One Essential Trait of a Strong Character: Self-Control

I find myself home alone for the afternoon and into the evening.  Ah, freedom.  My time is not accounted for! I can do whatever I want.

This is one of those moments in life when there are several paths to take.  What shall I do?  My options include doing something: healthy, productive, sensible, indulgent, daring, disregarding, soothing, and/or creative?

What do you gravitate toward when no one is looking?  When your time is unaccounted for what are your patterns?  We certainly can find an inkling of our core character by the choices we make when we are given freedom.  Do our choices benefit ourselves and others?  Are they self-defeating?

The motto of the Christian Men’s Fraternity is: Go forward, reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously, and always expect the greater reward, God’s reward.  We cannot pass along – to our peers, our kids, our corporation, or our community – what we do not possess.  The strength of character starts with looking in the mirror and then going forth in fine tuning ourselves.

In Matthew 7:16-20 you will find:

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

And many of us get sick of repeating our old patterns and know that the development of our character cannot be done alone.  We simply do need to reach out to a friend, our church, or our counselor.  If you need us here at The Summit, you know how to find us.