CHARACTER VS. REPUTATION (Lessons from Sweeping)

I was taking care of certain places in the house one morning. As I swept, I began to lift up and shift book shelves, chairs and photo frames. As I did, I would find dirt tucked in behind them.

The Holy Spirit began to teach me about reputation and character. He said to me, all those areas that people would see when they step in that is always clean is a picture of reputation.

He then added that all the dirt hidden away nicely behind shelves, chairs and frames are the picture of character.

Have you ever gotten a visitor coming to your room before and you pack all those cloths into your wardrobe while the room looks so clean? The clean room is your reputation. The closed wardrobe is your character.

A lot of people are under the pressure to keep up a reputation while they have things hidden away in their closed wardrobe.

You need friends who see beyond your clean room who can lift up those chairs of comfort and shelves of compromise and open up your wardrobe of performance exposing the areas you have tucked away diligently behind the mask of religion and at times, spirituality.

Saul wanted to play cover up with Samuel but Samuel asked, “What is the sound of the bleating of goats and rams that I hear?”

When you plan to cover up your fraud and character flaws, may the goats bleat and send a message that will help preserve your soul.

Do you have friends who challenge you about your business ethics? Do you have a circle that pulls you back when ethical lines are become blurry?

Is there someone close to you that can call you to order when the smiles at that lady says more than “Good Morning”? Do you preach up a storm but then hide pornographic links in passworded folders?

Who are you behind the shelf?
Who are you in the closed wardrobe?
Who are you when and where no one sees?

And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Romans 5:4 NLT

And I pray for you:

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
Philippians 1:11 NLT

Do not lose with character while you win with reputation. It is a huge loss.