CHARACTER MATTERS

“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him.  The LORD doesn’t make decisions the way you do!  People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.”  1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

“In the end, it is the person you become not the things you achieve, that is most important.  Les Brown

We live in a day where the character of a leader has become low on the essential qualification list for leadership.  A shift has occurred in American where the expectations and requirements look now to appearance, wealth, education, pride, and promise made.

Saul looked like a king.  He was tall and handsome.  He even seemed to reverence God, but he failed in the character category.  Even though he had achieved becoming king, he became proud and disobedient.

Character is who you are when no one is looking and what you are willing to stand for when someone is looking.  Saul was not willing to obey God.  He had the physical attributes, but his heart was not with God and God rejected him as a leader.  He became the opposite of what God wanted in a leader.

Character affects everything!  It affects morals and morale.  It affects our language and our laws.  It affects relationships and our attitude toward righteousness.  It even affects the environment of any gathering of people.

God has not changed!  He still looks at a man’s heart. We should choose leaders based upon God’s standards, not ours. We need to turn the tide back to what God values—character!

Prayer:  God, may we value character again in America.  Teach us to value what you value and choose leaders with good character.   Give us leaders who reflect Your values.  Amen.

© 2020 Dr. John Ogletree – Houston, TX