Overstating the obvious may be tedious but in this case it’s simply impossible to overstate the need for character at every level of life and leadership in our nation.   School teachers , attorneys, ministers, politicians, bankers,  entertainers, athletes, coaches, business owners, employees, and each of us as individual citizens… name the category and the need for character is clear.

My generation (boomers) heard the virtues of strong character extolled throughout childhood and early adult years, and it appears to me that the message did bear fruit in the majority of those lives.  While there has never been – nor will there ever be – societal perfection in this respect, we nevertheless held in esteem those who preached and lived with strength, stability and stamina in their fundamental character. 

Frequent public failures of character and integrity in these days seem to be creating an unspoken mindset which views character as a nice idea, but not as an important goal or an attainable / sustainable reality for very many people.   And, there are surely those who use the failures of others to justify their own behavior.  Yet, the fact of the matter is I am both privileged and responsible to determine my own character without respect to how anyone else does or does not live.

When I first heard,  ”charisma without character leads to chaos”, I understood it at a sophomore level.  Today, I understand it to be one of the most reliable and demonstrable truths I’ve ever encountered.  Charisma is a wonderful attribute in a life built upon character, but it is a terrible and destructive force in a life absent character.  The chaos that is is unleashed on individuals, families, communities, churches, businesses, states, governments and nations victimized by failures in character cannot be quantified, nor can it’s impact be hidden.  There are positive consequences to positive character, and negative consequences to poor character.

So, it starts with me…and you.  And the starting point may be as simple as answering this question:  Which component / trait of strong character is most in need of attention in my life today?  Identify it, and begin today to work on it.  Find an accountability partner to help in the process.  Find a person who models what you want to be and ask their guidance.  You can lay stones that strengthen your character beginning right now…if you truly want to do so.

When it comes to general skills and talents, it makes sense to maximize your strengths and work around your weaknesses.  But in the case of character, inattention to weakness is a sure and certain path to future chaos.