Character is Everything

Every year I am drawn to the National Football League draft. College players from across the nation anxiously await to hear their name called for a chance to play professional football while earning a lot of money.
This year's event took on a little extra meaning for this diehard Arkansas Razorback fan. Hog quarterback Ryan Mallett was expected to be a high selection because of his strong arm and his familiarity of the professional offensive system.
However, it didn't exactly happen as quickly as I, as well as other fans, expected it to happen. And I'm sure it didn't happen soon enough for Mallet as he fell to the third round, the 74th overall pick to the New England Patriots.
This is probably a good opportunity to talk about patience but I see another issue that evolves from this episode. It is a prime learning opportunity for us all to see how character is important. Whether it's true or just a perception, Mallett's off the field activities hurt him in the draft and probably cost him millions of dollars as well.
Nothing is more important than your character. You may be rich, you may be famous, you may be the most successful person in your chosen field but if you have no character then you really haven't achieved much. Also, if you continue to do the right things in life then you never have to worry about remembering what you did!

Woe Is Me!

As I write this, I am in the process of trying to get over the "South Arkansas Crud" for lack of a better name. I thought I had already survived the mess but it came back with a vengeance. And to top it off it had to be the week of Easter with me scheduled to preach twice Easter morning.
Why Me??!!
Occasionally we feel everything is happening to us, even when we feel we'vedone nothing to deserve it. Such was the case when 22-year old Daniel Sneed spent a week in a Los Angeles County jail. La Mirada prosecutors apparrently erred when they charged him with ignoring a loitering fine. Several days later, his bank produced a canceled check which seemed to exonerate him. However, Sneed still spent another two days in jail before being released. Even his own father, a police lieutenant, was helpless in Sneed's ordeal.
It's easy to think no one believes you or cares for you when everything seems to be crashing around you. David understood the feeling. He was fleeing for his life from his own son when he called to God for help. The same God that cared for David and heard his prayer is the same God that is concerned for you. Ask and He will "contend" for you according to Psalm 35:23.

Lying Lips

When American businessman Armand Hammer died at the age of ninety-two he was hailed as a great man and confidant of world leaders. However it wasn't long until the truth emerged. It was reported that Hammer got started early in his career laundering money for the Soviet Union. He managed to make money off a string of broken marriages. He allowed his father to go to prison for a botched abortion that he, himself, had performed. And when his brother died, he filed a $667,000 claim against the $750,000 estate rather that giving it to his nephews and his deceased brother's widow who was living in a nursing home. And on top of it all, he hired a string of ghostwriters to write false autobiographies about his life. No one bothered to come to his funeral, including his own son. His nurse, a chauffeur and a few other personal employees had to be pressed into service as pallbearers. Pitiful, huh? Psalm 120:2 says, "Save me, O Lord, from lying lips." Falsehoods worked for the most part while Hammer was alive but it caught up with him at his death. More importantly, though, is that he never fooled God. Lying gets us into trouble sooner or later. I mean, let's be honest.!

Let God Have Control

As humans are apt to do, we often try to take matters into our own hands. Unfortunately, that can lead to disaster. Seventy-six year old Bob Olrich was faced with a life-changing situation. His wife's cancer had spread from her colon to her lymph nodes. On more than one occasion the family was called to her bedside, certain she would not last through the night. After watching her suffer, Olrich decided to take the matter into his own hands, fatally shooting her. To add more tragedy to the incident, an autopsy indicated his wife was cancer-free when her life was ended. Why not let God have control of our lives? He is the Author of life itself. We cannot begin to understand the wisdom and grace of our Lord. He can heal us and keep us from the grave, but that is for Him to decide, not us. Let Him have control of every situation.