Today is D. L. Moody’s birthday. He was born 185 years ago today. I found a quote that goes along with what I’ve been pondering lately. There is a lot of power in character.
“If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of me.
Dwight L. Moody
Dwight L. Moody Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dwight_l_moody_157636, accessed February 5, 2022.
The other day, I used a Thomas Paine quote about character and reputation. I suppose it has been heavy on my mind because of past leaders that have fallen when their character didn’t match what they preached.
In fact, it seems we have gotten to a place where we try to ignore the character of leaders. We know they don’t practice what they preach, but we assume no one else does either.
Deep down, we know we can’t trust someone with lousy character. Charisma can only do so much. Talent is not enough to overcome immorality. A preacher with an excellent presentation ends up doing more harm than good when they are found to be dishonest.
Perhaps we want to support the crooked leader because we feel we have no choice. Besides, their words resonate with us. They utter what we would like to say to someone if we had the courage.
Let’s Build Our Character
There are still good people out there. They have taken care of their character and therefore have the credibility to speak what is good. We can be virtuous. If we have faltered in the past (and who hasn’t slipped and faltered), we can work to build our integrity today.
Integrity comes from honesty. No, none of us are righteous. Especially me! Indeed, when we’re honest about our shortcomings, it builds integrity, honor, and trust. Being upright doesn’t mean we are perfect. It means we are honest with ourselves and others.
Like D. L. Moody said, let’s work on the power of our character. When we do, our reputations will be protected.
