Is there something that truly matters? Character perhaps? If you don’t believe that try doing something that will ruin you at your job and within your family. There are few things that matter in life more than the brief moments of experience. Having been the participant of good decisions as well as some truly awful choices, given the redo would love to step away from our worst decisions. Not just the act but the horrific impacts of some decisions follow us our entire lives.

My history is a land mine of poor choices. Certainly, I would rather discuss in open forum the challenges and grand successes, but there greater public impact and example from the times I have truly blown it. Therefore, often I begin with the worst and hopefully will get around to the best to be fair. As the lasting impact of my successes though brief and wonderful or at least positive to my self-esteem are less favorable to the shaping of my character then I previously understood. My worst moments may have been my best.

I lacked good, solid, healthy formed character for the majority of my youth. Seeking attention instead of love I became a performer for anyone who would listen to the song and dance. The things I did to get that attention were often ghastly. Children must be taught a Biblical understanding of the mirror of commandments from God’s perspective so that they have a measure against which to determine their road. Many young men I counsel these days threw away ten to twenty years of good reputation all for the sake of sin fulfillment.

We are in this life together and will often stand bye watching those with poor or immature understanding continue to be their own worst enemy. To me, those who taught me and those around me applauded my ignorance and foolish acts almost with a sense a sadism at watching a life implode. None of us may blame anyone and escape personal accountability but many of the poorest actions taken by those around me could have been prevented by a strong influential word or staying hand.

I don’t like the willingness to exhibit weak character and oft times find myself stopping these days before taking an action because of the potential for negative life impact. Perhaps the greatest learning is that there will always be some measure of yearning, even for the wrong thing, such that we must develop a good sense of self control to avoid that negativity. In Godly reflection other people must matter more than self. What I do to them carries greater impact to my character than the harm or mishaps I create for myself. Therefore, in maturity I must test ever intention and drive to see if it will solicit or create an adverse effect upon those around me. Love, after all commands this understanding.

I am not afraid of making mistakes, I am conscious of their potential for lasting impact. I am continually upset by my exhibition of poor behavior or making totally self-centered decisions that should have clearly been more well thought or not taken. What of my meanness or terse retort? Everyone that knows me sees that lack of perfection. However, I serve a wonderful God who gave me the power and intelligence to rise above my simple lack of skill or emotional understanding to do the right thing or say the encouraging instead of critical. Now that I am no longer afraid I may look back on well-considered action and see that in rare moments I am exhibiting character of a man I never thought to become.

Lord, let me be reflective, conscious and mirror your righteous choices. Let me step away when there is no positive impact upon others or to be seen in my own outcomes. Let me walk in the Spirit and do the right thing, say the right words and think the right thoughts that at some distant moment I may be thankful I took these right works. I know that I am not what I’ve done Lord, but my works still reflect the poisoned or healthy heart within my chest. Let me have a pure, considerate and thoughtful heart and defer or step away from the opportunities to display poor or lacking good character. Let me be like you. In Jesus’ name.