Abigail Van Buren said, "The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back."
What is character?
A dictionary defines character as a complex of mental and ethical traits and those traits, or qualities, are built into an individual's life. It is those character qualities, character traits, which determine a person's response in any given situation.
Character and integrity are very close and their association. Integrity has to do with the strength of an individual. When we speak of a building, the integrity of the building is its ability to stand. After an earthquake, a building may have caution tape placed around it so no one enters because its integrity has been compromised. It no longer can be trusted because of its weakened condition.
Habitual submission to godly principles forms the character of a person and strengthens the integrity of their heart. Regardless of the shaking in circumstances that a person may face, they refuse to compromise and weaken the integrity of their soul.
Compromise is the number-one enemy of character. It has been said that compromise is the welcome mat to deception. It is worth noting that no one can destroy our character, unless we allow or permit them to do it. You have heard people say such things as “Billy Bob sure did destroy that church over there.” The fact is, no one has the ability to destroy the church, unless they allow them to. This is true individually as well as a corporate setting as a church. The only way that my character can be ruined is if that first I compromise my values. If I value truth, then I will not lie. If a person tells me a lie about someone else, the only way, the lie continues is if I compromise my value of the truth and perpetuate the lie onward. However, if I maintain my values, the lie goes no further, and my integrity remains.
Maintaining character and integrity does require effort. It is not for the lazy, apathetic, lethargic, and those wanting everything done for them. Being responsible is a must! Never forget the words of Solomon when he said that a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.
Why is character so important?
It creates honor in other people. When people honor you, they give you access to their heart to influence them. If we are going to be a force in the world today we must maintain our character, strengthen our integrity, and keep open the channel of influence to the world around us. When our life is built on a spiritually moral foundation, we become contagious to everyone around us. A lifestyle of integrity is like the sun, it does not announce its arrival in the morning, it just shines and all recognize it and benefit from it.
THE WORLD NEEDS MEN...
who cannot be bought;Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.107-8.
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it" because everybody else does it";
who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the
world says "yes."
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