Character Counts

Complimentary Story

   Do we think character counts?  Does it matter what you do when no one is watching?  Recently a high school varsity football head coach felt that the character of his players made a huge difference.  
   He suspended all 80 of his team players for what the coach cited as a “lack of character” as reasoning for the whole team being punished.  He added, “The lack of character we are showing off the field is outshining what we are achieving on the field.  It is a privilege to play this wonderful game.  We must earn the opportunity to have the honor to put on our high school jerseys.” (Deseret News, Sept. 25, 2013).  
   Word came out that some players were skipping classes while others were involved in cyberbullying another student.  So this coach did something about his team.  Each player received a letter from the coach outlining what they had to do to earn a spot back on the team.  The players had to help out in the community that week, attend their classes, take a class on character development plus serve their families and write a paper detailing what they did.  
   Jesus did not take lack of character lightly either as He dealt with the inside and outside of a person “It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but leave the inside full of strong bad desires and are not able to keep from doing sinful things (Matthew 23:25).  At the same time Jesus made it very clear where a person’s behavior comes from.  “Whatever comes out of a man is what makes the man sinful.  From the inside, out of the heart of men come bad thoughts, sex sins of a married person, sex sins of a person not married, killing other people (Mark 7:20-21).
   Who you are on the inside comes out.  Do not think that doing good things and being respectful to others will work over a long period of time if on the inside, you are disrespectful, holding grudges against others, entertaining impure and bad thoughts about others.  When you are alone or with a small group of closer friends and you talk trash about others, treat those not in your group as worthless, get involved in activities that are illegal and allow yourself to talk lustfully and view lustful pictures, it will come out in your lifestyle.  What goes into you, will eventually come out.  Character begins from the real you, the person who you truly are.  What behaviors people see are a reflection of what is inside of you.  Who is the real you?

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