NOBLE CHARACTER
“Sow a thought, reap an action;
Sow an action, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What does it mean to have a noble character? Webster defines “noble” as the act of possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties; and, character is defined as having moral excellence and firmness; a person marked by notable or obvious traits. Therefore, a person possessing a “noble character” must live in a way that demonstrates high moral qualities. It requires a paradigm shift in our character from the way that we were to the way that we wish to be.

The standard for a noble character was clearly illustrated by the life of Jesus. When we profess to live a Christ-centered life, we will demonstrate the noble character of Christ. The life of Jesus exemplified the good and perfect will of God. When we allow God to transform our character, we will be new creatures. However, we will never be totally fixed. There will be times when we will go through periods where our character may be less than noble. We were born into a world of sin and we are powerless to walk in the perfect will of God all of the time. We will make mistakes because we are not perfect. God realized we were a sinner that is the reason God sent his son to deliver us from sin and to give us a perfect example to follow. When Jesus died for our sins, we are able to call upon his name when we need guidance or when we face challenges that will call our character into question.
Our character can be changed, but we are powerless to change ourselves. Our character must be transformed from the inside out. This transformation can only occur when we put our faith and trust in the Almighty. It is important to understand that everyone’s character can be changed. There are no character issues that are too hard for God to change. But, we must be willing to trust God with the transformation.

A person’s character cannot be changed from the outside in. Instead, a person’s character can only be changed from the inside out. This means external forces or external stimuli cannot “force” a person to change their character. If attempts are made to change a person’s character based on external stimuli, the change will not last. The primary reason motivational seminars, pep rallies, sermons, and self-help programs fail to facilitate sustainable change is because the goal is to fix the problem by tossing informational “life rafts” around the room. The problem with life rafts is that they float on water. After you are back on shore, the life raft no longer serves its purpose. Another example would be trying to cover the stench of decaying debris by spraying air sanitizers. The fresh scent will last for a period of time, but unless you remove the decaying debris, the stench will resurface.

I have attended literally hundreds of hours of motivational seminars. I have received dozens of binders full of “useful” handouts, enough flyers, handouts, booklets, and packets, to fill a 500-gallon dumpster. During each motivational session, I diligently highlight the most inspiring points so that I can go back and fully digest the content later. Of course, I never get back to the passage. In fact, I rarely review the material after I leave the seminar. I generally file away the binders and promise to refer to them as needed. The seminars were motivational. The speakers were great. The information was on point, but I did not have time to add one more piece of paper to my hectic schedule. I did not have the time to make a paradigm shift. It was just not that important. The same thing happens with every area of our lives, including our character. If we do not make a conscious effort to discover why we need to change, we will never change. After we decide that we need to change, we must be willing to get to the root of the problem itself.

Before a person can change, the root causes for their thinking must be examined. If you do not get to the “root” of your thought processes, you will never be able to effect a sustainable character change. When a person changes the way that they think, their behavior will also change. But, forget about the notion of trying to change until you figure out why you think the way that you do. Once you figure out why you think the way that you do about certain things, you can then begin to change the way that you think. After you change the way that you think, your attitude will change and then your behavior will follow. Thus, when your attitude and your behavior become more congruent with one another, a new habit is formed. When a new habit is formed, the results will be evident in your character.
There have been times in my life that my character required a major overhaul. I pretended to have a noble character, when in reality while I was pretending to do the right things, I had some major character issues that I had learned to conceal. I knew all about the requirements to live a noble life, but I decided to compromise and the good character of my youth suffered.

I grew up in a good and loving Christian home. My parents, my church, and my community shaped my character. I was taught that “good girls” were required to live a noble life with good values. Quite simply, “good girls” behaved differently than “bad girls.” Good girls did not go to places that were “off limits;” good girls wore certain types of clothes; good girls had good manners, were polite, and were respectful; good girls did not make out with boys; good girls did not smoke, drink, or even chew gum in public.

There were so many rules that “good girls” had to follow. So, after I graduated from high school, I decided that I was tired of being the “perfect” model of a “good girl” because the bad girls seemed to have more fun. When I went to college, I met girls who did not have the same values that I had and they were having a ball. I soon began to ignore my upbringing and started hanging out with some of the “bad girls” on campus.
It was true that being bad felt good. Before long, my character was growing increasingly bad. Over time, I did not recognize my former self. The lines between good and evil began to blur. After several months of confusion, I realized that I was no longer demonstrating the traits that were pleasing to the Lord. Having struggled between good and evil, I decided that it was easier to be myself, even at the risk of being called a hypocrite. When I was fed up, God transformed me to the point that I did not have evil desires any longer. God changed my thinking, my attitude, my behavior, and I began to walk in love again. I became more content with my life because God showed me that being good was okay.

Our character is the outward manifestation of who we really are on the inside. What you are on the inside will eventually show up on the outside. There is a direct correlation between your character and your ability to live a fulfilling life. In order to tap into the spirit from within, you must first examine who you are. If you have a habit of doing bad things, you cannot beat the odds until you change. You must realize that your character requires an overhaul and you must be willing to go through the process to change your life.
Unfortunately, there are so many people who have lived with character flaws for so long that they do not even know that there is anything wrong. Likewise, a person with a questionable character may seem to have beaten the odds and reached the pinnacle of success. After they reach the top, they tend to justify their bad traits to get what they want. Also, there are times when people with a bad trait seem to be accepted by society. Therefore, why change?

Sometimes, society tends to make exceptions about the issue of character. We live in a society that often tolerates, or even embraces, people who break the rules. It is common to hear reports that some of the most successful people typically display dishonest behavior. However, as a society, we tend to be harder on less notable people who lack integrity. For instance, if a CEO of a multibillion-dollar company defrauds huge sums of funds from shareholders, the CEO may be allowed to resign and possibly collect a huge severance package. If the CEO gets convicted of a “white collar crime,” the chances are fairly good that he will pay a fine and possibly spend a minimum amount of time in a facility that is designated for “white collar” felons. These “white collar” facilities are often referred to as “Country Club” prisons. Conversely, when a person is convicted of stealing an automobile of nominal value, they will more than likely spend time in the federal prison system, doing hard time. Society tends to view the offenses differently, depending on the offender’s social status, but the issue of character transcends one’s social status, and it must be changed if you want to release your power.

How can a questionable character be cleaned up and transformed? First, the person must recognize that their character needs changing and they must have the motivation to make a change. We can begin to change our character by changing our thoughts. After we change our thoughts, we have to change our behavior. And, after we have changed our behavior for 21 days, in theory, we will change our habits. We then begin the transformation of changing our character. Therefore, if we desire to change our “flaws”, we must start by making a decision to change the way we think.

We cannot change our character until we begin to trust God to renew our mind and transform our flawed character into a noble character. When you try to change your character by using quick fix methods, such as motivational seminars, rallies, sermons, or pep talks, the results will not last. It would be similar to using a band-aid to cover up a sucking chest wound. The bleeding will not stop until you close up the wound. The wound is your character. And you cannot be healed from the outside in. You must be fixed from the inside out. This fix requires a paradigm shift. If you are willing to change who you are - your character - you must first change the way you think.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey has conducted extensive research and written extensively in the area of a principle-centered approach to solving human problems. As a result of his study, Dr. Covey noticed that the majority of studies over the past 50 years disclosed superficial “quick fixes” or aspirin that appeared to solve chronic social problems, but they continued to “resurface time and time again.” In contrast, Covey discovered that a period 150 years earlier was a foundation of success that was referred to as the “Character Ethic.” The “Character Ethic” embodied terms, such as “integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, simplicity, modesty, and the Golden Rule.” Covey also noticed that after World War I, the basic view of success shifted from the “Character Ethic” to the “Personality Ethic.” The “Personality Ethic” focused on “the public image of attitudes, skills, and techniques that lubricate the processes of human interaction.”

A perfect example of a man who had a good personality ethic was a former supervisor of mine. He was very popular, highly respected, and influential. His public persona was exceptional. I enjoyed an excellent professional relationship with him that was built on mutual respect. However, over time, I realized that he had mastered the art of public deception. His personality ethic was flawless. He was a master politician who gave the public what they wanted. However, he lacked character ethic. He openly flaunted inappropriate contact with several subordinates, and it was common knowledge that he demonstrated extreme favoritism and cronyism. He was feared by his opponents and revered by his constituents. He demonstrated the epitome of the “personality ethic.” Many people who have a good personality ethic, but a poor character ethic, can present a good faade, but eventually, their true motives will be uncovered.

Stephen Covey’s extensive research and many studies thereafter have all resulted in similar conclusions. Basically, the best way to get along with others is to treat them the way you wish to be treated - the Golden Rule. There has been and there will always be many studies, focus groups, and research papers to collect and analyze universal data to explain the variety of issues involving human behavior and social interactions.
Every study worth its weight will conclude that the Golden Rule is still relevant. In fact, the most important “spiritual laws” concerning social interactions are contained in the Bible. I refer to these Biblical instructions as the Spiritual Law of Human Dynamics (The Golden Rule, Sowing and Reaping, and the Fruit of the Spirit).