by Paul Cleaver

Created on: March 13, 2010

What can we say about character? The bible gives us multiple guidelines and directions to help us develop our character, but if we don’t choose to be the type of person that lives a life centered around a strong moral core then character is something that we will just talk about with our coworkers around the water cooler whenever the topic comes up. However it is pretty difficult to understand something that you cannot experience. And to truly develop the strong moral character that we are discussing here you have to experience the change yourself. And it does require a change because there is no one that is born with the type of character that we need to live in this world. This world of today eats away at the moral fiber of each and every man and woman. Those of us that were not taught early on about the building blocks of a strong personal moral character soon find our lives a difficult challenge to live by.

We are often faced at a very young age with decisions that we have to make that require the original building blocks of that personal moral character we will need when we grow into our pre-teen and teen years. It is often something as simple as responding to a query from an adult with a dishonest response instead of answering their questions with an honest and forthright response that we know is what is required of all honest and trustworthy people of character. I remember a challenge when I was a young tyke wherein my parents asked where I found the money to purchase the candy that I came home from the local convenience store with. I remember that I lied top my parents and told them that I had raked leaves for one of our neighbors that lived far enough away that I didn’t think my mom and dad would follow up and check with that neighbor. Boy was I mistaken! I took my ill gotten gains to my bed room in the basement and began to enjoy the sweets that I had stolen from the gas station on the corner when I heard the heavy foot fall that I immediately recognized as my fathers. And when he entered my room he was none too happy, by the look on his face. He asked me one more time where I had gotten the money to purchase the candy that I had been so eagerly packing away like some chipmunk squirreling away nuts for the winter months. I recognized the look on his face as THE LOOK that he always gave right before he heaped a whole lot of learning upon my behind. Well I couldn’t back down and admit that I had been lying outright so I stuck to the

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