Your character matters.
Character is your currency to influence the world around you for Christ. Would you say you are a person of high character? Of great integrity? We could all point to people who we believe have great character. But how do you develop into that kind of person?
My friend Jason Bybee tells me about one of his favorite baseball players of all time. Stan Musial played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1941 to 1963. He had a Hall of Fame career. I could impress you with his stats or stories about how he played the game. But here’s one stat that I believe will tell you all you need to know about Stan Musial. And I think it’s remarkable. Over his career, he had the same number of base hits at home, 1815, as away. He was consistent no matter where he was.
In St. louis he had 1815 base hits. On the road he had 1815 base hits. Unbelievable.
I think you could say that’s the very definition of character. To be consistent no matter where you are – at home or away. To be the same.
These days character & integrity are the currency of our world. If you posses these qualities you can go far. You can get almost any job. You can choose who you want to marry. You can decide where you want live. And so on. But, if your character & integrity become compromised your choices instantly become limited.
How to Short Circuit Character
Part of the problem I think younger generations face maybe more than other generations is that they aren’t allowed to go through difficult times. They aren’t given the chance to persevere & figure things out for themselves. As a result, character is short circuited.
For example, even if you go back one or two generations at the most you would find a culture in which your teachers &/or coaches were always right, even if they were wrong. It wasn’t uncommon at my house growing up to hear my parents say if I got in trouble at school I would get in trouble at home too. There were no questions asked. It didn’t matter. The teacher was right, the coach was right, even if they were wrong.
But these days it’s different. Well intentioned parents (of which I am one!) are quick to step in & rescue their kids or defend their kids. Even when the kid is in the wrong parents want exceptions made for their kid. And if your kid isn’t getting enough playing time or things aren’t going their way then parents may be quick to step in & tell the coach how things should be. And I get it. I’m a parent. But that’s a definite shift in our culture from previous generations. And one of the consequences is that character in our kids is never given the chance to develop to it’s full. Why? Because they’re protected from the valleys. From disappointment. From natural consequences. From hardship.
Not convinced? Think about some of the people who you think are people of great character. I’ll bet if you talked to them they would tell you stories upon stories of hardships they’ve faced in life. And they’ll also tell you this surprising truth – they’re grateful for them because they helped make them who they are today!
Mike Matheny, Manager for the St. Louis Cardinals in his book “The Matheny Manifesto” says, “We learn more from hardship & failure than we do from success, which is a key aspect in developing character. Character is forged not on the mountaintop but in the valley.”
How do you form real character?
1. Be Consistent
To form real & lasting character learn to be consistent no matter where you are or what you’re going through. This means you have to experience the lows as well as the highs. You have to go to the valley as well as the summit. People who are consistent no matter the circumstance earn the respect & admiration of those around them.
2. Rely on God
You have to learn to rely on God at all times & not compromise your values in the difficulties. You have to learn to choose to do what’s right even when it’s hard. Even when there is an easier way out. Don’t blame God for the struggle, rely on Him through it.
Developing these consistency muscles in your life builds character for a lifetime. It helps you become the kind of person others can & will count on whether you’re up to bat at home or away. And when you’re a person of high character, your credibility goes way up with the people around you. And that will give you endless opportunities to influence them for Christ.
How would you define character?
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