He who leaps without sight always buys a bad bargain.”
–Ernest Haycox (Grim Canyon)
“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”
–Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)
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Ever wondered why resumes are wanted by an employer? Resumes are supposed to tell you something of that person’s history, his work and personal ethics, and his character. Oh, I know that some will put forth the shining paper, and that is why you interview them as well. When I was a principal and hiring prospective teachers I would ask two sets of questions. The first, give me your three strengths. My, oh my, they were shining examples of perfections, and they did not hesitate to give me their strengths. Then came the second question, what are your three weaknesses. Most of them had none, or maybe one. I always thought it amazing that they had no weaknesses, and most of the time told them so.
I get tired of people saying that integrity is what you do when there is no one else around. No, that is only part of integrity. Integrity is a vital part of a person’s character and thus it is involved with everything they do. If you want to know who a person is check out where they’ve been and what they’ve done. The words of a song come to my mind.
“If you want to know who we are
Check out where we’ve been.
From the frozen ground at Valley Forge,
To the trails of Ho Chi Mind.”
–unknown
What battles have you fought? What storms have you faced? What was the result after the battle or storm? Those things tell more about you than your hyped-up resume. As a Christian, part of our strength comes from the knowledge of who God is. How much do you trust Him? I found this in some of my old readings. It was written by Air Force Chaplain, Harry B. Ansted.
“Show me the size of your God, and I will show you the size of your man. It is easy to make little gods. In Isaiah’s time they made gods out of wood and stone. Life was cheap; man was expendable.
We make little gods too. Often we think our gods are big and powerful. We see the thrust of power in our military weapons and think this will save us. Sometimes we stand in awe of people of great importance and wonder if we are worth anything at all.
When your God is small like this, then your life is so meaningless that you give yourself to something that eventually destroys you.
The God of Isaiah was big. He was so big that the nations were like a drop from the bucket. When God is big, you become a person of importance. The fear of losing yourself is traded for confidence and faith because you belong. No more need you hang your head in feelings of worthlessness and failure. Therefore, when everything else seems to be crumbling before your eyes, you can have faith in a big God who builds your up rather than tears you down.”
A big part of your strength of character then comes from your view of God. How big a part does He play in your life? How big do you realize He is in comparison to the pettiness of man?