Character

Character

(J.R. Miller)

Reputation is what a man's neighbors and friends think of him.

Character is what the man IS.

Character is personal. It is not a possession we can share with someone else. We can give a hungry person part of our loaf of bread; we can divide our money with one who needs it; but character is something we cannot give away or transmit. The brave soldier cannot share his courage with the trembling recruit who fights by his side in the battle. The pure, gentle woman cannot give part of her purity and gentleness, to the defiled and hardened woman she meets.

Character is our own--a part of our very being. It grows in us over the years. Acts repeated become habits, and character is made up in the long run, of those habits which have been repeated so often, that they become a permanent part of our lives.

Sow a thought--and you will reap an act;

sow an act--and you will reap a habit;

sow a habit--and you will reap a character;

sow character--and you will reap a destiny!

As the tree falls--so must it lie;

As the man lives--so must he die!

As a man dies--such must he be;

All through the ages of eternity!

Email from Grace Gems

Addition Dr. Morris:

            Character determines destiny. This applies to nations as well as individuals. The slow erosion of the character of America gives you what we have today...a nation limping along, hell bent on self destruction. A doctor standing over a dead patient experiences an emptiness-uselessness-helplessness beyond imagination. God's greatest creation, life, breathed into first man Adam, is the answer to the confusion of the atheist.

            If this writer knows the habits of a man, he knows much about the man. You will never go further than your habits-values-ideals-imagination. Always give the best version of yourself. First impressions are hard to overcome. A military group of any size, standing at attention, ready for this officer's inspection, the soldier from the poorest home, questionable genealogy IF in a properly prepared uniform, polished shoes, adequate haircut, shaved-good hygiene, is not easily detected from the millionaire's son equally dressed-prepared for inspection.

            You look in the mirror and find the reason for most of your problems. Of course something bad might happen early in life, tragic death, infirmity or disability, AND lets face it, some of us are just not as attractive, genetically wired, having had the wonderful advantages of others. But, learn early in life, teach others, you do the best you can with what you have. Some of us are more blessed than others. Would it not be wonderful if everyone were born with fantastic genes, generous, wealthy genealogy, heir to a fortune, tall-muscular, beautiful full head of hair, dynamic personality with all the moral, ethical, spiritual qualities the world so admires?

            More blessed than the one described above, one who God chose for life, chosen for eternal life. I have never been able to understand why the saved, those called by God, chosen by God, are not basking in their blessing. God has chosen those who he can show off before the world what the real Christian looks like and on top of that, eternal life where God will forever "put you on parade" in eternity. Just think, a personal relationship with the creator of the universe here on earth (the word, heavenly host, stars, galaxies, all the energy of the creator of it all), the same energy that raised Lazarus from the dead, available to the saved.

            We will never understand why a long suffering Jehovah God-creator of the universe would put up with such as me. There were two thieves on either side of our blessed Lord on cavalry. Lesson for all times: Neither thief had probably ever done anything good for God or anyone else. The people, many of whom praised our savior just days before, chose to free Barabbas and instead hang our blessed Lord on the cross, while Barabbas was out in the streets still robbing. Jesus not only died for the sin of the entire world, past, present, future, but forgave the one thief for just asking forgiveness.

            Entrenched amid the promises and postulates of 2013, do not forget that Peter left us these words, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7).