Dear SCC & Friends,
…proven character… ~Romans 5:4
Reflection #224
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others say you are. ~John Wooden~ My grandfather never finished high school and worked for the U.S. Postal Service from age 18 to 65 until he retired as an assistant local postmaster. Today he might be called an underachiever…Why?… Because he didn’t make much money and worked in the same job for nearly 50 years. He was widowed after five years of marriage and devoted his entire life to his two children, one of whom was to be my beloved mother. I was seven years old when my grandfather took me to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park in Boston. He didn’t want me to wear jeans, as in that day people dressed for the occasion. I could be stubborn, and I fought him on it, but in short order the choice was clear… it was no jeans or no game. I chose wisely… I still remember the game but not the pants. Previous generations recognized the honor and dignity of a man like my grandfather. Our present generation, not so much. Income is just income, but the true measure of a person is proven character.
It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. ~Philip. 2:13 Character is not just what we will ideally be in the future, but rather what we are at this present time. Character cannot be formed without pressure. We can be one way under the blessings of the Lord and quite another when trials and setbacks come our way. A crisis doesn’t make a person; it only reveals what is in a person. The Lord uses the common irritants of everyday life to develop character. Beyond that, we are responsible for character development in our children and grandchildren. It’s a sacred trust… not just about getting straight A’s, making the all-star team or being the most popular… “Success” untethered from the Lord can only lead to their detriment. Building character is helping the next generation to love God… teaching them how to treat others… preparing them both for success and the inevitability of disappointment, discouragement and even failure. Godly character will endure the storms of life that personality and charisma will not sustain… We were made for these days… Keep up the good work! He’s the Potter… We’re the clay…
For His good pleasure,
Kevin