Reputation vs. Character

Reputation is what others think you are; character is what God knows you are.

Your circumstances may determine your reputation; what you believe determines your character.

Reputation is a manufactured thing, rolled and plated and hammered and brazed and bolted; character is growth.

Reputation comes from without; character grows up from within.

Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; character is what you have when you go away.

Your reputation may be discovered in a few minutes; your character may not come to light for a year or so.

If you want a position, you need a good reputation; if you want to keep it, you need character.

Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; character makes you joyful or makes you miserable.

D. L. Moody said, Character is what you are in the dark.

Christian character is yielding to Christ in such a way that He has freedom to live His life all over inside your body, mind, and soul.

Every new-born baby is a candidate for character.  When that baby has grown to be an adult, he will have some kind of reputation.  Will he also have Christian character?

Parents share a tremendous responsibility to instill Godly character into the lives of their children. Parents who have family altar at home, attend a fundamental Church, study their Bibles, and pray with their children can expect their children to have Godly character as well as a good reputation.

An example from the past may help illustrate the right kind of character.  When my father was a boy of thirteen, each day he was given a team of mules and a wagon load of fresh vegetables.  His responsibility was to sell the vegetables in town, about five miles away.  After he sold the produce, he was to buy the items on the list given him by his aunt.

Before daylight the young lad climbed on the wagon seat and said a soft giddy-up to the team of mules.  What thoughts may have crossed his mind during the slow ride to town, only God knows, for he doesn't recall.

When he reached town the lad began going from house to house, gently knocking on each door and asking: Do you need any fresh vegetables, Ma'am?

The well-to-do folks looked with interest at the enterprising youth.  Some would take a bucket in hand and saunter out to the wagon.  Fresh picked, Ma'am, all of 'em picked last evenin, the lad would say.  Folks enjoyed the easy-going manner of the barefoot youth clad in striped overalls.

It was usually mid-afternoon when the lad would head for the grocery store and pull the wrinkled list from his pocket.  On the list would be such items as: 5 lb. bucket lard, 25 lb. bag flour, 1 gallon molasses, 1 box soda, 10 lb. bag corn meal.  Whatever couldn't be purchased that day from the proceeds of the vegetables sold would be picked up the next day after another wagon-load of vegetables was sold.

What does that story have to do with character?  Character is what made the youth accept the responsibility of selling vegetables.  Character is what gave him courage to go to the next house after a door slammed in his face, or after no sales at the first dozen houses.  Character is what made him keep trying until all the vegetables were sold.

Character is what kept him from buying things he wanted with the money in his pocket.  Character is what kept the boy moving along all day instead of giving up.  Character is what kept the youth in the field past midnight picking vegetables to sell the next day.

Parents, will you shun your God-given responsibility and be satisfied to raise a child who only has a good reputation?  God would be more pleased for you to rear a child with character ... the character of a Christ-controlled life! 

Reprinted from Wise Way Magazine, March-April 1980

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