From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
It was motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, who once said, “Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared, but only men of character are trusted.”
We will discover the trait that is most important to us by determining which one occupies the bulk of our time and energy.
It has been my observation over the years that of all the traits that contribute to sound character there are two that really stand out.
The first one is how we treat those who cannot do anything for us or pay us back.
In Matthew 25:40 Jesus is very clear about this issue, saying, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.”
This is true kindness and generosity and reveals the character of someone who can be trusted.
The second trait, in my estimation, is the ability to keep one’s word.
Psalm 15:4 describes a person of character as someone who “keeps their word, even when it hurts.”
There are other good traits mentioned in this psalm, too, such as not charging interest to someone you lend money to and refusing a bribe to lie about an innocent person.
These are all incredible qualities that have the potential of changing our world if more people took them seriously.
What if every politician you knew kept their word every single time they made a promise?
What if people just spontaneously helped those in need, as the occasion called for it, without drawing attention to themselves or making a Tik Tok video about it?
Christian conference speaker, Joyce Meyer, once said, “Your gift can take you where your character can’t keep you.”
The world follows hard after celebrities with their charismatic personalities, good looks, and amazing talent, but often their character has been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
So, remember, if you want to be someone who is trusted aim to have good character.
