“The Lord tested Joseph’s character.” Psalm 105:19 NLT
“Some things in life remain non-negotiable, regardless of the moment’s circumstance.”
My thoughts today are about “high standards.”
Some one has said, ”Character is what you are when no one else is looking.” When some people are in a situation where they feel they have been treated unfairly or when finding themselves far from home, their character can “go south” pretty easily. Having Godly character is far from automatic; it is a deliberate choice and firm conviction.
Character takes effort, discipline, and consistency. And sometimes it seems that maintaining Godly character is even more difficult when the culture doesn’t really value it and too many occasions arise to compromise it. Character often requires that you go against the current of the popular culture. Joseph, the son of Jacob and great-grandson of Abraham, is such a remarkable man with exemplary character. (Read his story in Genesis 37-50). Joseph faced almost every imaginable provocation, any of which could have been an excuse to justify sacrificing his character, but he kept his integrity before God and purity with others intact.
He kept his dream when everything and everybody seemed to oppose that. He rose above others’ misunderstanding and mistreatment. He handled both success and temptation with Godliness and good judgment. He was diligent in matters entrusted to him, when a slave, a prisoner, and ultimately as a ruler. He chose to forgive, when others would retaliate; that’s character. A frequently recurring phrase in the story of Joseph is, “And the Lord was with Joseph.” God identifies with people of character.
Character results from establishing standards that you will not compromise for your advantage or ease, nor for popularity with others. Character requires that some things in life remain non-negotiable, regardless of the moment’s circumstance. When enticed by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph responded righteously, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against my God?” He would not break faith with the man who trusted him, not violate his own high standards, nor would he sacrifice the purposes of God for his life. Character is the inner strength to remain steadfastly true to God, and yourself. In High School English Literature I learned this quote, ”This above all: To thine own self be true, and then it must follow, as night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” Hamlet, William Shakespeare.
Don’t compromise who you are or what you are about. Choose your standards carefully, for they will ultimately determine how you live your life. You cannot know every eventuality, but you can prepare yourself by predetermining what you will or will not do in predictable circumstances, and who you will or will not be for approval. Low standards permit careless living. Popular standards allow you to accept less than the best that you can be. Even your family or friends’ standards may not be the best of which you are capable. Your standards for yourself should demand exemplary character and excellence from you – the highest and best you are capable of being and doing in God’s strength and power. Expect more of yourself than anyone else would.
My prayer for you today is that you allow God’s Word to be your only standard.