Build Your Character Not Your Reputation:

God is far more interested in who we are when no one's looking than in the image we present to others. Character trumps reputation every time. Our character is the sum of our values, our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Our reputation is shaped and fashioned predominantly by what others see publicly. Character is like a tree, and reputation is its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is, and the tree is the real thing. - Abraham Lincoln

The world is obsessed with image and impression management. Celebrities have PR managers, Instagram personalities have marketing methods, and, well, the rest of us have iPhones (am I right?). We can filter, cut, crop, and curate our lives to create the perfect perception. We can post on Facebook and pretend we have it all together when really, it's falling apart at the seams. We can praise God passionately at Church on Sunday, then ignore Him the rest of the week. The truth is, God's not into appearances.

He's actually more concerned with our motive, our attitude, and our actions behind closed doors than what we display publicly.

Does that mean we ditch the desire to uphold a good reputation? Not by any means. It's not either-or; it's simply a matter of priority. Honest character will always lead to a good reputation, but a shiny reputation doesn't always mean there's substance behind the veneer. When we focus on the development of our character, we live from the inside out, not the other way around.

In Matthew 23:27, Jesus confronts the Pharisees who were engrossed with how they presented to others and ignored the deficits of their own character. The Message Version reads, “You're hopeless, you religious scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down, it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin, you're total frauds."

Whoa. Somebody say savage! Jesus pulls no punches. He challenges the Pharisees to stop faking their faith and says to them zealously.

Stop presenting one thing and being another. Stop saying you love God but don't show it in the way that you love people

He calls them out for who they are; religious, immoral, and hypocritical. To be truthful, all things that at some point I have been. Thankfully, God invites us into a life of forgiveness, redemption, and freedom through what Jesus did for us at Calvary.

Side note: Isn't it amazing that Jesus was never harsh on sinners, but He comes down like a tonne of bricks on the self-righteous and proud? Pride makes God your opponent, and you’re never gonna win that fight. That's another sermon for another time.

The point is, we as Christians are called to a life of integrity. Integrity is literally defined as the state of being whole and undivided. It's the quality of being honest and demonstrating strong moral principles.

Our faith must be rooted in grace, but outworked in our actions.

Our words must be kind and Christlike regardless of what forum we are in. Our hearts must be soft enough to take correction and secure enough to know it doesn't undermine our value.

The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good and how he treats people who can't fight back. - Abigail Van Buren

One of my personal prayers is that who I am in public is no different from who I am in private. I hope that the "Pastor" people meet on Sundays is the same mother, wife, and friend my husband, children, and others get on Mondays. I hope that I don't just talk about marriage and relationships but demonstrate respect, loyalty, and commitment in my own. I hope the sermons I write and the blogs I release come from a place of intimacy and closeness with my God, not a regurgitation of someone else’s revelation or well-thought-out marketing strategies.

Duplicity is such an ugly thing, and sooner or later the cracks will start to show.

You can only fool people for so long until it becomes clear there's no fruit on the tree.

Hebrews 4:13 puts it like this, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account."

Am I there yet? Definitely not; just ask my husband. He sees the flaws (there's a lot!), and so does God.

The important thing is progress, not perfection. Humility, not self-preservation.

Progress takes place when we come before our God humbly and say, "Father, thank you that you love me just the way I am, but don't leave me the way I am. Make me more like you and change anything you need to." When we do that, I think we actually start to become who He destined us to be.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article reflect my personal Christian beliefs and are not intended to be imposed on others. Readers are encouraged to explore their own spiritual and professional beliefs in line with their values.