Christian character is to be one of the most valued things to a follower of Christ. Beyond just looking to grow bank accounts, recognition, circles and reputation, we are to desire growth in the area of character.

Nowadays, character is valuable in almost every circle. Whether it be at home, in the office, the gym you work out in or on your campus, character will always make you stand out and bring you to higher levels of leadership and blessing.

Ultimately, everyone of us must desire to imitate -- as closely as we can -- the character of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:13 tells us that we are to strive in character "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Character is more than just the things you know, of course. It is the things that you believe in, the essence of your heart and desire. Once we align our hearts and motives with God, we strive to build an attitude that not only honors God but will also bring us honor beyond our wildest imaginations.

Motivational speaker and leadership expert Zig Ziglar once said, "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."

But while character can be built, it can also be paralyzed or, worse, broken. Character can be suffocated by so many things in life -- pride, entitlement, selfishness and hopelessness, to name a few.

But of the many character killers that are out there today, I would have to say the most subtle and effective at destroying character is the inability to be gracious in suffering. Romans 5:3-4 tells us, "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope."

Suffering is not only helpful to character growth but I would go as far as to say that it is necessary to character growth. Without trial, character cannot be tested, refined or chiseled.

And I know that facing suffering and trial can be challenging (duh), but that is why we need the grace of God most. The one and only key to surviving your suffering is to turn to God's grace to carry you through, and believe that because of what God has done for us, we can be hard-pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

God's grace allows trials to come your way and it is the same grace that gives you the ability to endure, which will in turn result in better character that is shaped progressively into the likeness of Christ.