Thursday, November 5, 2009

Character

Last week I watched "The International" for the first time (If you like happy endings, don't bother watching), and there were a few good quotes but one stood out to me.

"Character is easier kept than recovered"

I stayed thinking about that long after the actor recited this line. Unlike the common quote "Integrity takes a lifetime to build and a second to lose", character seems to be something you already possess but hard to regain once lost.

So what is character exactly? It's the combination of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. It can also be defined as moral or ethical quality.

Character is innate...everyone has character. In fact, the actual origin of the word means "to engrave".

Both good character or bad character can be engraved in ones life. The Word of God specifically identifies the fruit of the spirit being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are visible attributes of a Christian walk as well traits that make up a person's character.

Reflecting upon the original quote, good character (assuming you possess it) is difficult to recover once it has changed to bad character. This probably explains why Paul implored the people in Corinth to "not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.' (1 Corinthians 15:33)"

Character is something everyone starts with. In contrast to integrity, which has to be built up over the course of your life, character gives you the benefit of the doubt...so to speak. What you do with it, is entirely up to you.