When developing characters, the ‘STEAL’ acronym can help you develop a well-rounded personality.
Speech
What they say
The words that a person speaks says a lot about them. If they use complex language, they may well be intelligent. If they swear, they may be angry or crude. If they talk a lot, they may be social or nervous.
What they do not say also says something about them. If they say little, they may be introverted or timid. If they avoid talking about a crime, perhaps they are guilty.
How they say it
The accent, voice tone, speed, and other attributes of speaking also tells much about a character.
A person who speaks in a refined accent may be wealth and privately educated. A person who speaks quickly may be thinking visually. A person who has a deep, rough voice may have spent much time out of doors. If they hesitate, they may be unsure or lying.
Thoughts
Thinking
In a written story a person’s thoughts can easily be exposed. In plays monologues can be used and in movies thoughts can be betrayed from self-talk to conversation and action. Thinking is based on such as beliefs about how the world works. Decisions also show the rationality (or not) of thought, as does the way a person argues.
Feeling
Feelings are particularly given away by body language and voice tone. It is particularly in emotions that the underlying character is exposed. Emotions often appear in response to external effects and their effects on personal goals and whether they align with expectations. They thus also say much about the internal structure of how the person things.
Effects on others
The way a person interacts with other person says a great deal about their character. This shows factors such as empathy and social understanding.
Emotions
Of note are the emotions a person elicits in others. Do they invoke repulsion, fear or love? Are others attracted to them or move away?
Reactions
The way others react to a character also says a lot about them. Are they popular or alone? Are they leaders or followers? Do others help them or ignore them?
Actions
The way a person acts is driven by how they think, feel and how they interact with others. Above all, it is in the actions of people that the true character emerges.
With others
A particular test of a character is how they interact with other people, for example how selfish or sympathetic they are and whether they will altruistically help others without expecting something back in return.
Under stress
When we are stresssed, our behavior often changes to something less thoughtful. Stress is thus a further test of personality and reveals more of the person’s character.
Looks
The appearance of a person can give much away about them, although appearances can be deceptive. Looks thus should not be the only way a character is portrayed.
Expression
Facial expression and other body language tells much about a person. If they are scarred or otherwise battered by life or the weather, this also says much.
Dress
A person’s dress says something about what they can afford and also something about their sense of fashion (and concern for it). Thus a casually dressed person may be less worldly than a smart dude in a zoot suit!
The two-dimensional character is simple and unexplained. They appear and they do things, yet you do not know them as people.
Stories can get away with 2D minor characters, but if major characters are 2D the whole story will fall flat and lack credibility.
We pass many 2D characters in the street every day, yet some people we can tell in a moment are much more than that…
The 3D character
The three-dimensional character is first of all believable. The appear as credible people who you might know. Like humans, they have flaws and failings. They are individual and also seek to relate to others.
The trick of creating a 3D character is to add detail that is not strictly necessary for the plot, yet which helps to create a sense of reality. The critical trick in this is to do it without losing the reader, who will quickly get bored if you go too much and too quickly into character development.
Just as you discover attributes about your friends across the time that you know them, so also can a character develop across a story. If you are writing a whole series, then they can develop further.
Just because a character appears briefly in a story, it does not mean they cannot tell a story of their own. Even by the way they dress, much can be told, from high fashion to down-and-out rags. When good actors appear in small and cameo roles they can easily steal the show with masterful demonstration of all three dimensions.
2D vs. 3D
Here is a table that contrasts typical differences between 2D and 3D characters.
Support characters, as oppose to other characters, are motivated in some way towards helping the hero on the quest.
As many of us put ourselves first, at least in some key respects, it can be suspicious when one person dedicate themselves to another, perhaps even unto death. But prosocial behavior does happen and love does not have to be sexual or gender-based. Support characters typically gain support for their sense of identity through association with the Hero.
Support characters
There are many characters who can play in a support role. Here are just a few…
The Party
Although not a single support character, the Hero is often aided by a group of people who form the Party (the Gang, the Companionship, etc).
The Party may be highly cohesive, with a single and clear aim, or may be a relatively collective who work together because of some mutual benefit, from safety to dislike of the villain. a False Party may be formed where characters work together to find a treasure, whilst each seeks to deceive the other at the last minute to carry the treasure away for themself.
The Party is often made up of complementary characters, each of whom contributes something to the story. Although they may be heroic, typically none of these is as brave or skilled as the main Hero, thus highlighting the Hero’s remarkable qualities.
If we do not identify well with the Hero, the Party gives us a choice of support characters with which to associate.
The Faithful Companion
The Faithful Companion dedicates themself to supporting the main character, who they define as superior in some way. They often feel honored to be in the place they are, with the opportunity to support a great person.
In the Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee is an archetypal Faithful Companion, carrying Frodo on his back when Frodo is unable to work and even staying faithful when Frodo rails unkindly against him.
Companions gain much of the esteem from the reflected glory of the Hero and knowledge that they have contributed in ways that perhaps others do not. They are grateful for the position of trust and will never betray the Hero, even under severe duress.
In stories, we admire the complete integrity of the Faithful Companion and perhaps envy the Hero such unstinting support.
The Friend
The Friend is not as attached to the Hero as the Faithful Companion, but will nevertheless put themselves out significantly in the name of Friendship.
In the Lord of the Rings, Merry and Pippin are very good friends of Frodo, but do not have the dedicated closeness of Sam.
We often associate more easily with Friends than with Companions, as this is a more common role that we play. It reassures us that we can indeed have a place in an adventure story that is close to the heroic role.
The Ordinary Person
Help comes from many places and Ordinary People, who are often bystanders in the main plot can provide unexpected and significant support.
Most ordinary people have decent values and, when asked to help a good cause will help perhaps even beyond what might reasonably be expected.
Many of the the main characters in stories may start out as Ordinary People and, through character development and trial take on other roles. Many Heroes, in fact, start out as Ordinary People.
More than perhaps all other characters, the Ordinary Person represents us. We associate with them, then as they offer increasing support we a vicariously proud of their actions.
The Father
The Father has the archetypal role of Protector. He may also take on roles of Teacher, helping the person learn to live in the new world of grown-up adventure.
The Father, particularly for a male, is often the target of Oedipal envy and adolescent revolt and some villains may have a father element to them. For a female, the father plays the Protector role for much longer (though may also have some ambiguity, being an ‘unattainable male’).
When the Hero is older, the Father may add wisdom or perhaps even be a bit bumbling, such as the role played by Sean Connery in the Indiana Jones movies.
The Mother
The mother is the archetypal Nurturer, providing kind and thoughtful support that asks nothing in return.
The Mother is the earliest carer in a person’s life and has deep and original significance. For a male she represents early desire and loss (through the Oedipus Complex). For the female, she may be both Companion and Friend, against whom males (including the Father) are a separated species.
Parent figures thus have deep psychoanalytic meaning and tug at ancient neonatal memories.
The Kin
Beyond parents, blood ties leech off through siblings, grandparents, cousins and so on. The critical aspect of Kin is that there is a duty of care on both sides. Cousins are not supposed to fight one another. Aged grandparents must be cared for, whilst their wisdom is listened to and preserved.
Stories thus may include both the good support that comes from Kin and the obligations fulfilled to Kin. Stories may also come from Kin actions that are non-supportive, such as family feuds and family members who take different paths in life.
The Nurturer
The role of the Nurturer is to provide emotional support to the Hero, who may well be suffering significant stress during the adventure. Within a party, the Nurturer provides general support to others and helps to keep up the general spirit. When anyone is ill or depressed, the Nurturer will be there to help them.
This role may be played by a Mother or other Kin, such as a sister. It can also be played by a Companion or Friends. A Leader may take on Nurturing if it is needed.
In stories, we are grateful to the Nurturer for providing much-needed support and humanity in what may sometimes become an inhuman trial.
The Teacher
The Teacher helps the Hero learn and develop the knowledge and skills needed to complete the adventure. The Teacher may thus be a swordmaster, a Thinker, a Magician or other.
The Teacher help the Hero and party grow and develop and hence become three-dimensional characters. They often take the form of an old man, such as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars or Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. In a reversal, an Innocent can also take on the Teacher role.
As observers, we also may learn from the Teacher and this may well be intentional on the part of the storyteller. It can be easier to learn from characters in a story than be criticized for our own actions. Stories thus can form very useful teaching tales.
The Thinker
The Thinker provides the brain-power for the Hero and the party, alerting them to unthought-of issues and finding solutions to tricky puzzles. They ‘un-stick’ the plot when everything seems lost, finding ways forward that nobody else could credibly find.
Thinkers may be academic geniuses who seem to live on another planet or they may be pragmatic and hands-on practitioners whose knowledge and ability is based on a long experience. Sometimes they are the Hero, as in Sherlock Holmes and sometimes they act in a support role.
Thinkers help us sometimes as an effective Teacher (a role which they may also take on), showing what was not obvious. Stories may be a series of puzzles that we are invited to resolve, such as detective stories. When we find the solution ahead of the Thinker, we may be rightfully delighted.
The Doer
In contrast to the Thinker, the Doer is an all-action person who acts first and worries about the consequences later.
Heroes are often Doers, leading the main action of the story. Doers may also be Warriors or other action-oriented roles. They also may give opportunity for lessons around thinking before acting as they get themselves into unwise scrapes.
As observers of the story, we are grateful for the Doers who provide action, heroics and comedy. It is through their actions that the plot gathers pace and interesting things happen.
The Doubter
The Doubter expresses uncertainty about some aspect of the quest, whether it is the skills of the Hero, the validity of information received or the overall likelihood of success.
The Hero or others in the party may go through a period of doubt as they consider the size of the challenge ahead. This validates doubt as an expression of humanity and gives reality to their struggle, making their final conquest even more heroic.
Doubters have a role in highlighting the virtue of those who never lose faith in the Hero or the quest. In the New Testament of the Bible, ‘Doubting Thomas’ plays this role.
The Doubter may well reflect our uncertainty as to whether the task may be achieved or the validity of other incredulous aspects of the story. Their expression of doubt, however, allows these fears to be allayed as others in the party can then explain why they will succeed.
The Giver
The Giver, also known as the Donor or Provider, has some knowledge or artefact that they give to the Hero or some other member of the party. The gift takes the story a step closer to conclusion as now the Hero has some tool by which the next stage of the quest may be completed or which may be used in defeating the Villain.
The role of Giver may be taken by other characters, such as the Teacher, a parent or Friend. It may also be a neutral character, such as the Guardian who gives the Hero a special weapon after the Hero completes a particular sub-quest.
We are grateful to Givers although they may not play a significant role in the story. Unless they are main characters, their time is transitory. Nevertheless, they mark transition points and often occur at pauses in the action, for example in Lord of the Rings where Frodo is given information about the future by Galadriel.
The Joker
The Joker provides humorous elements and light relief to the story through mischief, joking and other antics. As such, they offer rest points at which we can release some tension before the next stage of the story winds us up again.
In Lord of the Rings, Merry (note the name) and Pippin, with their enduring sense of fun, provide relief between the major battles and other action scenes.
The Joker can be an ambiguous character, such as Shakespeare’s Puck, perhaps acting more as a traditional Fool or having a darker side.
The Protector
The Protector serves to keep someone or something safe, guarding it at all costs (and, as such, is related to the Guardian). Typically, the Protector is the primary Warrior in the party or may be assigned to a vulnerable character such as the Maiden.
The Protector is often sympathetic as they remind of the Father figure who will keep the child in us safe from harm.
The Magician
The Magician performs feats that we have no way of explaining. These may be deft illusions, technological marvels or may involve ‘true’ magic, depending on the story and the form of magic allowed.
In some ways, the Magician represents hope and rescue, as their seemingly infinite powers can be deployed to save any situation. To keep the story tense, the Magician often has limitations as to the use or effectiveness of their power.
The Organizer
Some stories are wreathed in chaos, rather than being a simple A-follows-B sequence. In such tales a key role is the Organizer, who creates order from disorder, structure from random uncertainty. Organizers also enact simpler tasks, such as managing the logistics of the journey. Organizing can come in many shapes, for example detectives such as Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes organize knowledge.
The Organizer can be a major role, depending on the story, but often is not. The task may also be taken on by one of the party, typically the Faithful Companion or a Friend.
Although not necessarily a major role, the Organizer adds credibility to a story, anchoring it in the real world and helping to join up the dots of the story.
The Witness
The Witness can play a key role in stories where they observe from a neutral position and are hence arbiters of the truth. Without prejudice, they say what they see and are not influenced by social bias or influence.
In the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, the little boy takes on the role of Witness when he is the only one to declare that the Emperor is naked. In doing so, the adults are permitted to also talk about this. The Witness thus legitimizes honesty.
When the Witness writes down what they see, they become historians and archivists. When they tell what has happened, they become storytellers and narrators. They may even be a disembodied voice that tells the main story and comments on the action.
The Conscience
The Conscience of the party acts to remind them of their values and of generally held social norms and ethics. This can be particularly significant in stories where achieving the goals of the story involves shady dealings and harm of others, perhaps even innocent bystanders.
When the Conscience speaks, people may feel guilty, but they do usually listen and the audience is reminded how good the Hero and the party is. The Conscience may also highlight villainy by talking about how bad the Villains are.
It is not uncommon for the mission be prioritized above following all social values. In this case, the purpose of the Conscience is to remind the audience of the over-riding importance of achieving goals such that some values become secondary.
The Turncoat Villain
Sometimes help comes from the most unexpected places and villains may provide help in some form or another, typically giving intelligence about the villain’s plans, thus allowing the hero to avoid a trap or prepare for a significant confrontation.
The most common form of villainous support comes from one of the main villain’s henchmen who conveniently acquires a conscience. Villains may also inadvertently offer support when they err or boast.
The generic Hero is the protagonist or main character of most stories, although stories may also have multiple heroes in them (for example Lord of the Rings).
The Hero is important in that we identify with him or her more strongly than with other character. We thus vicariously experience what the hero goes through, empathizing with their fears and exaltations. To identify with them means that they must be sympathetic in some way, and that the less attractive heroes have some redeeming feature with which we can connect.
A common theme is that the hero demonstrates courage in overcoming external obstacles to their goal. This may also parallel an internal transformation where they also overcome internal obstacles, thus growing and learning.
Hero sub-types
The Classic Hero
The Classic Hero is the person who goes on a quest to achieve some good end that benefits other people in some way. Perhaps they are rescuing a maiden in distress or preventing a dastardly villain from ruling the world.
We look up to the Classic Hero but may not fully believe their perfection. Nevertheless they are a clear ideal to which we can aspire.
The Tragic Hero
The Tragic Hero reflects more of the real world in that the slings, arrows and bullets that are thrown at them do not always miss.
The classic Tragic Hero is doomed from the outset, yet the continue in their quest, perhaps achieving it just before they (tragically) die.
The Tragic Hero may also fail in their quest, perhaps having bitten off more than they can chew.
For the audience, the tragic hero may represent their fears for themselves, that despite their best efforts that they will fail.
The Accidental Hero
The Accidental Hero just happens to get in the way of excitement and adventure and is swept up, often protesting, in the action. Perhaps their car is hi-jacked by gunmen or they are in a plane that crashes on a desert island. Which ever way, they are thrust into the main storyline and somehow manage to succeed, either stepping up to the plate and taking unavoidable responsibility or bumbling through and succeeding despite their own protests and inappropriate actions.
We associate more easily with the Accidental Hero as they generally represent the common person more than other heroes. Their plight is often a recipe for comedy as they stumble through the plot and we laugh at their naivety and slapstick.
The Super-hero
The Super-hero is an exaggeration of the classic hero in their abilities to succeed. In the modern genre they have super-human powers, such as Superman and the characters of the X-Men. In older stories, such heroes were mighty warriors or magicians.
These powers could make them human, so they often are portrayed with very human weaknesses and go through life-threatening experiences just as other heroes. Thus Superman is weakened by green kryptonite.
The Super-hero story often paints black-and-white caricatured characters in the same way that hero’s powers are exaggerated. Thus thus bad guy is truly evil and the henchmen are pretty stupid.
The Super-hero represents our dreams in which we can fly and have super-human strength.
The Anti-hero
The Anti-hero is a hero that we do not particularly like. Their indifference or distraction irritate us and they seem determined not to be heroic, but when the chips are down they pull out the stops and deliver.
Anti-heros can be frustrating for the audience, but they do increase anticipation and excitement as we wonder what they will do next.
The Knight
The Knight is driven by the knightly code of honor that demands bold acts and confrontation of evil wherever it may be found. The Knight thus rescues maidens but does not woo them, preferring instead to preserve a distant purity.
We tend not to associate directly with the Knight but they do represent the rescue that we often crave.
The Crusader
The Crusader is characterized by being driven by a powerful mission to which all other activities are subservient. The crusade often targets many others and may, for example, be to convert many people to a way of thinking.
We admire the Crusader’s fortitude in standing up to almost overwhelming odds. Through them we may realize that we can persuade others and change the world.
The Genius
The Genius is a highly intelligent person who uses their substantial brain-power to solve the problems with which they are confronted and decide what to do next. No problem is too big for them and they relish in conundrums and puzzles.
Geniuses may play in supporting roles, but can also take on the leading role. They are often nerdy, lacking social skills, but making up for this with their towering intellect. Sherlock Holmes is a classic example.
We may well envy their mental powers but are grateful that they are on the side of good.
The Leader
The Leader directs the troops, often from the front, who may contain other heroes, in achieving a critical goal. Their main skill is in inspiring and motivating others, although they also need to be able to determine which direction to lead their party.
The Leader can represent a parent or teacher who tells you what to do. By ceding decision to them, you place your trust in their ability to chose and achieve the final treasure.
The Bold Adventurer
The Bold Adventurer is close to the classic hero although with the primary goal of excitement and stimulation more than achieving some end (which they may also need to achieve — it is just that their personal satisfaction comes from the thrills of getting there).
The Adventurer thus steps into the unknown with a smile on their face and, whilst we might not follow them as we would the leader, we are drawn along with the story which promises non-stop excitement.
The courageous Child
When children are cast into leading roles, we expect them to behave as children, seeking adults who will protect them from harm. Thus when a child steps forward and takes on the bad guys we are amazed and impressed.
The Courageous Child perhaps represents something from our own childhood, where we played imaginary games of adventure, thus letting us recapture our youth for a little while.
The Whizz kid
The Whizz-kid is first a genius who usually knows everything there is to know about some subject — often technology — and usually more than the bumbling adults who are thrown into confusion by the amazing genius before them.
The Whizz-kid invents prodigiously and comes up with amazing contraptions or other solutions to whatever problems they face.
This prodigy perhaps represents some secret desires we have for super powers of the intellect. If we were to be like them (or at least have their brains) we could solve most of the problems before us at a single stroke.
The Silent Man
The Silent hero says little and does what is necessary with the minimum of fuss. They express little emotion, just getting on with what needs doing.
They are often mysterious characters and we wonder why they do what they do. Nevertheless we admire their abilities and also their lack of demands on the people around them. Other heroes may be a bit full of themselves by comparison.
The Founder
The Founder begins things, often institutions or societies that become great, perhaps through taking on some of the greatness of the founder.
In real life, company founders are often mythologized into heroic characters by the stories told of their vision and compassion.
Founders are also associated with birth and creation, which reaches deep into our psyches.
The Martyr
The Martyr first offers self-sacrifice in the name of a greater cause or the safety of significant others. This putting of others before oneself is a characteristic of most other heroes and martyrdom is a potential and defining route for any heroic action.
We may have great admiration for those who lay down their lives for their countries or their faiths, particularly in their ability to transcend our deep fear of dying and death.
The Savior
The Savior’s noble goal is to rescue others from discomfort and distress. Whether it is a lost child or captured maiden, the savior’s promise is of succor and salvation.
The Savior plays directly to our need for rescue that echoes down from early childhood, where parents would save us from real or imagined ills.
The Noble Savage
The Noble Savage is a primitive being who, from their appearance, would seem to be little more than an animal and hence could be expected to be fierce and uncaring (and perhaps too primitive to understand care).
Yet they also have a deep spark of humanity that perhaps exceeds our own, as they act with dignity and concern that is thrown into contrast against our expectations of them. Thus there may be a confusing juxtaposition, as we become the savage and they become the civilized being.
Thus the Noble Savage surprises and teaches us.
The Gentle Giant
Something like the Noble Savage, the huge person would seem to be able harm us without difficulty, yet they act in contrast to their appearance (and perhaps deliberately so) in the way that they gently and delicately interface with the world around them.
The Gentle Giant may not always be gentle as they mete out punishment to the villains, perhaps as they barge their way through on a rescue mission.
We are grateful to them for not harming the good guys and thus place them on a heroic plinth.
The Rough Diamond
The Rough Diamond is someone who may appear as a villain and maybe does have villainous tendencies. However, they also have a heart of gold and may unexpectedly perform heroic acts, perhaps even surprising themselves in the process.
The Rough Diamond, as with the noble savage and the gentle giant, reminds us that the world is not always as it seems and that goodness can be reassuringly found in even the most unexpected places.
There are many types by which characters may be classified. Here are a few.
Sympathetic characters
Sympathetic characters are those with whom we associate, forming a bond through which we vicariously share their experiences. We also get a sense of their attributes which we would perhaps like to have more of for ourselves.
Heroic
Heroic characters have strong values, working for higher ideals and often putting others first. They are essentially good and have high personal integrity.
We admire heroic characters and wish that that we were more like them, although we may also be grateful that there are such good people who will rescue us from our ills.
Wise
Wise characters are not only knowledgeable, they have the wisdom to know what to do in difficult circumstances. In stories they often act as advisors, helpers or mentors to the heroes.
To the audience, they may represent parents, teachers or other childhood paradigms of wisdom.
Innocent
Innocent characters are often affected by the plot, typically being victims and hurt by unsympathetic characters.
The audience feels sympathy for the innocent as they are perhaps reminded of their own innocent days.
Faithful
Faithful characters are concerned with duty and are often followers of the heroic character. They may also be unwise and weak characters who are faithful to the villain.
At the very least, we admire faithful characters for their devotion and steadfastness.
Human
Some people have very human frailties and weaknesses that perhaps lead them to unwise choices. It is not that they are bad but they just do not have the great integrity of the heroic people. They may well realize this and feel shameful about their limitations.
We may well identify with these very human people as they remind us of our own shortcomings.
Unsympathetic characters
We seldom identify with unsympathetic characters as they represent those qualities that we dislike.
Villainous
Villainous characters are those who deliberately break laws, serving an often-selfish purpose in which others may well be harmed or abused in some way. They are the antithesis of the heroic character, embodying all that we find wrong.
We love to hate villainous characters as they give us an outlet for the dislike we have of others in our lives. We also like to experience the schadenfreude (pleasure at the discomfort of others) when they are punished.
Foolish
Foolish characters are the opposite of wise characters. They lack knowledge or lack the ability to use knowledge to good effect. They are not the same as the Shakespearian ‘fool’, who is actually a very wise character.
We throw our hands up in horror or laugh at the fool, and are perhaps secretly grateful that there are others who more foolish than us.
False
The false character pretends to be something that they are not or deliberately tells falsehoods. They thus embody the socially distasteful deception and untruthfulness that heroes abhor.
Like villainous characters, we like to see the false being exposed and receive just treatment. False characters may also remind us of our own guilty shortcomings as we navigate truth to our own ends.
Selfish
Selfish characters do things for their own purpose and may well be careless and callous about how others are affected by their choices.
Audiences are shocked at selfishness that goes beyond socially accepted self-interest and find glee in these people reaping the rewards of their lack of care for others. We may also see ourselves reflected to some extent in the selfish person’s limitations and feel some balance of gratitude that there are others who are selfish and anger that they are reflecting us.
Animal
Animal characters are, to some extent, the opposite of human characters, displaying inhuman characteristics such as savageness and debauchery.
We are shocked by such lack of even basic humanity and perhaps fear the possibility of such loss of self happening to us.
Neutral characters
Neutral characters are neither sympathetic not sympathetic, although we may feel some sympathy for them, trapped as they are in the duty of their roles.
Guardians
Guardians prevent passage or access to some desired way or treasure. They allow the hero past only when some task is completed, whether it is to answer a riddle, complete a task or fight the guardian.
Guardians provide spectacle and entertainment as we empathize with the hero who must get past them.
Enforcers
Enforcers, such as police officers or soldiers, are there to ensure rules are followed and laws are kept. If these constraints are followed, then they do not act. If, however, they are broken, then they act according to specific rules, typically capturing and punishing the offenders.
When the enforcers are on the side of the hero, then we appreciate their role as helpers. When they hinder or attack the hero, we may well not blame them, though we are frustrated by their actions.
Bystanders
There are many characters in stories who are effective bystanders, not really contributing to the plot, although they do provide context, framing the story with the general activities of mundane human life, against which the actions of villains and heroes are thrown into marked contrast.
We think little about bystanders, and are seldom concerned with their fleeting appearance or even remember them more than for a moment or two.
Ambiguous characters
Ambiguous characters keep us on our toes as we guess whether they will be good or bad. Heroes can also be ambiguous as their very human internal struggles reflect the outer conflict.
Uncertain
Uncertain characters act in seemingly-random ways such that we can never tell what they will be doing next. Perhaps they are uncertain themselves and perhaps they are marching to a different drum, but their actions are difficult to predict.
Their uncertainty keeps us on out toes as we try to predict their actions and hope that they will behave in an approvable way.
Flawed
Flawed characters are good in many ways but have particular weaknesses, such as people who are never on time or men who cannot resist a pretty woman. These characteristics lead them into trouble and off the straight and narrow way that will lead them to their true goal.
We may sympathize with flawed characters as they remind us of our own limitations and may well forgive them their limitations. In this way sympathetic antagonists may be created.
Fickle
Fickle characters are petty in their choices, typically taking excessive time to select things which are of minor importance and fussing over detail. Their delays may be used to add tension or comedy to the story. Their attention to detail may also lead to important clues being discovered.
Fickle characters irritate us and may well remind us of such people in our own lives. We may also admire their sense of perfection.
Blevins (1993) describes a number of roles that people take in families, that can appear in the workplace and elsewhere and often crop up in stories. Note that different people may take different roles at different times and individuals may take on several roles at one. Individuals also tend more towards some roles than others.
Blamer
When things go wrong, the blamer points a finger. Things are never accidental — somebody is to blame. In doing so, of course, the blamer points a finger away from themself.
Cheerleader
The cheerleader stands on the sidelines and encourages others with great enthusiasm. Whilst they do not gain the highest prizes, they are safe and may well be popular.
Distracter
The distracter draws attention away from problems and towards things that are easier to accept and handle. Others may be grateful for this release from responsibility.
Favored son
This person has a special place in the hearts of parental figures. They get given the best and are more easily forgiven. This can make them arrogant.
Hero
The hero always saves the day when things go wrong or people are threatened. They help both individuals and the wider team.
Invalid
The invalid is sick, injured or otherwise limited in capability, sometimes through choice. They are often a burden on others who feel obliged to carry them.
Jester
This person makes light of most situations, creating laughter and levity. Like the distracter, this helps people avoid emotionally difficult situations.
Martyr
The martyr endures suffering, often with little complaint. They may carry the hurt on behalf of others. For this sacrifice, they get sympathetic attention.
Mascot
The mascot is a good luck symbol. They are harmless and loved. They give little but good feelings.
Placator
The placator calms down conflict between others and helps people resolve issues. They personally avoid conflict and may concede much in order to do so.
Rebel
Rebels are autonomous individuals who do not fit in. They push away and are pushed away. They look and think differently. They may also be annoyingly successful.
Saint
The saint is unremittingly good. They never think ill of others and work for the good of all people. They may feel superior and may be the subject of envy.
Scapegoat
When things go wrong, the scapegoat is given and accepts the blame. For this, they may feel like a martyr, though they are not treated as one.
Skeptic
The skeptic is the doubter who questions everything and believes nothing to be absolutely true. They can be useful truthseekers or annoying disrupters.
Star
The star is afforded special status. They are put on a plinth and adored. Limitations are ignored and strengths are over-played. They are assumed to have a bright future.
Carol Pearson, in Awakening The Heroes Within, describes twelve archetypes, each of which can go on a heroic quest. It is notable that some of these are not ‘traditional’ heroes in the sense of having archetypal strength of body or mind.
Here are a few notes and interpretations on each of Pearson’s archetypes.
Innocent
The Innocent, fearing abandonment, seeks safety.
Their greatest strength is the trust and optimism that endears them to others and so gain help and support on their quest.
Their main danger is that they may be blind to their obvious weaknesses or perhaps deny them. They can also become dependent on others to fulfil their heroic tasks.
Orphan
The Orphan, fearing exploitation, seeks to regain the comfort of the womb and neonatal safety in the arms of loving parents. To fulfil their quest they must go through the agonies of the developmental stages they have missed.
Their strength is the interdependence and pragmatic realism that they had to learn at an early age. A hazard is that they will fall into the victim mentality and so never achieve a heroic position.
Warrior
The Warrior is relatively simple in their thought patterns, seeking simply to win whatever confronts them, including the dragons that live inside the mind and their underlying fear of weakness.
Their challenge is to bring meaning to what they do, perhaps choosing their battles wisely, which they do using courage and the warrior’s discipline.
Caregiver
Caregivers first seek to help others, which they do with compassion and generosity. A risk they take is that in their pursuit to help others they may end up being harmed themselves.
They dislike selfishness, especially in themselves, and fear what it might make them.
Seeker
Seekers are looking for something that will improve their life in some way, but in doing so may not realize that they have much already inside themselves.
They embrace learning and are ambitious in their quest and often avoid the encumbrance of support from others. Needing to ‘do it themselves’, they keep moving until they find their goal (and usually their true self too).
Lover
The Lover seeks the bliss of true love and the syzygy of the divine couple.
They often show the passion that they seek in a relationship in their energy and commitment to gaining the reciprocal love of another.
They fear both being alone and losing the love that they have gained, driving them to constantly sustain their love relationships.
Destroyer
The Destroyer is a paradoxical character whose destructiveness reflects the death drive and an inner fear of annihilation. As a fighter, they are thus careless of their own safety and may put others in danger too.
Their quest is to change, to let go of their anger or whatever force drives them and return to balance, finding the life drive that will sustain them. Living on the cusp of life and death, they are often surprisingly humble.
Creator
Creators, fearing that all is an illusion, seek to prove reality outside of their minds.
A critical part of their quest is in finding and accepting themselves, discovering their true identity in relation to the external world.
Ruler
The Ruler’s quest is to create order and structure and hence an effective society in which the subjects of the Ruler can live productive and relatively happy lives.
This is not necessarily an easy task, as order and chaos are not far apart, and the Ruler has to commit themself fully to the task. The buck stops with them and they must thus be wholly responsible — for which they need ultimate authority.
Magician
The Magician’s quest is not to ‘do magic’ but to transform or change something or someone in some way.
The Magician has significant power and as such may be feared. They may also fear themselves and their potential to do harm.
Perhaps their ultimate goal is to transform themselves, achieving a higher plane of existence.
Sage
The Sage is a seeker after truth and enlightenment and journeys far in search of the next golden nugget of knowledge.
The danger for the sage and their deep fear is that their hard-won wisdom is built on the sand of falsehood. Their best hope is that they play from a position of objective honesty and learn to see with a clarity that knows truth and untruth.
Fool
The goal of the Fool is perhaps the wisest goal of all, which is just to enjoy life as it is, with all its paradoxes and dilemmas.
What causes most dread in the Fool is a lack of stimulation and being ‘not alive’. They must seek to ‘be’, perhaps as the Sage, but may not understand this.
Psychologist (Advert) Carl Gustav Jung described several archetypes that are based in the observation of differing but repeating patterns of thought and action that re-appear time and again across people, countries and continents.
Jung’s main archetypes are not ‘types’ in the way that each person may be classified as one or the other. Rather, we each have all basic archetypes within us. He listed four main forms of archetypes:
The Shadow
The Shadow is a very common archetype that reflects deeper elements of our psyche, where ‘latent dispositions’ which are common to us all arise. It also reflects something that was once split from us in early management of the objects in our lives.
It is, by its name, dark, shadowy, unknown and potentially troubling. It embodies chaos and wildness of character. The shadow thus tends not to obey rules, and in doing so may discover new lands or plunge things into chaos and battle. It has a sense of the exotic and can be disturbingly fascinating. In myth, it appears as the wild man, spider-people, mysterious fighters and dark enemies.
We may see the shadow in others and, if we dare, know it in ourselves. Mostly, however, we deny it in ourselves and project it onto others. It can also have a life of its own, as theOther. A powerful goal that some undertake is to re-integrate the shadow, the dark side, and the light of the ‘real’ self. If this can be done effectively, then we can become ‘whole’ once again, bringing together that which was once split from us.
Our shadow may appear in dreams, hallucinations and musings, often as something or someone who is bad, fearsome or despicable in some way. It may seduce through false friendship or threaten with callous disregard. Encounters with it, as an aspect of the subconscious, may reveal deeper thoughts and fears. It may also take over direct physical action when the person is confused, dazed or drugged.
The Anima and Animus
The second most prevalent pattern is that of the Anima (female) / Animus (male), or, more simply, the Soul, and is the route to communication with the collective unconscious. The anima/animus represents our true self, as opposed to the masks we wear every day and is the source of our creativity.
These archetypes may appear as someone exotic or unusual in some way, perhaps with amazing skills and powers. In fiction, heroes, super-heroes and gods may represent these powerful beings and awaken in us the sense of omnipotence that we knew in that very early neonatal phase.
Anima and animus are female and male principles that represent this deep difference. Whilst men have a fundamental animus and women an anima, each may also have the other, just as men have a feminine side and women a masculine. Jung saw men as having one dominant anima, contributed to by female members of his family, whilst women have a more complex, variable animus, perhaps made of several parts.
Jung theorized the development of the anima/animus as beginning with infant projection onto the mother, then projecting onto prospective partners until a lasting relationship can be found.
The Syzygy (the divine couple)
In combination, the anima and animus are known as syzygy (a word also used to denote alignment of planets), representing wholeness and completion. This combining brings great power and can be found in religious combinations such as the Christian Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy ghost).
A perfect partnership between man and woman can occur when not only are our physical forms compatible but also the anima and animus. Thus you might find your soul-mate. Finding our matching other half is a lifetime of search for many of us, and few of us succeed in this quest. Love of another indicates an actual, perceived or hoped-for close match.
The Self
For Jung, the self is not just ‘me’ but God. It is the spirit that connects and is part of the universe. It is the coherent whole that unifies both consciousness and unconsciousness. It may be found elsewhere in such principles as nirvana and ecstatic harmony. It is perhaps what Jaques Lacan called ‘the real’.
Jung described creation of the self as a process of individuation, where all aspects are brought together as one. Thus ‘re-birth’ is returning to the wholeness of birth, before we start to split our selves into many parts.
Other archetypes
Jung said that there are a large number of archetypes. These are often linked to the main archetypes and may represent aspects of them. They also overlap and many can appear in the same person. For example:
Family archetypes
The father: Stern, powerful, controlling
The mother: Feeding, nurturing, soothing
The child: Birth, beginnings, salvation
Story archetypes
The hero: Rescuer, champion
The maiden: Purity, desire
The wise old man: Knowledge, guidance
The magician: Mysterious, powerful
The earth mother: Nature
The witch or sorceress: Dangerous
The trickster: Deceiving, hidden
Animal archetypes
The faithful dog: Unquestioning loyalty
The enduring horse: Never giving up
The devious cat: Self-serving
Deep origins
A notable characteristic of Jung’s archetypes is that we recognize them in image and emotion. This gives a profound effects on us and implies that they have deep and primitive origins. They thus have a particular potential for significance and may be feared or revered as mysterious signifiers of things beyond our complete understanding.
In earlier work, Jung linked the archetypes to heredity and considered them as instinctual. Yet wherever he looked across cultures, he found the same archetypes and thus came to conceptualize them as fundamental forces that somehow exist beyond us. They have existed in ancient myths as elemental spirits and Jung sought to link with this deep and old experience.
See also
Jung, C.G. (1964). Man and His Symbols, New York; Doubleday and Company, Inc.
The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the LORD is to bring part of it as his sacrifice to the LORD. With his own hands he is to bring the offering made to the LORD by fire; he is to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the LORD as a wave offering. – Leviticus 7.28-30
God told the people of Israel to bring their fellowship offerings personally, with their own hands. They were to take time and effort to express thanks to God. You are the only person who can express thanks to God and to others. Do you leave it to others to express thanks for what people have done? Do you rely on the one leading the prayer to thank God for you? Take time yourself to express thanks both to God and to others who have helped and blessed you.
(The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the LORD must be cut off from his people. And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.’ “ – Leviticus 2:22-27. The fat portions were regarded as the best portions; therefore, it was appropriate to dedicate them only to God. Because blood was the river of life, and life was God’s gift and his alone, blood had to be returned to God and not used by people).
(The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution. The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share. From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their regular share from the Israelites.’ “ This is the portion of the offerings made to the LORD by fire that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the LORD as priests. On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their regular share for the generations to come. – Leviticus 7:31-36. The offering that was waved before the altar was called the wave offering. The part of the offering the priests waved was theirs to keep. The waving motion towards and way from the altar symbolised the offering of the sacrifice to God and his returning it to the priests. These offerings helped to care for the priests, who cared for God’s house. The New Testament teaches that ministers should be paid by the people they serve (1 Corinthians 9:10). We should give generously to those who minister to us).
Developing an attitude of:
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” – Numbers 11.4-6
Dissatisfaction comes when our attention shifts from what we have to what we don’t have. The people of Israel didn’t seem to notice what God was doing for them – setting them free, making them a nation, giving them a new land – because they were so wrapped up in what God wasn’t doing for them. They could think of nothing but the delicious Egyptian food they had left behind. Somehow they forgot that the brutal whip of Egyptian slavery was the cost of eating that food. Before we judge the Israelites too harshly, it’s helpful to think about what occupies our attention most of the time. Are we grateful for what God has given us, or are we always thinking about what we would like to have? We should not allow our unfulfilled desires to cause us to forget God’s gift of life, food, health, work, and friends.
(The rabble refers to a mixed crowd of Egyptians and others who had followed Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 12:38)).
(Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.. . But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down. Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the LORD, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now – if I have found favour in your eyes – do not let me face my own ruin.” The LORD said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Make them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. – Numbers 11:1, 6-15. The Israelites complained, and then Moses complained. But God responded positively to Moses and negatively to the rest of the people. Why? The people complained to one another, and nothing was accomplished. Moses took his complaint to God, who could solve any problem. Many of us are good at complaining to each other. We need to learn to take our problems to the One who can do something about them).
(Every morning the Israelites drew back their tent doors and witnessed a miracle. Covering the ground was white, fluffy manna – food from heaven. But soon that wasn’t enough. Fleeing it was their right to have more, they forgot what they already had. They didn’t ask God to fill their need; instead they demanded meat, and they stopped trusting God to care for them. “If only we had meat to eat!” they complained to Moses as they reminisced about the good food they had in Egypt. God gave them what they asked for, but they paid dearly for it when a plague struck the camp (see 11:18-20, 31-34). When you ask God for something, he may grant your request. But if you approach him with a sinful attitude, getting what you want may prove costly).
Then the officers who were over the units of the army – the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds – went to Moses and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired – armlets, bracelets, signet rings, ear-rings and necklaces – to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD. – *Numbers 31.48-50
After carefully account for all their men, the officers discovered that not one soldier had been lost in battle. At once they thanked God. After going through tough times, we should be quick to thank God for delivering us and protecting us from severe loss.
(The LORD said to Moses, “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats. Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the LORD’s part. From the Israelites half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD’s tabernacle.” – Numbers 31.25-30. Moses told the Israelites to give a portion of the war spoils to God. Another portion was to go to the people who remained behind. Similarly, the money we earn is not ours alone. Everything we possess comes directly or indirectly from God and ultimately belongs to him. We should return a portion to him (a “tribute”) and also share a portion with those in need).
(The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. – Numbers 32.1ff. Three tribes (Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) wanted to live east of the Jordan River (referred to as the Transjordan area) on land they had already conquered. Moses immediately assumed they had selfish motives and were trying to avoid helping the others fight for the land across the river. But Moses jumped to the wrong conclusion. In dealing with people, we must find out all the facts before making up our minds. We shouldn’t automatically assume that their motives are wrong, even if their plans sound suspicious).
Should be continuous part of life:
He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God [Wall] of Israel – 1 Chronicles 16.4
Certain Levites were appointed to give continual praise and thanks to God. Praise and thanksgiving should be a regular part of our routine, not reserved only for celebrations. Praise God continually, and you will find that you won’t take his blessings for granted.
(As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. – 1 Chronicles 15.29. David was willing to look foolish in the eyes of some people in order to express his thankfulness to God fully and honestly. In contrast, Michal was so disgusted by his “undignified” actions that she could not rejoice in the ark’s return to Jerusalem. Worship had so deteriorated under her father Saul’s reign that it had become stilted and ritualistic. Michal could accept David as a military conqueror and as a king, but she could not accept his free and spontaneous expression of praise to God. Some devoted people may look foolish to us in their heartfelt expressions of worship, but we must accept them. In the same way, we should not be afraid to worship God with whatever expressions seem appropriate).
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. – Psalms 92.1-2
When things are going well, we focus on our blessings and express our gratitude to God for them. But thanks should be on our lips every day. We can never say thank you enough to parents, friends, leaders, and especially to God. When thanksgiving becomes an integral part of your life, you will find that your attitude towards life will change. You will become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble.
(For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways – Psalms 91.11. One of the functions of angels is to watch over believers (Hebrews 1.14). There are examples of guardian angels in Scripture (1 Kings 19.5; Daniel 6.22; Matthew 18.10; Luke 16.22; Acts 12.7), although there is no indication that one angel is assigned to each believer. Angels can also be God’s messengers (Matthew 2.13; Acts 27.23, 24). Angels are not visible, except on special occasions (Numbers 22.31; Luke 2.9). Verses 11 and 12 were quoted by Satan when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4.6; Luke 4.10, 11). It is comforting to know that God watches over us even in times of great stress and fear).
(The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. – Psalms 92.12, 13. Palm trees are known for their long life. To flourish like palm trees means to stand tall and to live long. The cedars of Lebanon grew to 120 feet in height and up to 30 feet in circumference; thus, they were solid, strong, and immovable. The psalmist saw believers as upright, strong, and unmoved by the winds of circumstance. Those who place their faith firmly in God can have this strength and vitality).
Elements of:
That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD:
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant for ever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”
When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”
Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling-place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures for ever. Cry out, “Save us, O God our Saviour; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise.” Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.” – 1 Chronicles 16.7-36
Four elements of true thanksgiving are found in this song (psalm): (1) remembering what God has done, (2) telling others about it, (3) showing God’s glory to others, and (4) offering gifts of self, time, and resources. If you are truly thankful, your life will show it.
(Several parts of this psalm are parallel to songs in the book of Psalms: 16.8-22 with Psalms 105.1-15; 16.23-33 with Psalms 96; 16:34-36 with Psalms 106.1, 47, 48).
(This covenant was given to Abraham (Genesis 15.18-21), and then passed on to Isaac (Genesis 26.24, 25) and Jacob (Genesis 28.13-15). God promised to give the land of Canaan (present-day Israel) to their descendants. He also promised that the Messiah would come from their line).
(The basis of praise is declaring God’s character and attributes in the presence of others. When we recognise and affirm his goodness we are holding up his perfect moral nature for all to see. Praise benefits us because it takes our minds off our problems and needs and focuses on God’s power, mercy, majesty, and love).
(Genuine praise also involves ascribing glory to God. Remember this in your worship – give God all the glory).
(David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister there regularly, according to each day’s requirements – 1 Chronicles 16.37. Asaph and his fellow Levites ministered in the temple, doing each day whatever was needed. To carry out God’s work is not merely to engage in religious exercises. It includes other necessary tasks. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to teach or preach, God can use you in the ministry. What needs to be done? Cleaning, serving, singing, planning, administering? Look for ways to minister each day).
In all areas of life:
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down towards your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stout-hearted. – Psalm 138.1-3
Thanksgiving should be an integral part of our praise to God. This theme is woven throughout the psalms. As we praise and thank God for material and spiritual blessings, we should also thank him for answered prayer. Remember when you asked God for protection, strength, comfort, patience, love, or other special needs, and he supplied them? Beware of taking God’s provision and answered prayer for granted.
(“Before the gods” may mean in the presence of subordinate heavenly beings (angels), or, more likely, it may be a statement ridiculing the kings or gods of the pagan nations. God is the highest in the whole earth).
(O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us – he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. – Psalms 137.8, 9. God destroyed Babylon and its offspring for their proud assault against God and his kingdom. The Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon in 539 B.C. Many of those who were oppressed lived to see the victory. The phrase about the infants is harsh because the psalmist is crying out for judgment: “Treat the Babylonians the way they treated us”).
(The LORD will fulfil his purpose, for me; your love, O LORD, endures for ever – do not abandon the works of your hands. – Psalm 138.8. Every person dreams and makes plans for the future. Then they work hard to see those dreams and plans come true. But to make the most of life, we must include God’s plan in our plans. He alone knows what is best for us; he alone can fulfil his purpose for us. As you make plans and dream dreams, talk with God about them).
Demonstrated by the leper:
He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. – Luke 17.16
Jesus healed all ten lepers, but only one returned to thank him. It is possible to receive God’s great gifts with an ungrateful spirit – nine of the ten men did so. Only the thankful man, however, learned that his faith had played a role in his healing; and only grateful Christians grow in understanding God’s grace. God does not demand that we thank him, but he is pleased when we do so. And he uses our responsiveness to teach us more about himself.
(Not only was this man a leper, he was also a Samaritan – a race despised by the Jews as idolatrous half-breeds (see the note on 10.33). Once again Luke is pointing out that God’s grace is for everybody).
Thank those who have helped you:
Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God [Wall]. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognised him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. – Acts 3.7-10
In his excitement, the formerly crippled man began to jump and walk around. He also praised God! And then others were also awed by God’s power. Don’t forget to thank people who help you, but also remember to praise God for his care and protection.
(Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” – Acts 3.6. “In the name of Jesus Christ” means “by the authority of Jesus Christ”. The apostles were doing this healing through the Holy Spirit’s power, not their own).
(While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. – Acts 3.11 Solomon’s Colonnade was a covered porch or entrance with columns).
(Peter had an audience, and he capitalised on the opportunity to share Jesus Christ. He clearly presented his message by telling (1) who Jesus is, (2) how the Jews had rejected him, (3) why their rejection was fatal, and (4) what they needed to do to change the situation. Peter told the crowd that they still had a choice: God still offered them the opportunity to believe and receive Jesus as their Messiah and as their Lord. Displays of God’s mercy and grace, such as the healing of this crippled man, often create teachable moments. Pray to have courage like Peter to see these opportunities and to use them to speak up for Christ).
About the spiritual gifts of others:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. – Romans 12.6-8
Look at this list of gifts and imagine the kinds of people who would have each gift. Prophets are often bold and articulate. Servers are faithful and loyal. Teachers are clear thinkers. Encouragers know how to motivate others. Givers are generous and trusting. Leaders are good organisers and managers. Those who show mercy are caring people who are happy to give their time to others. It would be difficult for one person to embody all these gifts. An assertive prophet would not usually make a good counsellor, and a generous giver might fail as a leader. When you identify your own gifts (and this list is far from complete), ask how you can use them to build up God’s family. At the same time, realise that your gifts can’t do the work of the church all alone. Be thankful for people whose gifts are completely different from yours. Let your strengths balance their weaknesses, and be grateful that their abilities make up for your deficiencies. Together you can build Christ’s church.
(God gifs us gifts so we can build up his church. To use them effectively, we must (1) realise that all gifts and abilities come from God; (2) understand that not everyone has the same gifts; (3) know who we are and what we do best; (4) dedicate our gifts to God’s service and not to our personal success; (5) be willing to utilise our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding back anything from God’s service).
(God’s gifts differ in nature, power, and effectiveness according to his wisdom and graciousness, not according to our faith. The “measure of faith” (12.3) or the “proportion to his faith” means that God will give spiritual power necessary and appropriate to carry out each responsibility. We cannot, by our own effort or willpower, drum up more faith and thus be more effective teachers or servants. These are God’s gifts to his church, and he gives faith and power as he wills. Our role is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what Christ has given us).
(Prophesying in Scripture is not always predicting the future. Often it means preaching God’s messages (1 Corinthians 14.1-3)).
(Lovemust be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. – Romans 12.9. Most of us have learned how to pretend to love others – how to speak kindly, avoid hurting their feelings, and appear to take an interest in them. We may even be skilled in pretending to feel moved with compassion when we hear of others’ needs, or to become indignant when we learn of injustice. But God calls us to real and sincere love that goes far beyond pretence and politeness. Sincere love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money, and personal involvement. No individual has the capacity to express love to a whole community, but the body of Christ in your town does. Look for people who need your love, and look for ways you and your fellow believers can love your community for Christ).
Proper response to salvation:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God [Wall] – not by works, so that no-one can boast. – Ephesians 2.8-9
When someone gives you a gift, do you say, “That’s very nice – -now how much do I owe you?”? No, the appropriate response to a gift is “Thank you”. Yet how often Christians, even after they have been given the gift of salvation, feel obligated to try to work their way to God. Because our salvation and even our faith are gifts, we should respond with gratitude, praise, and joy.
(And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus – Ephesians 2.6. Because of Christ’s resurrection, we know that our bodies will also be raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15.2-23) and that we have been given the power to live as Christians now (1.19). These ideas are combined in Paul’s image of sitting with Christ in “the heavenly realms” (see the note on 1.3). Our eternal life with Christ is certain because we are united in his powerful victory).
Should move us to action:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God [Wall] – not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2.8-10
We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. However, out of gratitude for this free gift, we will seek to help and serve others with kindness, love, and gentleness, and not merely to please ourselves. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (4.12).
(We are God’s workmanship (work of art, masterpiece). Our salvation is something only God can do. It is his powerful, creative work in us. If God considers us his work of art, we dare not treat ourselves or others with disrespect or as inferior work).
(Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hand of men) – remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. – Ephesians 2.11-13. Pious Jews (“the circumcision”) considered all non-Jews (the “uncircumcised”) ceremonially unclean. They thought of themselves as pure and clean because of their national heritage and religious ceremonies. Paul pointed out that Jews and Gentiles alike were unclean before God and needed to be cleansed by Christ. In order to realise how great a gift salvation is, we need to remember our former natural, unclean condition. Have you ever felt separate, excluded, hopeless? These verses are for you. No-one is alienated from Christ’s love or from the body of believers).
For God’s available strength:
…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5.20
When you feel down, you may find it difficult to give thanks. Take heart – in all things God works for our good if we love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8.28). Thank God, not for your problems, but for the strength he is building in you through the difficult experiences of your life. You can be sure that God’s perfect love will see you through.
(Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. – Ephesians 5.18. Paul contrasts getting drunk with wine, which produces a temporary “high”, to being filled with the Spirit, which produces lasting joy. Getting drunk with wine is associated with the old way of life and its selfish desires. In Christ, we have a better joy, higher and longer lasting, to cure our depression, monotony, or tension. We should not be concerned with how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us the Holy Spirit has. Submit yourself daily to his leading and draw constantly on his power).
(Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. – Ephesians 5.21, 22. Submitting to another person is an often misunderstood concept. It does not mean becoming a doormat. Christ – at whose name “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2.10) – submitted his will to the Father, and we honour Christ by following his example. When we submit to God, we become more willing to obey his command to submit to others, that is, to subordinate our rights to theirs. In a marriage relationship, both husband and wife are called to submit. For the wife, this means willingly following her husband’s leadership in Christ. For the husband, it means putting aside his own interests in order to care for his wife. Submission is rarely a problem in homes where both partners have a strong relationship with Christ and where each is concerned for the happiness of the other).
For those who bring you joy:
How can we thank God enough for you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. – 1 Thessalonians 3.9-10
It brings great joy to a Christian to see another person come to faith in Christ and mature in that faith. Paul experienced this joy countless times. He thanks God for those who had come to know Christ and for their strong faith. He also prayed for their continued growth. If there are new Christians who have brought you joy, thank God for them and support them as they continue to grow in the faith.
(Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. – 1 Thessalonians 3.7, 8. During persecution or pressure, believers should encourage one another. Christians who stand firm in the Lord encourage both ministers and teachers (who can see the benefit of their work in those who remain faithful), and also those who are new in their faith (who can learn from the steadfastness of the mature)).
(Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. – 1 Thessalonians 3.11. Paul wanted to return to Thessalonica. We have no record that he was able to do so; but when he was travelling through Asia on his third journey, he was joined by Aristarchus and Secundus, who were from Thessalonica (Acts 20.4, 5)).
Express it to church leaders:
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. – 1 Thessalonians 5.12-13
How can you show respect to and hold in the “highest regard” your pastor and other church leaders? Express your appreciation, tell them how you have been helped by their leadership and teaching, and thank them for their ministry in your life. If you say nothing, how will they know where you stand? Remember, they need and deserve your support and love.
(“Those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord” probably refers to elders and deacons in the church).
(For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5.9-11. As you near the end of a long race, your legs ache, your throat burns, and your whole body cries out for you to stop. This is when friends and fans are most valuable. Their encouragement helps you push through the pain to the finish line. In the same way, Christians are to encourage one another. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the difference between finishing well and collapsing along the way. Look around you. Be sensitive to others’ need for encouragement, and offer supportive words or actions).
(And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. – 1 Thessalonians 5.14. Don’t loaf around with the idle; warn them. Don’t yell at the timid and weak; encourage and help them. At times it’s difficult to distinguish between idleness and timidity. Two people may be doing nothing – one out of laziness and the other out of shyness or fear of doing something wrong. The key to ministry is sensitivity: sensing the condition of each person and offering the appropriate remedy for each situation. You can’t help effectively until you know the problem. You can’t apply the medicine until you know where the wound is).
How to give thanks in everything:
…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5.18
Paul was not teaching that we should thank God for everything that happens to us, but in everything. Evil does not come from God, so we should not thank him for it. But when evil strikes, we can still be thankful for God’s presence and for the good that he will accomplish through the distress.
(Our joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings. Obeying these three commands – be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks – often goes against our natural inclinations. When we make a conscious decision to do what God says, however, we will begin to see people in a new perspective. When we do God’s will, we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful).
(..pray continually – 1 Thessalonians 5.17. We cannot spend all our time on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times. This attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realising his presence within us, and determining to obey him fully. Then we will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers. A prayerful attitude is not a substitute for regular times of prayer but should be an outgrowth of those times).
(Do not put out the Spirit’s fire – 1 Thessalonians 5.19. By warning us not to “put out the Spirit’s fire”, Paul means that we should not ignore or toss aside the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. Here, he mentions prophecy (5.20); in 1 Corinthians 14.39, he mentions tongues. Sometimes spiritual gifts are controversial, and they may cause division in a church. Rather than trying to solve the problems, some Christians prefer to smother the gifts. This impoverishes the church. We should not stifle the Holy Spirit’s work in anyone’s life but encourage the full expression of these gifts to benefit the whole body of Christ).
The absence of women among the 12 disciples has bothered a few people. But it is clear that there were many women among Jesus’ followers. It is also clear that Jesus did not treat women as others in his culture did; he treated them with dignity, as people of worth.
Mary of Magdala was an early follower of Jesus who certainly deserves to be called a disciple. An energetic, impulsive, caring woman, she not only travelled with Jesus, but also contributed to the needs of the group. She was pregnant at the crucifixion and was on her way to anoint Jesus’ body on Sunday morning when she discovered the empty tomb. Mary was the first to see Jesus after his resurrection.
Mary Magdalene is a heartwarming example of thankful living. Her life was miraculously freed by Jesus when he drove seven demons out of her. In every glimpse we have of her, she was acting out her appreciation for the freedom Christ had given her. That freedom allowed her to stand under Christ’s cross when all the disciples except John were hiding in fear. After Jesus’ death, she intended to give his body every respect. Like the rest of Jesus’ followers, she never expected his bodily resurrection – – but she was overjoyed to discover it.
Mary’s faith was not complicated, but it was direct and genuine. She was more eager to believe and obey than to understand everything. Jesus honoured her childlike faith by appearing to her first and by entrusting her with the first message of his resurrection.
Strengths and accomplishments:
Contributed to the needs of Jesus and his disciples
One of the few faithful followers present at Jesus’ death on the cross
First to see the risen Christ
Weakness and mistake:
Jesus had to drive seven demons out of her
Lessons from her life:
Those who are obedient grow in understanding
Women are vital to Jesus’ ministry
Jesus relates to women as he created them – as equal reflectors of God’s image
Vital statistics:
Where: Magdala
Occupation: We are not told, but she seems to have been wealthy
Contemporaries: Jesus, the 12 disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus’ mother Mary
Key verse: “When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons” (Mark 16.9).
Mary Magdalene’s story is told in Matthew 27, 28; Mark 15, 16; Luke 23, 24; and John 19, 20. She is also mentioned in Luke 8.2.
Duomo Sant'Andrea - "I Knew You'd Be A Girl! 