Character

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."—Helen Keller

“Character building takes time.  There are no shortcuts.  Two factors determine the length of time required for God to develop character worthy of spiritual leadership—trust in God and obedience to God.”—Henry & Richard Blackaby in Spiritual Leadership

“If you would test the character of anything, you only need to enquire whether that thing leads you to God or away from God.  Money invariably leads away from God.”--Watchman Nee in Love Not the World

“Our Lord is more interested in developing our character than in preserving our comfort.”--Robert Coleman in The Master Plan of Discipleship
           
“To the distinguished character of a Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of a Christian.”—George Washington

“Character is what a man is in the dark.”—Dwight L. Moody

 “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”—Abraham Lincoln

“I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.”—George Washington

“Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.”—Aristotle

“No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”—Billy Graham

“God’s revelation of Himself to me is determined by my character, not by God’s character.”--Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest
           
“Spiritual character is only developed as Noah’s was—by standing loyal to God’s character, no matter what distress the trial of faith brings.”--Oswald Chambers in Not Knowing Where 31,32
           
“God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character.”—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest, Jan 31
“Character determines how a man interprets God’s will.”—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest
           
“My vision of God depends upon the state of my character.  Character determines revelation.”—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest
           
"The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness."—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest

The test of a man’s religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting on.  The worth of a man is revealed in his attitude to ordinary things when he is not before the footlights.—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest

We make character out of our dispositions.  Character is what we make, disposition is what we are born with; and when we are born again we are given new dispositions.  We must make our own characters, but we cannot make our own dispositions; that is a gift.—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount 29

. . . the days that have furthered us most in character are the days of stress and cloud, the days when we could not see our way but had to stand still and wait; and as we waited, the comforting and sustaining and restoring of God came in a way we never imagined possible before.—Oswald Chambers in The Place of Help 84
           
“It is useless to mistake careful consideration of circumstances for that which produces character.  We cannot produce an inner life by watching the outer all the time.”—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount 69
           
“Character is what a man makes out of his disposition as it comes in contact with external things.”—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount 75
           
“There are certain points of truth our Lord cannot reveal to us until our characters in a fit state to bear it.  The discernment of God’s truth and the development of character go together.”—Oswald Chambers in Approved Unto God 34
           
“Character must be attained, it is never given to us.”—Oswald Chambers in The Shadow of an Agony 85

“Character is always revealed in crisis.”—Oswald Chambers in God’s Workmanship 17

“Character is the way we have grown to act with our hands and our feet, our eyes and our tongues, and the characters we make always reveal the ruling disposition within.”—Oswald Chambers in Grow Up Into Him 87
           
“Character is the evidence that I am built on the right foundation.”—Oswald Chambers in As He Walked 128
           
“When we go on Jesus Christ’s way, slowly and steadily we find He builds up spiritual and moral character along with intellectual discernment—these develop together; if we push one at the expense of the other, we shall get out of touch with God.”—Oswald Chambers in If You Will Be Perfect 245
           
“Character is what a man is; reputation is what other people think he is.”—Oswald Chambers in Shade of His Hand 150
           
“My spiritual character determines the revelation of God to me.”—Oswald Chambers in Approved Unto God 48
           
“Discernment of God’s truth and development in spiritual character go together.”—Oswald Chambers in Approved Unto God 67
           
“Character in a saint means the disposition of Jesus Christ persistently manifested.”—Oswald Chambers in Biblical Psychology
           
“My vision of God depends upon the state of my character.  Character determines revelation.”—Oswald Chambers in Notes on Isaiah

“Protesting simply draws attention to the issue . . . The finest defense of character is
correct action. Acquaint yourself with virtue, and you can expect proper treatment from those around you.”—Brian Sanderson in The Way of Kings, p. 819

“Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character.”—Henry Clay

“Character is the single most important factor in building trust.”—James Robbins in Nine Minutes On Monday

“If you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”—Abraham Lincoln

“It is through our foundational character, whether good or bad, that we develop a value system that helps us make ethical or unethical, moral or immoral, decisions about what actions to take in any given situation.”—Reid Kisling in Foundations of Spiritual Formation, p. 143

Character—the inner world of motives and values that shapes our actions—is the ultimate determiner of the nature of our leadership. It empowers our capacities while keeping them in check. It distinguishes those who steward power well from those who abuse power. Character weaves such values as integrity, honesty, and selfless service into the fabric or our lives, organizations, and cultures.—Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and Ken McElrath in The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence
           
“Temperament is an automatic response to a specific situation, while character filters our instincts prior to taking a specific action.”—Reid Kisling in Foundations of Spiritual Formation, p. 149

“Character is the psychological muscle that moral conduct requires.”—Amitai Etzioni

“Character is reflected in a man who will not let his circumstances dictate his principles.”—Phil Downer in Eternal Impact

“Without God, character ceases to be important to a culture.”—Phil Downer in Eternal Impact

“Either God will control you, or you will try to control yourself. You see, the Holy Spirit not your own strength of will, is the source of all character.”—Phil Downer in Eternal Impact

“The bedrock of character is self-discipline; the virtuous life, as philosophers since Aristotle have observed, is based on self-c0ntrol.”—Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence

“All of my decisions, no matter what type of exposure they get, play a part in forming my character.”—Dave Anderson in “Private Tests of a Leader’s Character” 1-5-16

“The number of witnesses does not determine the importance of a decision in regard to its impact on my character.”—Dave Anderson in “Private Tests of a Leader’s Character” 1-5-16

“Character is foundational for trust, and trust is the most essential ingredient for leadership influence.  People don’t want to follow leaders they can’t trust.”—Lee Ellis in Leading with Honor

“Ethics and character are the foundation of an institution and a society. They must be constantly emphasized at every level of command, in training, curriculum, and all phases of DoD in both the officer and the enlisted corps, top to bottom.”—Chuck Hagel

“It is in our most unguarded moments that we really show and see what we are.”—Andrew Murray in Humility The Beauty of Holiness

“Never ignore the lack of character because of an abundance of Bible knowledge.”—Larry Osborne

“The immature character asks life to meet his demands.  But the mature character meets the demands of life.”—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

“One of the most important aspects of character in life, without question, is one’s ability to confront. It is true that you get what you tolerate.”—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

First, integrated character does not avoid negatives, but does the opposite—actively seeks them out to resolve them.  Second, integrated character does not see facing negatives only as something painful, but as an opportunity to make things better and get to a good place.—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

“A person with integrated character is a person who possesses the awareness that it is not all about him or her, and the ability and willingness to make the necessary adjustments to the things that transcend him or her at any given juncture.”—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

The ability to keep going when we hit an obstacle, believe that there is a way to get it done, and keep going until we find it is one of the most important character abilities that we can ever develop.  It is one of the most important aspects of character that leads to success.—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

“Character transcends gifts and the context of the expression of those gifts.”—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

“Character = the ability to meet the demands of reality.”—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

. . . aspects of character are:
1.  The ability to connect authentically (which leads to trust)
2. The ability to be oriented toward the truth (which leads to finding and operating in reality)
3. The ability to work in a way that gets results and finishes well (which leads to reaching goals, profits, or the mission)
4. The ability to embrace, engage, and deal with the negative (which leads to ending problems, resolving them, or transforming them)
5. The ability to be oriented toward growth (which leads to increase)
6. The ability to be transcendent (which leads to enlargement of the bigger picture and oneself) .—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity

Competence and character are not mutually exclusive. They are woven together. And an uncompromising culture of accountability must exist at every level of command. That must be practiced and emphasized by leadership at every level. Like in all institutions, it starts at the top.—Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

“Many people with talent make it into the limelight, but the ones who have neglected to develop strong character rarely stay there long.”—John C. Maxwell in Talent is Never Enough

“The Bible indicates that our thought lives ultimately determine our character.”—Jerry Bridges in The Pursuit of Holiness

“Character—the courage and conviction to live by our deepest values—is the key muscle that serves spiritual energy.”—Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in The Power of Full Engagement

“It is the purpose of the United States Military Academy to provide the nation with leaders of character.”—West Point Mission Statement

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”—Goethe

War is for the participants a test of character; it makes bad men worse and good men better . . . The lesson impressed on me as I stand here . . . is that in a great, momentous struggle . . . it is character that tells.  I do not mean simply nor chiefly bravery.   Many a man has that . . . what I mean by character is a firm and seasoned substance of soul.—COL Joshua Chamberlain

“Character is what defines us.”—GEN. Ray Odierno

The civilization of a people depends on their individual character; and a constitution which is not the outgrowth of this character is not worth the parchment on which it is written.  You look in vain in the past for a single instance where the people have preserved their liberties after their individual character was lost.—E.P. Whipple in “The True Glory of a Nation”

“Our character stems from what lies within us: the attitudes of our heart, the thoughts of our mind, and the values we hold dear.”—John J. Cook III and James R. Carter, “Four Sermons on The Cadet Prayer: The Protestant Perspective” in The Warrior’s Character

“Leader’s character plays a central role in earning follower’s trust.”—Omar Bradley, “On Leadership,” in The Challenge of Military Leadership

“A man of character in peace is a man of courage in war.”—Lord Moran in The Anatomy of Courage

Generally expressed, baptism in the Spirit, spiritual experiences, high acts of worship, and other experiences of worship do not transform character . . . Character is formed through action, and it is transformed through action, including carefully planned and grace-sustained disciplines.  To enter the path of obedience to Jesus Christ—intending  to obey him and intending to learn whatever I have to learn in order to obey him—is the true path of spiritual formation or transformation.—Dallas Willard in The Great Omission

“One cannot obtain a Christlike character for nothing; one cannot do a Christlike work save at great price.”—Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor in Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret

“Character breeds influence.  Influence shapes character . . . Take your character deep, and your influence will be profound.”—Erwin Raphael McManus in Chasing Daylight

“A warrior without character is merely a brute.”—Stu Weber in Spirit Warriors

“Ken Meredith was chosen to sort Grady York’s things.  “I didn’t have to throw anything of Grady’s away,” said his buddy.  The boy whose worst epithet was “skillyboo” had nothing that his mother couldn’t see.”—James Bradley in Flyboys

“The leader’s character is what makes the difference between advancing or de-centering the morale, competence, and commitment of an organization.”—Dan Allender in  Leading With A Limp
           
“God wants you to climb the character ladder.”—Steve Farrar in Finishing Strong

Indeed, character has to be expressed through behavior.  Integrity, responsibility, forgiveness, and compassion don’t live inside us.  Our behavior, especially as demonstrated through our relationships with others, is where our character comes to life.—Fred Kiel in Return On Character
           
“We define character as an individual’s unique combination of internalized beliefs and moral habits that motivate and shape how that individual relates to others.”—Fred Kiel in Return On Character

The four Keystone Character Habits of Virtuoso leadership are integrity, responsibility, forgiveness, and compassion . . . Integrity.  Acting consistently with professed principles, values, and beliefs; telling the truth; standing up for what’s right; keeping promises.  Responsibility. Owning up to personal choices; admitting mistakes and failures; stepping up to serve others—that is, leaving the world a better place. Forgiveness. Letting go of one’s mistakes—and those of others; focusing on what’s right versus what’s wrong. Compassion. Empathizing with others; empowering people, actively caring for others, and showing commitment to their development.—Fred Kiel in Return On Character

“From a biblical perspective, character is the consistent enactment of biblical values through the power of Christlike virtues.”—Gary Bredfeldt in Great Leader, Great Teacher p. 89

“Character is not transformed by obeying rules or by conforming to laws. Rather, God would redeem our character through brokenness.”—Jim Van Yperen in Making Peace: A Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict, p. 60

“Foolish is the man, and there are many such men, who would set the world right by waging war on the evils around him, while he neglects that integral part of the world lies his business, his first business—namely, his own character and conduct.”—George MacDonald

“A person’s character is the sphere in which God delights to work. God receives glory through a godly character.”—Henry Blackaby & Richard Blackaby in Called to be God’s Leader: Lessons from the Life of Joshua
           
“Character is bet formed in the stormy billows of the world.”—Goethe
           
​ “The term itself means the endowment of divine grace, but [it is not clear] whether this gift of grace was a quality possessed by leaders independent of society or a quality dependent on its recognition by followers.”—James MacGregor Burns in Leadership
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