Character

Okay guys, following on from the previous sessions on Value, let's finish this with another part that is an enabler to sustaining our values and value system: Character.

Hebrews 1:3 Jesus Christ radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God...

Just stop right there. "... the character of God"

Jesus Christ is the "secret special sauce" to life because he has the character of God.

Hold that thought and take a look at this:

The word Character in the Greek I am told is "Charakter": to engrave, imprint, a stamp, duplication - what the first stamp carries, perfectly onto the next.

It is said that when we meet another, we leave our mark on the them, or they on us. That is, we show our character. First impressions can be good but unsustainable.
It is said, the true character of another rises to the surface over time.

I would say, that the true test of a man's character is on display when difficulty and adversity comes. Am I a flake or a man of my word, a man who holds to my values?

Hold that thought and come with me to Genesis: "Go and subdue the earth and govern it" - the Dominion mandate. That is, God has given us the authority to govern the earth, to reproduce and do greater works. As one person put it: It is the loving transformative stewardship that creates greater things/outcomes than what we had before.

Who said that? JC himself: You will do greater works than mine....

JC, so confident in himself that he was not intimidated, or had an issue with his personal character, because he knew who he was. Guys, don't overlook what I have just said: most of us today (if not all) have at some stage had a personal crisis of character. You know the story: the affect of that crisis could be minimal or has been life changing.

So a man's character is corrupted at the Fall. That's why God has to deal with matters of a man's heart,(“out of a man's heart, come the issues of life”) his character before he can begin to be transformed and walk out the Dominion Mandate.
The affect of not managing our character, keeping the corruption in our hearts is self evident. Look around and see. It may not be untrue to suggest that effectively all aspects of human society that has trouble, is caused by a crisis of character.

One example I heard was of the first $1B athlete. $100M of that was because of his talents, his ability, the other $900M was for endorsements, brought about by the perception of his character. But when that character was found to be otherwise, the endorsements quickly diminished.
The point being, out talents, our skill, our ability, our looks, our image will take us so far, but it will be unsustainable if our character is not set up.

Just think about it for a minute: As men, we are so locked into our self image by what we do, what we achieve, and yet if you're anything like me, I try and fight that and be super altruistic and say “ I am not defined by my job or title”, and some days that is true, but the real litmus test is when you get fired/retrenched/redundant/given a written warning.... and then you question the importance you place on your talent and character is given a lower rating at that time. Then we blame the boss, the company, someone else, something else.... it's not my responsibility. And even if it wasn't, if you're anything like me, you begin the trash the guy that fired you. Can you see Jesus doing that?

We spend (as we rightly should) a lot on investing and enhancing our talents and abilities, but what of our character. It's all great to get to the top and be king of our world, but as Tiger Woods (and he's just the high profile one) found out, your character, your characteristics, your person (that is what you think and what you do) rise to the top..... Boy have I had acted in an inappropriate way and afterwards sat back and thought: where did that come from?

To my mind a good few questions to ask our-selves:

What is the imprint that I leave with people that I come into contact with on a regular basis?
What would be their response if someone were to ask them about my character? Better still do you think they are gossiping about me?
Can I really be trusted, I mean really be trusted.
Do I protect the absent in conversations when they are not present?
How would I describe the character of JC? Secondly, am I attempting to imitate those characteristics?

Here are some great quotes on character:

Character cannot be summoned at the moment of crisis if it has been squandered by years of compromise and rationalization. The only testing ground for the heroic is the mundane. The only preparation for that one profound decision which can change a life, or even a nation, is those hundreds of half-conscious, self-defining, seemingly insignificant decisions made in private. Habit is the daily battleground of character. (Dan Coats)

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. (Billy Graham)

Character is the ability to follow through on a resolution long after the emotion with which it was made has passed. (Brian Tracy)