None of us wakes up in the morning hoping to mess it all up. We want to stay bold in our faith, strong for our family and friends, righteous in our daily life, and stalwart in our integrity.
The internet is filled with videos and sites to build your talent, many to help you make “more money than you’ve ever dreamed,” and others to make your voice heard. Few help build character.
To build this bedrock, measure yourself against these truths...
1. Commit to live in private what you talk about in public.
Character is a quality of faithfulness most easily seen in what a man does when he is all alone. Or, when he knows no one else will find out. That choice is the difference between men who rise to greatness, or men who just live life.
Living your faith in private and public builds confidence in those who look to you for leadership. A life of private integrity gives you a public life of boldness and lifestyle.
2. Make truth the primary principle of your life and your speech.
The character of a man is measured in his faithfulness to virtue. Faithfulness is measured by obedience. Obedience is just doing the next little thing God tells you to do. You only do wrong because you don’t do right. Do what is right, don’t do what is wrong.
So simple. Yet men follow the deception of their hearts, the pull of the world, the lure of the flesh. So often our words betray the true intent of our hearts. Check your tongue before it carries you into untruth.
3. Practice forgiveness.
The power of the Cross is the sacrificial generosity of forgiveness. Forgiveness opens, unforgiveness closes. Forgiving others makes a man larger in his spirit, stronger in his vision, and keeps him unbound by the petty circumstances of life.
Forgiveness will make you a man who stands upright. We all make mistakes. Yet, a man is not defined by the mistakes of his past, but by the fact that he is a passionate pursuer of the power of God. When you stand forgiving, remember to forgive yourself.
We are more than conquerors.
4. Push away from distractions.
The world is crammed with millions of voices—advertising, news, media, and more. Focus your life by increasing your time reading the Word of God and spending time in intimacy with Him in prayer. What you focus on will eventually become the center of your life. The Word of God builds a living hedge of protection into our hearts. David said in Psalm 119:11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, so I will not sin against you.” Prayer is the fuel of a faithful life.
5. Develop friends who have a heart for God.
Daniel and his friends were young men of faith who exhibited courage as a result of their character. The key was they had like-hearted friendships. Talent can be built while alone, but character is built in a fully engaged community.
This may be one of the most critical areas that I see men disregard - yet one of the most powerful ones. It's how you build the atmosphere around your heart ... and everything lives or dies based on the atmosphere it's in.
