Home About Us Holiness Library Bible Prophecy Listen to Sermons History of the Holiness Movement Early English Bibles Bible Studies Links
|
CHAPTER
7
CHARACTER
THERE
is a structure which everybody is building, each for himself. It is called
character. Reputation is what people say about us, but character is what we are
as God sees us. If day by day we be careful to build our lives with pure, noble,
upright deeds, at the end will stand a fair temple, honored by man and God. But
as one leak will sink a ship and one flaw break a strong chain, so one mean,
dishonest, untruthful act or word will forever leave its impress and work its
influence on our character. Then, let the several deeds unite to form a day and
one by one the days grow into noble years, and the years as they slowly pass
will rise at last a beautiful edifice enduring forever to our praise. Here
is a great structure going up, piece by piece, story by story, although you are
not conscious of it. It is a building of character, and the word of inspiration
warns you to take heed in building it to see that you have a foundation that
shall endure; to make sure that you are building on it, not for the hour in
which you live, but for that hour of revelation when you shall be seen just as
you are. Our
minds are given us, but our characters we make. Our mental powers must be
cultivated. God gives the mind, but by words, acts, thoughts, and deeds we make
our character. The mind is the garden; character is the fruit. The mind is a
white page; character is the writing we put on it. The mind is the metallic
plate; character is our engraving. A
good character is a precious thing, above rubies, gold, crowns, or kingdoms, and
the work of making it is the noblest labor on earth. If aught on earth is
despicable, it is those porous masses of conglomerated filth and scum that float
on the surface of society, driven or attracted by every speck of circumstances
about them. They are purposeless, powerless, enervated automatons playing second
fiddle to second chance. One brave will to resist evil and hold fast to good is
worth a million of them. One stout soul with a resolute determination to make
its own character after the pattern of its own high-wrought ideal is of more
real significance than an army of them. Character
is like stock in trade. The more of it a man possesses, the greater his
facilities for adding to it. Character is power, is influence. It makes friends,
creates funds, draws patronage and support, and opens a sure and easy way to
honor and happiness. Truthfulness
is a corner-stone in character, and if it is not firmly laid in youth, there
will be ever after a weak spot in the foundation. Under no circumstances should
we tell a lie. The
value of character is the standard of human progress. The individuals,
communities, nations tell their standing, their advancement, their worth, their
true wealth and glory in the eye of God by their estimation of character. As
I have already said, our character is formed by words, thoughts, deeds, and
actions. Let us all be careful what we say, how we act, and what we think.
Remember, our character is what God sees of us.
|