The beauty of character... I feel like this topic deserves so much attention and consideration right now. In a world divided along so many lines, we need to turn back to principles and character to get our center realigned. Understanding character, and the beauty it generates in any person, gives us a step up in navigating troubled times. How do we rise above the chaos and disagreement to see people for what they are regardless of the wild variety of measures we hear about in the news? To start, we look for the beauty of character.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30 (esv)
Character encompasses the way we think, feel, and behave. From our mindset and beliefs, traits like honesty, compassion, patience, loyalty, and many more human qualities flow. We will reflect, through our behavior, the good or bad of what drives us at our core. In short, how do we act around our fellow human beings so that they can trust us to be a positive influence in their lives?
Do we tend to want to hang out with liars or honest people?
Will we invite into our homes thieves or those we could leave our most prized possessions with?
Will we allow those who demonstrate bad or good character to be influencers in the lives of our Grands?
The answers are easy for most of us. The test comes when we are faced with conflicting messages about what segments of society choose to try and find as the norm. Without getting too political, one of the difficulties we are currently struggling with in the modern world is the many special interest groups who try to demand the whole of society fall in step with their particular beliefs. The problem arising from this situation is that lifting too many special interests to high status, legally or societally, dilutes the value of all people. We watch people retreat from one another, become more suspicious of each other, and wonder how to have a community again.
Part of the answer lies in the beauty of character. When humanity examines itself on a personal level and decides as a large group to value character and positive, deeply ingrained character traits, we lean toward respecting one another’s opinions and interests. We find ways to negotiate and interact on tough issues without hate. We recognize one another as valuable at the deepest level and want the best for each other.
It sounds idealistic but I feel that living with idealistic dreams and visions for the human race is a noble goal. Does humanity have its faults? Sure. But can we strive to achieve the best? Absolutely! We must or hope fails. Then, we devolve into a torn and broken society.
Think about it. Teach your Grands about character. Demonstrate it with your words and actions. Pray for the best possible future for them. Living and demonstrating the beauty of character will go a long way toward creating that future for them.