Character: the measure of who we are

One definition for character goes like this:"the inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions".

Character is who we are when the facade has been stripped away. My pastor was preaching this morning about how our character is the only thing we are going to be taking to heaven with us. Everything else is pretty much a means to an end.

He went on to say that character deals directly with our integrity. Integrity, deals with what we do when no one is looking. It deals with what we do behind closed doors. What we think in the dark corners of hour minds. A wise man once said that a virgin is not necessarily virtuous. It might just mean that they just didn't get an opportunity.

True character is tested under fire, just as gold is refined inside a fiery furnace. True character comes out when we are pressed against a rock and a hard place, just as juice comes out of an orange, water out of a sponge, and toothpaste out of a tube.

The journey of life is not on a straight road. Therefore just as you wouldn't go off road on a Ferrari, the facade we may be keeping will not hold all the time. No matter how hard someone tries to hide their true character, it will reveal itself every once in awhile, and when it does, people will take notice.

So, it goes without saying that integrity determines how effective our testimony is. It determines if non-Christians will call us hypocrites, or if they will call us Godly. It determines if we can boldly go before the throne of God, or if we will hide behind our doubts and fears.