As you mature, you grow in your personal traits. Hopefully, this is for the better. Time lapses and you become a better person. Along with the passing of time, making positive changes in your life guides you to become a better person. You have to make it a priority to live, learn, and grow as a person for those positive attributes to show in your life.
The Stony Brook School on Long Island, New York, is a Christian preparatory school for boys founded in 1921 by Frank E. Gaebelein. On his retirement in 1963, he was succeeded by his son, Donn E. Gaebelein. Inscribed on the school’s seal are these words: “Character before Career.” Those words make a strong statement to be considered. Your career is important. It is the means for you living day-to-day, enjoying life, and preparing for the future. The fact that a career is an important decision in life is irrefutable. Although your career is important, your character is of even more importance. Without good character, the fall of your career will surely come. And will come down hard!
The Bible tells you the importance of character, and even explains how to get it. “And perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope” (Romans 5:4). The way to have rock solid character is to persevere through the hard, tough times life brings your way. In time, those dark days result in you having great character. And character is needed to assist you in having hope for a better tomorrow.
Do you feel like a solid rock? Or does your rock have some deep, wide crevasses in it? Ask Jesus to help you through your dark trials to learn what you need to learn. That process yields “proven character.” And that character is more important than your career.
