Building Character

Tom Barnard

 

“…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Galatians 6:7 KJV

 

Character is one of the building blocks of the personality—and of society. Madame Chiang Kai-shek once wrote, “Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment. Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurture, for growth and development.” She was right, of course. Character can stand for things good and noble, or it can stand for things evil and dishonorable. Time and nurture reveal the direction a person’s choices take them.

 

In 1993 the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles published a brochure in which it listed what the organization called “Six Pillars of Character.” None of these should surprise you. They are: “Trustworthiness…Respect…Responsibility…Fairness…Caring…and Citizenship.” Each of these can stand alone, or they can inter-relate with each other. For example, take the first one—Trustworthiness. The Institute observed that it embodies “honesty, integrity, reliability, and loyalty.” Aren’t these the building blocks of Respect? Responsibility? Fairness? Caring? Even Citizenship? Of course.

 

American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” We don’t inherit character, although character can be taught. What really matters most is what we allow to develop within us through the choices we make. As Madame Chiang Kai-shek concluded, “Thus also, day by day we write our own destiny; for inexorably we become what we do. This, I believe, is the supreme logic and the law of life.” As Jesus said, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

 

Heavenly Father, even at my rather advanced age I know I am still building character in my life. I am in the “making-choices” business, and I have been working at this business for most of my life. While I know I am responsible for my choices, I also know you will never allow me to be misled in the direction I should take. I affirm that today. Let me hear your voice guiding me and loving me and encouraging me. If I stray, chasten me. I so very much need to hear your voice today. Thanks for speaking the words I need to hear. Amen.