.
Walk This Way: Ethics and Sanctification Lessons for Kids
Learning to live a Godly life that is filled with character qualities that define a Christian is fun and engaging with the 20 lessons inside this resource! You’ll learn how to define a Godly lifestyle, find tips to help with temptation, discover ways to handle boasting and much more!
Character Training Bible
Using God’s word is one of the best ways to build character in anyone. The Bible allows you to see and learn from what God says that His children should and shouldn’t do. We can cultivate quality character by using God’s word to direct us throughout every day of our lives. The Character Training Bible simply provides an easy way for you to find scripture specific to the character quality that you are studying or even struggling with in your life.
Personal Quiet Time
Many families have a quiet time where everyone comes together and studies God’s word, sings songs of praise and prays together. This is a great practice to get into for when you have your own family, but it is even more important for you to learn to have your own personal quiet time as well.
Through the personal study of God’s word you’ll be building character qualities in yourself that God desires you to have. You need to dig into God’s word and spend time in prayer with Him on your own (even while in your parent’s home) so that it becomes a part of your every day life.
Bible Memorization
There will be times throughout your life when you don’t have a Bible handy, but you need to be reminded of God’s promises and directions. You need to hide God’s word in your heart so that no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’ll always be able to quote scripture that will provide you peace, strength or direction. Your character will be built up
Devotional Prayer Journals
If it is hard for you to find the words to speak in prayer, sometimes writing in a devotional or prayer journal is easier. Prayer is an essential step towards building character. It is through conversation with the Lord that we are able to hear His voice most clearly. He desires to speak to our hearts and guide us to becoming the man or woman of God that He designed for us to be.
Building character is lifelong journey. You don’t wake up one day and find that you’ve completed your character studies. The more time that you spend focusing on cultivating Godly character in yourself, the further you’ll be on the journey to becoming the man or woman of God that He designed you to be!
How do you focus on building character in yourself?
