Integrity and character are hard to find. Especially given the fact that we naturally expect people to have “hidden agendas.” Whether it is a salesman, politician, newscaster, or neighbor, we sadly have trouble believing integrity and character exist.
There are some legitimate reasons for this. Our experiences have been shaped by people’s false motives and dishonest dealings. We’ve all felt the embarrassment of getting “suckered” into a deal by a slick salesman. (Have you ever bought something from a kiosk at the mall?)
Theologically, we know that man is prone to selfishness and deceit because of his sin. But perhaps the greatest reason we suspect false motives in others is because we are prone to false motives too!
The only person to live on this planet with perfect integrity and character is Christ. And the good news is that He has the power to transform our integrity and character to be like his.
Perhaps you can think of several people who are obviously being transformed in this way.
One of my friend recently described a man of character by saying, “Most people look better from a distance. But my admiration for him increases the more I get to know him.”
I think that’s a great way to summarize Christ-like character. It gets better as you get closer –just like our relationship with Christ himself. And, the closer we get to Christ, the more we develop Christ like character!