Harvest Daily 01/11/05

 

January 11
Character Is Key

Every Christian will meet people who will constantly scrutinize them.  Some may even be laying traps for us, just as King David once said, "They have hidden a trap for me" (Psalm 140:5).  David's enemies were literally lying in wait for him, setting up a custom trap designed to snare him.  But David rose above the problems of his enemies and sought the Lord, saying, " 'You are my God; hear the voice of my supplications' " (Psalm 140:6).  Instead of worrying about his enemies, David focused on his Lord.  He left his worries in the hands of God.

The great evangelist D. L. Moody once said, "If I take care of my character, God will take care of my reputation."  Moody makes a good point.  The main thing a Christian should concentrate on is striving to be a godly person.  And when we fall short - and we will - we should admit it.  When someone points out our mistakes, we should confess, "You're right.  My actions were not consistent with my beliefs.  I apologize for that.  And I hope I have not changed your opinion of the God whom I follow, because I make mistakes.  But God is always true."  As Christians, we must be honest enough to admit when we fail or fall short.

We can do very little about what people say or think about us, but we can go to great lengths to live a godly life. 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.