Character defines who we are. Character is “the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing” (Dictionary.com). In other words, if we create good traits in our individual nature then we have good character. Conversely, if we create bad traits then we have bad character.
This is simple to understand, but it doesn’t take away from the seriousness of the matter. Developing our nature into good character should be one of our highest objectives in life. If we fail to do this we will not reach our potential in service to Yahweh.
How can we develop right character? We will start by breaking up into parts what good, righteous character is. The character Yahweh seeks is the combination of integrity and courage. Without either of these virtues righteous character is not possible.
Source of Integrity
The integrity Yahweh seeks is based upon our knowledge of the Scriptures and in doing the right thing. The Bible is in essence a moral guide book for humanity. Proper Bible understanding must come before the courage to act, otherwise poor decisions based upon poor knowledge will result.
For example, if you’ve been taught that lions are man’s best friend, and at a zoo you reach out your hand to pet one, you will need some good health insurance. The action taken was based upon a false premise resulting in a bad situation.
In Matthew 7:24-27 Yahshua shows that His true teachings are the same as building a house upon a rock: solid, firm, and unmovable. On the other hand, false teachings are like building upon sand: weak, shifting, and very movable. Start with a firm foundation in the Scriptures first.
He said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
Pleasing to Yahweh is the courageous application of our integrity. It is seeing something wrong and doing something about it. It goes further than just doing the right thing, but is doing it despite what may happen to us.
To illustrate, suppose you see a blind man about to sit down, and a mean-spirited person pull the chair out from him. Courage with integrity is to correct the perpetrator for the misdemeanor and put the chair back under the blind man before he falls.
Yahweh commands us to have courage in all things we do. Joshua 1:7 is a great example of this, which reads, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”
Biblical Examples
In the Book of Genesis we are introduced to Lot. Lot was the nephew of Abraham and lived in the city of Sodom, which was a most corrupt and vile place. It was a place of such perversion that it, along with its sister city Gomorrah, was sentenced for complete annihilation by Yahweh in Genesis 19.
Lot, a judge in Sodom, was a righteous man because he was spared from the destruction of the city. The judges were the ones who sat at the gates of a city to deal with disputes among the people.
We read in Genesis 19:1, “And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.”
Why didn’t Lot move away from Sodom? Understandably, it was his home, and he may have been trying to restore the city to a better lifestyle through his influence as a judge, but why didn’t he take action to protect his family from such vile influences? Notice, “And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for Yahweh will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law,” Genesis 19:14. His sons-in-law didn’t believe him.
Genesis 19:26 tells us, “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Lot’s wife died because she desired to go back to Sodom, to that lifestyle she once had in a particularly sinful place.
Lot’s daughters, even though they escaped the destruction, still had perverted minds, which were a result of Sodom’s influences. They said, “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father,”Genesis 19:32.
Because Lot failed to act and do the right thing, he lost his whole family to either death or corruption.
An example of courage with integrity is in Daniel 4. To summarize, Nebuchadnezzar had a certain troubling dream about a tree being cut down. Since his magicians and astrologers were unable to interpret the dream, Nebuchadnezzar called Daniel to interpret his dream since Daniel had interpreted a previous dream of his in Daniel 2.
Daniel heard the dream and was troubled as well because it was related to the downfall of King Nebuchadnezzar in a seven-year period. Daniel gave the interpretation of the dream in verses 20 to 26.
He had courage in doing as he was commanded by telling Nebuchadnezzar what would become of him. Now just saying this was dangerous. Daniel had to have some courage with this act of integrity as Nebuchadnezzar was not a particularly nice person.
Nebuchadnezzar was not someone you wanted to anger. He had killed King Zedekiah’s sons in his presence and then put out Zedekiah’s eyes, Jeremiah 52:10-11. Daniel was putting himself at risk just giving the interpretation. But Daniel went even further; he actually counsels Nebuchadnezzar.
The key point in this chapter is verse 27, which reads, “Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility.” Daniel had the courage to actually tell the king what he needed to do, which was much more than just giving the king the facts.
Daniel had the courage of his integrity to offer the interpretation, and the additional courage to try to help Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was a man of high character.
Character for Our Lives
On tombstones is typically written two dates with a dash between them. When the dates start and finish we don’t have much control over, but the dash we do. The dash is what we have done in our lives, from beginning to end. What do we want to be remembered by? Will we just learn the truth, or will we apply it to be better servants to Yahweh? Will we be people of character or will we just skate by in life with few difficulties?
Right character is like a muscle; it can be used and strengthened, or it can be neglected and weakened. We develop our character by first strengthening our minds with knowing the truth of right and wrong. From there we strengthen the will to act upon that knowledge despite the consequences to ourselves. No one ever said that doing the right thing would be easy, but it is worth it.
Revelation 21:3-7 reads, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and Yahweh himself shall be with them, and be their Elohim. And Elohim shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his Elohim, and he shall be my son.”
Develop righteous character and your reward will be for eternity.
