Chapter 9 Morality and Character.
We have just analysed values, but Moral Values form our most important principles. God has wonderfully written his laws and wishes in our hearts, and as a result we all have the power to recognise right and wrong. This incredible power is called Conscience. You must maintain a strong conscience and uphold solid morals all your life. Many people build this „pillar of righteousness by reading the Bible or the Koran regularly. (The Bible is the most printed book in the world!) With a complete set of moral values, you can acquire grace and virtues, with altruism, truthfulness and strength of character. With that you become a wonderful person, loved and respected by all. You will receive endless blessings from God. Now, let us discuss Integrity and Character.
There is a true story of a General Dean, who was a captured prisoner during the Korea War in the 1950s. Before he was executed, he hastily wrote a letter to his wife with a message for his son: „Tell Bill the word is integrity. A parent couldnt have given a better advice to his child. If the child embraces those word and abides by them, he will live a fulfilling life. C. Simmons said, „Integrity is the first step to true greatness.
Integrity is honesty, uprightness and wholeness. There is no substitute for truthfulness, and no real success in life without it. Too many young people ruin their chances for lasting success by giving in to quick or temporary gains without really working for them. Believe me, over the years, I have seen people prosper through shady manipulations of facts and figures, or by taking undue advantage of others, and true enough, their success didnt last, and eventualy they suffered setbacks and losses. It is obviously a form of nemesis from God. By the way, can you recall the crazy Emperor Bokassa of the Central African Republic? He spent millions on his diamonds and coronation, while his people starved. He did not stay a king for long, and was overthrown in 1979. Similar incidents occurred in Haiti in the West Indies, in Romania, in Europe and in Indonesia. You can fool some people sometimes, but you can not fool all the people all the time.
Truth and justice are expounded by all the great religions of the world; even Jesus taught: „Do to others what you would have them do to you. It is sad to note, that tricks, cheating, and corruption are so rampant in some societies that many people suffer losses or poverty unfairly. But things change, fortunes turn, retribution (punishment) sets in, and our character, mental and spiritual qualities are the enduring assets which time cannot disturb or diminish. They glow with pride to the end. The person who treats everyone and does everything with integrity, has no fear or worry, he has peace of mind. His strength and goodness will be beaming throughout his world and his lifetime; he has Character.
Character displays man in his highest and noblest form, and is one of the most respected and powerful features of a person. It is what we really are, our worth, our blood and soul; whereas reputation is only what others think of us. Our character is more important than reputation, because it is moral substance, not just nametags. Bertol noted, „Character is a diamond that scratches every other stone. You must therefore, live as a person of backbone, principles, truthfulness and virtues. Without strength of character you are reduced to some kind of animalism, you become more like a worm or parasite. Instead, always give your best, work honestly for your dollar, shine above the crowd, and carve your good and lasting impressions on mankind.
In ending this lesson, I want you to bear in mind that Truth is a very important thing in this world. It defeats almost everything else, because truth is nothing but truth, truth is honesty, and truth is facts and knowledge. When you have these 2 things: honesty and knowledge, you are powerful, and rich.
"Ability will enable a man to get to the top but character is the only thing that keeps him from falling off." – Anonymous
"The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom - they are the pillars of society." Ibsen.
"Men of character are not only the conscience of society... for it is the moral qualities which, in the main, rule the world." - S. Smiles.