Character Moment #24 – March 19, 2008

Tomorrow kicks off one of my favorite days of the year, the beginning of March Madness: the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Sixty-four teams with the opportunity to be crowned national champion in a little over two weeks. It is exciting, and almost everyone fills out their brackets to see if they can guess the winner.

What is interesting is that the games on the first two days of the tournament are shown when most people are at work or school. Researchers estimate that the loss of productivity nationwide around the tournament is nearly $1.7 billion dollars. CBS internet will show all the games and even has a “boss button” that quickly brings up a spreadsheet so that it looks like someone is working instead of watching the games.

Watching the tournament is exciting though, especially when an unlikely team can upset another team like Valparaiso University did a few years ago when Bryce Drew hit “the shot” to beat Mississippi State. He will always be remembered for that shot and the university gained much exposure worldwide because of his heroics.

While the tournament itself can be a fun event, many people suffer greatly by getting caught up in the excitement and betting money illegally. “The FBI estimates that of the $2.5 billion Americans gamble on the NCAA tournament each year, only $80 million is legally bet through bookmakers in Nevada.” Some of this may appear to be harmless, but there are many people who lose their sense of good judgment and go way overboard by betting recklessly.

So how does this tie in to excellence in Christian character? It is probably like going 75mph when the speed limit is 60mph. We can all justify why we do something, but sometimes it is important to ask ourselves are we staying in bounds. Picking winners in the NCAA tournament isn’t a bad thing. Getting so caught up in a pool that it affects our job and our relationships is.

For the record, I root for the same team every year to win the tournament. Go Jayhawks!

Character Moment #23 – March 12, 2008

Have you ever been in a situation where you just knew you would be better off to lie or cover up what you had done wrong? No one would most likely find out, so what would be the point of confessing a mistake. In fact, if you told someone the truth, you might even have to suffer an unpleasant consequence. What would be the point in that? I think that is a pretty easy lie to buy into. If we don’t have to tell the truth why should we?

Stephen Lim wrote in his article, “Telling the Truth - Does it Pay?”[1] wrote the following…

“We are a nation of liars. In a national survey 91 percent of Americans admitted to lying regularly. Thirty-six percent confessed to telling serious lies which hurt others, are totally self-serving or break the law. Does it pay to tell the truth? If others lie, aren't we putting ourselves at a disadvantage if we don't? Working my way through school, I delivered special delivery mail for the U.S. Postal Service. Each morning the dispatcher handed drivers a pile of letters and packages. Before starting our route, we recorded the number of stops we had to make. While the other drivers padded their figures, I didn't. This made me look bad in comparison, lowering the supervisor's opinion of my performance. This consequence was minor, however, compared to those (consequences) suffered by (the) many who choose honesty. Consider a few: Because they do not cheat on assignments and tests to boost their grades, some fail to get into the college of their choice. Others don't succeed in getting a coveted job because they refuse to puff their resume. ‘It's harder and harder to be an honest person,’ laments Michael Josephson. ‘You feel like a jerk in a world where other people are getting ahead by taking shortcuts.’”

He concludes his article by sharing why we should tell the truth.

“Why should we tell the truth? The Bible commands: ‘You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor’ (Exodus 20:16), and ‘Speak the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15). While we may simply follow this standard in a dutiful way, we obey with greater conviction when we grasp the reasons behind it. God gave us his commandments in order ‘that we might always prosper’ (Deuteronomy 6:24). In what ways does telling the truth benefit us? He listed four reasons.

1. Healthy relationships require trust.
2. Society deteriorates when falsehood multiplies.
3. Lies also create stress.
4. Most importantly, we tell the truth because God wants us to reflect his nature and spirit. The Bible says, "God...does not lie" (Titus 1:2), and "it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18).

We need to be led by “the Spirit of truth” John 14:17, instead of the spirit of deception. While lying seems less serious than many offenses, it reflects a direction of life, moving us away from the God of truth. For this reason we should avoid even white lies. Many lies seem of little consequence, but the cumulative effect erodes the character of truth in us.

Lying may give us an immediate advantage. But consider the eventual costs—the breakdown of relationships with people and God. In the short-term, truth-telling doesn't seem to pay, but it rewards us with what's important—relationships of trust, peace of mind and spiritual health.”

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[1] Originally published in Plain Truth, May/June 2001 http://www.agts.edu/faculty/faculty_publications/articles/lim_telling_the_truth.pdf

Character Moment #22 – March 5, 2008

I enjoyed listening to Mr. Reece’s story yesterday in chapel of the wrestlers who took a stand for Christ, even to the point of death. I just wonder how many of us could ever do it? When faced with death would we be like the guy that walked off the lake to safety or be one of the remaining 39 that stood for Christ so powerfully that their faith led another to join them?

What tremendous character those men had as they knew their lives were on the line, yet they would not flinch; they would not back down.

In your life you will meet all types of people with all levels of character. People who are known as having high character are memorable. They are people that leave a positive impression on us. You will also encounter those whose character is lacking. Some might say they have questionable character. These are the folks who are seldom trusted, because they tend not to be genuine in their dealings with others.

In life you make the decision to be a person of high character or low character. It is developed by the many decisions that you make repeatedly over time. Once you are known as a person with questionable character though, it is a tough label to shake. It is not unforgiveable though, and not irreversible. The way to change your character is by making that next decision with integrity. The sign outside the office area I am in says, “It is never too late to do the right thing.” I believe that whole-heartedly, and I am living proof that God can change a person’s character in the proper direction.

My hope for each of you is that you will to be known as a person who has great character. That it will be something you take pride in, not in an arrogant way, but in a way that communicates you hold it to be extremely important and valuable.

Just a Family Item

This was a nice thing for Travis this past week.

All-Ivy League selection

Character Moment #21 – February 27, 2008

I can remember growing up, that my folks would constantly remind me about being consistent with words and actions. Sometimes it was a whole lot easier for me to say one thing to them and then do another. The thing I would say is usually what I thought they would want to hear. It was quicker to mouth the words and then go about doing what I wanted to do any way. Fortunately, the thing I learned as I got older was that people did not respect a person who was, basically, a hypocrite. We were being judged by how our words and actions were aligned.

I would never want a school where we said we were about certain things, and then did completely the opposite. It is why we place an emphasis on Christian character development. The best way that I see words and actions aligning is when we are conscience about what we are filling ourselves with from outside influences. What we read, what we see, what we listen to; those things we expose ourselves to will come out when we find ourselves in a touch situation. That auto-response really can tell others about our true character.

There’s the story of a small boy who came home after school to fresh baked cookies. He loved a big glass of milk with those cookies, so he went to the refrigerator and poured himself a huge glass of milk to the very top. As he was carefully, slowly, walking back to the table to enjoy his snack, his older sibling came flying around the corner and crashed into him. The milk went flying everywhere and saturated the boy, covering the table and the floor.

What spills out of you when you get bumped? When things in life don’t go exactly the way you planned, how do you respond?

If we fill ourselves with good things, it is more likely those are the things that will spill out. Garbage in – Garbage out. Good stuff in – then good stuff out.

Paul said it this way in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”[1]

Basically he says, intentionally aspire to put these positive things in your mind and when you are bumped in life, that is what will spill out on others.

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[1] New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Character Moment #20 – February, 20, 2008

There is a big controversy brewing in Indiana these days. The head basketball coach at the University of Indiana has been charged with breaking NCAA violations on how coaches can contact recruits. The university president has given the athletic director until Friday to make a decision about the fate of the coach. The coach has continued to lead his team, but may have coached his last game. The team is tied for first place in the league. The players love the coach. The university has always taken pride in having a clean basketball program. What is the AD to do?

It sounds like a soap opera doesn’t it? The issue though is about the character of the coach. He left his last job under scrutiny and now finds himself in a mess again. The decision will not be an easy one, and it will surely be debated in the papers and on TV for weeks to come.

Being accused of cheating, or lying, or stealing is a major thing. If the allegations prove true, they ruin careers. Even if they are dismissed at times, they still can affect how people view a person’s career.

Having a set of standards by which we can all commit to helps us hold each other accountable in the area of honor. Our honor code was designed a few years ago to highlight what it means to be a Lancer. This honor code is hanging in each of your classrooms. It is a core value of all that takes place here at Orange Lutheran. Look around your room and focus in on the words.

HONOR CODE

Lutheran High School of Orange County is relentlessly committed to Christian character development of each student enrolled. An essential value that is at the heart of a strong Christian character is honesty. Each member of the Lutheran High School family is asked to assume responsibility for refraining from dishonorable conduct.

An honor offense is defined as an intentional act of lying, cheating, or stealing. Each student will commit to faithfully abide by this system of Honor and will subject themselves to negative consequences when they choose to surrender their honor.

As a member of the Lutheran High School family, I commit to relentlessly strive to:

Live honestly

Accept responsibility for my actions

Not to lie, cheat, or steal

Create and cultivate a safe environment

Establish a climate of integrity

Respect myself and others

Overall, I aim to be a person of honor, who values integrity, respect, and service as a redeemed child of Jesus Christ.

It is my hope for all of us that we strive to live honorably as a way to thank God for His love to us. May God give each of us the courage to be people of honor.