Character Or Reputation

Good day to each of you reading this column on a subject that should be very dear to each of us especially with the events unfolding in the news.

Before we begin, here a few jokes for you—

Why do the French eat snails? We don’t like fast food.

I married my wife for her looks—but not the ones I’m getting lately.

Remember Columbo, He says, so let me get this straight, I go the grocery store & buy: a pound of sliced ham in a plastic bag, a loaf of bread in a plastic bag, a gallon of milk in a plastic jug,  a pack of napkins in plastic wrap, a store made salad in a plastic tub, a plastic bottle of mustard & ketchup, but they won’t give me a plastic bag to carry it home because the plastic bag is bad for the environment.

When you’re young and you drop something, you just pick it up. When you’re older and you drop something, you stare at it for a while, wondering if you actually need it anymore.

And, I think it would be great if Walmart added an upper-level observation deck with a bar.

Today’s lesson focuses on the character of man versus the reputation of man. Do you have any candidates for the character of man or woman and who comes to mind concerning their reputation.

We, as people, may ‘judge’ or size up our fellow man by his reputation or how he acts toward others. To all so many, he projects the image of doing what is right, saying what is right, and acting correctly in front of his peers and family.

Our thought is, since he presents or has the image of a “good reputation”, then he or she is a good person as his reputation speaks for himself.

But what is the difference between character and reputation or are their any real differences and what does this have to do with who we are versus who we appear to be.

When thinking about this, I came upon an article by Dr. H.T Spence on the Death of Character in straightway, 2000 and his examples of men who believed in character first.

Would you not agree that character or one who possesses character also possesses inner values. Are we no different than a fruiting tree who bears inner values as its fruit thus creating character as the foundation of living.

I compare this to digging a deep hole, watering the hole thoroughly, planting the fruit tree, fertilizing the tree and keeping the weeds away from the tree so it can bear fruit without any limitations as it grows from year to year.

According to google, character traits include the following:

Creativity, curiosity, humility, honesty, optimism, integrity, loyalty, compassion, consciousness, self-control.

The definition of character according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is: 

We see examples throughout the Bible of where God tests man’s character and whether he or she lives for Christ, thus possessing and demonstrating those inner values.

Our biblical men and women of the Bible were not perfect for they sinned, but Genesis 22:1 says that God tested Abraham by the use of sacrificing Issac his son without question. The result was that Abraham feared God, his son spared, a lamb sacrificed and Abraham demonstrating inner values of character.

Moses showed his character leading the Israelites thru Egypt, the red sea and the wilderness never doubting that God would deliver him and many of his countrymen one day. Even though the people questioned Moses reputation, Moses grew in character  to all his peers.

Joshua showed his character by destroying Jericho and showing his fellow countrymen how God would deliver them, Daniel showed his character to a ruler of the world by being thrown into the lion’s den, not eaten and not bowing to the king’s idols, three men thrown into the fire without a scar, a cut or a burn and showing this king of the world that they would not bow down t the king’s idols and a young man who led his fellow Israelites against a giant.

David, the boy, met Saul’s challenge of killing Goliath the giant, so he met the giant in the field, listened to the giant’s cursing’s and taunting’s, slayed the giant by glorifying and giving God the credit, and sending the Philistines running for their lives. David’s character grew from a boy to a king making his a man after God’s own heart.

Men of yesterday and today are more anxious about their reputation and least about character or what a man is in God. It is well said in today’s society that we have many who are more concerned for their reputation and how it is viewed by his peers instead of possessing and displaying inner values.

Let’s look at our government leaders, for example, and tell me who has character and who is more concerned about their reputation? As we listen to the modern media, do you not think that the media especially the mainstream media would have you believe that character is no longer needed or that your character needs to be mocked, maligned and ridiculed for doing what is right and with no heed to how your personal reputation may suffer.

Today’s society advocates those who lie, are dishonest, and infidelity in public leadership while intimidating character to those who stand for Christ, his laws, statutes, commandments and inner values.

If you don’t think this is happening in America, then why hasn’t the White House and Congress added prayer and Bible reading in schools, the Ten Commandments to be posted in public places and the Pledge of Allegiance to be implemented in our schools? Why do we have professors, men and women in prominent colleges and universities who denounce the Bible and teach atheism, agnosticism and false forms of religion, so our students can have a “broader education experience.” Why is it in sports arenas that we have those who take a knee when the National Anthem is played? Why do we have musical writers advocate abortion, murder and rape in their lyrics? Why do have educational systems where one must go thru a metal detector, have dogs sniffing lockers, guns in the hands of elementary schools and books advocating transgenderism, homosexuality, lesbianism, drag queens and this alternative life style.

Finally, where are the pastors, the clergy, the elders and the church congregation who listen and accept the above? Why are pastors watering down the word? Why are pastors putting God as accepting sin and that it’s ok! Why are pastors more concerned about what his congregation thinks about him instead of his character. Again, is this a matter of character or the promotion of reputation?

As I read the article of the death of character by Dr. H.T Spence, Noah Webster, the American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. He has been called the “Father of American Scholarship and Education”. His “Blue-backed Speller” books taught five generations of American children how to spell and read. Webster’s name has become synonymous with “dictionary” in the United States, especially the modern Merriam-Webster dictionary that was first published in 1828 as An American Dictionary of the English Language. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

What was Noah Webster best known for?

Noah Webster Jr. is best remembered as the author of the dictionary most often called, simply, “Webster’s,” but who’s original 1828 title was An American Dictionary of the English Language. Courtesy of Others want to know

What was Noah Webster’s issue?

Webster felt that Americans should have their own text books, and that they should not rely on English textbooks. He also felt that Americans should have copyright laws to protect authors. He believed that Americans should have their own dictionary. Courtesy of Others want to know

What did Noah Webster say about the Bible?

He believed the country would not last long if it ignored Christian principles.
Webster wrote, “The Bible is the chief moral cause of all that is good, and the best corrector of all that is evil, in human society; the best book for regulating the temporal concerns of men, and the only book that can serve as an infallible guide to future happiness. It is extremely important to our nation, in a political as well as religious view, that all possible authority and influence should be given to the Scriptures, for these furnish the best principles of civil liberty, and the most effectual support of republican government. The principles of genuine liberty and of wise laws and administrations, are to be drawn from the Bible and sustained by its authority.”

Courtesy of the euclidobserver.com

Daniel Webster, secretary of state and great orator made a very powerful speech on education in June 1, 1837 at Madison, Indiana. Here is an excerpt–

Among the luminaries in the sky of New England, the burning lights which throw intelligence and happiness on her people, the first and most brilliant is her system of common schools. I congratulate myself that my first speech on entering public life was in their behalf. Education, to accomplish the ends of good government, should be universally diffused. Open the doors of the school house to all the children in the land. Let no man have the excuse of poverty for not educating his own offspring. Place the means of education within his reach, and if they remain in ignorance, be it his own reproach. If one object of the expenditure of your revenue be protection against crime, you could not devise a better or cheaper means of obtaining it. Other nations spend their money in providing means for its detection and punishment, but it is the principle of our government to provide for its never occurring. The one acts by coercion, the other by prevention. On the diffusion of education among the people rest the preservation and perpetuation of our free institutions. I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe. The prospect of a war with any powerful nation is too remote to be a matter of calculation. Besides, there is no nation on earth powerful enough to accomplish our overthrow. Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing. Make them intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy.

Two men who loved their country, their countrymen, their neighbors and for all children to have a well-rounded education to assist in preparing them for life. These men provided the basis for building character in our youth, not personal reputation.

Yes, one was the father of the modern dictionary, the book of how to teach one to read and write and both men adding the Bible as the basis for moral education.

Students learned to read, write, learn rules & precepts, do’s and don’ts, right and wrong and to be able to distinguish good from evil. Their conclusion was the Bible was the best book for regulating temporal concerns of all men and preparing each man for the next steps in life by building inner values.

As a parent, look in the mirror, and answer this—do you take morality seriously?

Character versus appearance—turn to 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Was Samuel looking outside of a person or his reputation when the name of David came up as king? The answer is quite simple as the Lord looks at the heart and not man’s reputation.

How do we build character? Romans 5:3-4 (NIV) ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

When breaking down these verses, the commentary says we will experience difficulties that help us grow in Christ. We rejoice in suffering not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because God is using life’s difficulties & Satan’s attacks to build character. The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance, which will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and keep our eyes upon God.

We face life’s decisions on a daily basis and we are bombarded with news stories that could be either truth or fiction, that politicians are running on their reputation, that sports figures act as gods, that television maligns and ridicules shows with morales, that movies mock character and pride themselves in violence and sex, and that in order to get ahead in business is to lie, cheat, and sleep your way to the top for crime does pay.

Here’s the mirror—look and see for this is what we do in our actions is exactly what are children see and are taught.

In conclusion, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord—

Will you be counted as one who endeavors to maintain a good reputation and guard his true self in God? Will you climb the mountain to build character or inner values or will you cave when Satan attacks you for fear of your reputation?

Tune in to my podcasts as I will speak on this very subject and remember— Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.