“W. Michael
Blumenthal, chairman of Unisys, talks about the mistakes he made in hiring: In
choosing people for top positions, you have to try to make sure they have a
clear sense of what is right and wrong, a willingness to be truthful, the
courage to say what they think and to do what they think is right, even if the
politics militate against that. This is the quality that should really be at
the top. I was too often impressed by the intelligence and substantive
knowledge of an individual and did not always pay enough attention to the
question of how honest, courageous and good a person the individual really was.”[1]
The above example illustrates how we are so fascinated by
the outward characteristics of people and their eloquence. But although they
matter, they don’t provide the whole picture. It is just but one of the many facets
of one’s personality. And the Scriptures provides a classic example of how men
always fail to see the character that matters the most especially to God when
He chooses, “And he said,
"Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves,
and come with me to the sacrifice." And he consecrated Jesse and his sons
and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and
thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is before him." But the LORD
said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his
stature, because I have rejected him. For
the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the
LORD looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:5-7)
Clearly, even God recognizes the fact that we are indeed
beholden on the outward qualities of a person. Why, this is exactly the reason
for the target advertisements on print, television, the Internet and billboards
that shows near perfect models to entice many to buy their products.
Unfortunately, we all fall for it. It is just part of life that we go through
daily. Yet we need to make the right call to show that our characters and
judgment are not based on these things but what we have been taught and brought
up to be: men and women of right character.
God sees the heart but how can we? Again, the Scripture
points us to the way in knowing what is inside men’s heart, “The good person out of the good treasure of
his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces
evil, for out of the abundance of the
heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). There’s nothing clearer than this! All of us have learned
GMRC (Good Manners and Right Conduct) and were strictly taught to abide by it.
However, the opposite becomes evident instead. What do we do? Actually no one
can do anything about it because we were all born with WMBC (Wrong manners and
Bad Conduct). This is exactly the reason why Jesus came to the world: to die
for our sinful nature and habits. He has given us a fighting chance against it;
we have no power against the sinful nature that causes bad character in us but
with Jesus on our side, “We can do all
things through Him that gives us strength” (Philippians 4:13). Only He can
transform us if we let Him.
What does this world need? THE WORLD NEEDS MEN AND WOMEN...who cannot be bought;
whose word is their
bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who
are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who
will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small
things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose
ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they
do it" because everybody else does it";
who are true to their
friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in
prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness
are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to
stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with
emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes."[2] Can we be counted as part of these men
and women for this generation and the next?
Lets talk again!
