Tag Archives: life

How Your Character Shapes Your Life Success

26 Feb

Did you know that your character matters? I mean seriously, those mental and moral qualities which are distinctive to humanity, to us as individuals, truly matter. I’m not sure we realize the importance of our character. I happened to be reading from a wonderful book, one that many love and others reject, but the importance of character really made me reflect on my life, past and present. The more I reflected, the more I realized some of my thoughts and actions, let’s just say, didn’t meet the standard. Many of you reading this post, if your honest, could or would say the same. Staying true to the truth can be rather difficult. So, to remind us of the importance of our character, let’s look at an example and see what we can learn and apply in our lives.

First, there was a man named Joseph, who lived sometime around 1800 BCE, or approximately 3,600 years ago, during the times of the Pharoh’s. That’s a lot of years ago. However, the qualities of character remained the same throughout time. In Joseph case, when his character was tested, he passed with no exceptions. His loyalty to family, friends, leadership, where unmarked. He was honest, moral, patient, kind, tolerant, and forgiving. Even when he was sold into slavery by his brothers, lied about concerning moral behavior, kind to those who would forget about him or betray him, along with forgiving others, he never held a grudge. He actually blessed those who had betrayed him and was patient and tolerant when treated as a slave and imprisoned because of a lie. The benefits and outcome of passing the character test was co-ruling with the Pharoh’s for 71 years, which gave him opportunities to help those he loved and lavish all the benefits he could on those he ruled.

What about those who did not pass the character test. Those who were dishonest, full of greed, mean, petty, selfish, and disloyal. There are more who failed than have ever passed. Unfortunately, they brought disgrace to their families, destroyed people and companies, compromised themselves for selfish and greedy reasons, were only loyal to their interest and many experienced moral failures. But there’s more, like unmerciful, unforgiving, unreasonable, intolerant, and dishonest in their dealings.

You know the question really boils down to, have we missed opportunities for greatness because of the quality of our character? I think it just might be true for most of us. However, there is hope! You and I can turn from those qualities that are less than desirable and destructive to qualities of character that would pass the test:

  1. Identify those areas that are less than attractive, that cause destruction in one’s life and the life of others. Once identified do the opposite. If there is dishonesty become honest no matter the price. If your morally tempted to cheat in anyway run in the other direction. These are just a couple of examples.
  2. Identify the characteristics that add value to one’s life and others, like patients, kindness, honesty, tolerance, and loyalty. Become a person of value and like Joseph it will pay off.
  3. Never give up! If a character failure occurs forgive yourself, learn from the error and move forward. You were created for more, so go after it with the foundation of your character.

After reading this post and you realize you could use some help, let me encourage you to turn to the only one who can help you. His reign is from our beginning to the end; his character is flawless and he will help anyone who calls on him for help. He is the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He gave all of his love so you could have an abundant and everlasting life. His love was His Son, Jesus Christ, who died in our place to pay the debt for our sins and take all our sins away. He was buried and resurrected from the grave on the third day. He is alive and the witnesses are many. Take the time to call out to Him. “For whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” Go ahead call out to Jesus and you will be saved. Oh yea, and the quality of your character will change.

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Who’s at Your Gate?

19 Dec

Did you know, there is a story about a very rich man who lived every day in the greatest of luxury? His wardrobe was quite exquisite, and he was known for his great wealth. One day, a beggar, who was covered in sores and longing just for something to eat, had been laid at the entrance gate of the rich man’s home. This beggar was only hoping to eat what fell from the rich man’s table and nothing more. What’s interesting is that the dogs which were in the area cared more for this man than the rich man. For the dogs at least noticed, approached the beggar and licked his sores. The rich man ignored the beggar even though he had the means to care for all his needs, from food to medical care. But the story goes even deeper than just the rich man’s lack of concern for others, it reveals a man who ignored truth, because he was so caught up in his wealth.

As the story goes both the beggar and the rich man eventually died, the beggar to an eternal life of comfort, and the rich man to one of agony. The rich man, who would be tormented in the place of hell forever could see the beggar in a different place than he, a place of eternal comfort. Seeing this, he wanted the beggar to bring him relief, but it was not possible for their eternal destinies had been set. When this realization was evident to the rich man, he requested that the beggar be sent from his place of comfort to his five brothers, to warn them of the place of torment. He thought that if someone from the dead would go to them, they would repent. However, he was told that if his brothers would not listen to truth, they would not be convinced even though someone rose from the grave.

This story really can be life changing for us all. You see, everyone is concerned about life after death. I know that is a chilling statement, but study after study reveals people are concerned about this very topic. The older, if we’re so fortunate, and the closer to death we get, the topic of life after death becomes important. Having this knowledge, the story above reveals that truth takes precedent over all things. Not, money, fame, or earthly comforts. We must listen for the truth! And truth does not kill, steal, or destroy, but gives life, abundant and eternal.

The rich man cared only for himself, not his brothers, or even a crippled, sore covered, hungry man, laid at his very gate. He refused to listen to truth, which ended for him in eternal torment and possibly that of his brothers too, if they followed his example. Truth really does matter, and the rich man came face to face with truth after his death. His story being told is so important for us all. It gives each of us an opportunity to assess our earthly lives, listen to the truth, and care for others.

This may lead us to ask, “What is truth?”, which was asked by another historical figure, Pontius Pilate during the trial of Jesus recorded in the New Testament Gospels of the Bible and by Tacitus and Josephus who were historical writers of the times. Jesus in an earlier conversation with his disciples stated, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 16:6a). If we are listening, then truth is a person and we should be listening to Him, (Jesus) and no other. The rich man came face to face with truth, learning too late the consequences of not listening, not repenting, and the neglecting others has on one’s destiny.

Truth would ask for our attention. It would not ask for us to steal, kill, or destroy, in any fashion. Truth would want us to share or even give our lives for others, so that they too could live their eternal life in comfort and not torment. Are we listening to Truth? As stated earlier, truth can be found in Jesus, who is the Truth. Let us call out to Him and He will reveal Truth to us. So, the question is, “Who’s at your gate?” Life or Death? Comfort or Torment? We all get to choose!

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Just Life

9 Dec

I often wonder what people are really thinking about as they experience life. Life itself is so different depending on your birthplace and cultural upbringing. The expanse of differences is so vast, unless you could experience firsthand every culture of the world your comprehension would be tainted. You would have no idea about the day-to-day life of most cultures. But what’s interesting about life is though we are so different as it relates to culture, we are likeminded, or kindred when it comes to fear, temptations, love, loneliness, and happiness. We all experience some forms of success and failure, stress, sickness, times of rejoicing, times of worry, and eventually death. I would think, most of us question our existence, the fairness of life, and our purpose. With that being said, you would think consideration for one another would supersede all else, but it doesn’t. We put our cultural differences above our kindred likenesses. Our own selfishness about selflessness.

There are, however, people life Oskar Schindler, a businessman who focused on profits above others. He engaged in the horrific treatment of others for the sake of said profits, but what he witnessed changed his priorities from profit to people. He spent his entire fortune safeguarding lives, being transformed from selfishness to a life of selflessness. His revelation of the mankind’s kindred likeness changed him forever.

Maybe it’s time we all shifted our priorities of self to that of selflessness, realizing our kindred likenesses above our cultural differences.

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