Romans 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
In my early Christian walk I was taught that Jesus is coming and will take me out of this sinful world and what I need to do is remain spotless and wait for the ‘rapture.’
However, in reading Scripture and being able to travel to many different countries of the world and seeing the corruption, injustice, moral decay, etc. I began to realize that we, the church, are the salt and light of the world. God has put us here to bring forth truth, righteousness and justice in this insane world.
Ephesians 1:9-11 “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
When reading this passage I began to realize that the Bible is not necessarily concerned about geographical location whether spiritual or physical, but concerned about the Person of Christ and His rule and dominion in the cosmos.
One of the most important issues in the 21st century will be men and women of character. We are born with a personality, but not with a character. Character is something that is developed by how we daily respond to life situations that come our way.
Dr. Elijah Morgan & Peter Riederer in Schweizer Arbeitgeber commented: “THE WORLD NEEDS MEN AND WOMEN…who can’t be bought; who keep their promises; who value character over riches; with an opinion and a will; who value inner greatness over visible career; who readily take steps of faith; who retain their identity in a crowd; who do not compromise themselves with falsehood; whose personal ambitions are not limited to personal gain; who do not say that “we do it because the others do it;” who remain loyal to their friends through success and failure; who believe that tricks, calculation and cunning are not the only keys to success who are not afraid of standing up for the truth, even if it is unpopular; who can decisively say ‘no’ in the face of a world saying ‘yes.’”
Ralph Waldo Emerson said: ”Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think.”
Abraham Lincoln commented about character: ”Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”
Laura Schlessinger said: ”Integrity is its own reward.”
J.C. Watts said: ”Character is doing what’s right when nobody’s looking.”
Mark Twain said: ”It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
General H. Norman Schwartzkopf said this: “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”
Aesop: ”Outside show is a poor substitute for inner worth.”
Lord Chesterfield: ”You must look into people, as well as at them.”
Benjamin Disraeli: ”Characters do not change. Opinions alter, but characters are only developed.”
Henry Clay: ”Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character.”
Heraclitus: ”Man’s character is his fate.”
Oswald Chambers said: “No man is born with character; we make our own character. When a man is born from above a new disposition is given to him, but not a new character; neither naturally nor supernaturally are we born with character. Character is what a man makes out of his disposition as it comes in contact with external things. A man’s character cannot be summed up by what he does in spots, but only by what he is in the main trend of his existence. When we describe a man we fix on the exceptional things, but it is the steady trend of a man’s life that tells. Character is that which steadily prevails, not something that occasionally manifests itself.”
We see what people down through the ages have to say about character. The person that God uses is a man/woman of character. With all of our getting; get character.