Proverbs 28:6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The proposal I am making to you is for character and integrity to be married into your life!
It is more important what God does in you than just through you. It is the ultimate desire of The Lord for any to believe upon Him and go through the process of being molded and shaped into the character and integrity of Jesus Christ.
As I heard said, character is doing what you know to do regardless of what others are doing. Integrity is NOT doing what you know is not the right thing to do, stemming off of godly/righteous principle.
It is my daily desire to cultivate character and integrity in my life to whatever I put my hand to do as a husband, a father, a friend and most importantly a witness and lover of Christ.
Characteristics is what defines a person’s abilities, but character and integrity is what defines a person’s quality!
When people are looking for the special one they want to spend the rest of their life with, according to the world’s standards we are taught to look on the outward surface of characteristics. How much money they make, what skills they have, how pretty do they sing, etc… But according to God’s standards we are encouraged to look beyond the surface at character and there we find how the persons deal with their money, to what purpose they lend their skills, to whose glory do they lift up their pretty voice, and so on.
Here is a word of wisdom to all the young and older single folk who are found in a place believing God for the right one to marry. Characteristics WILL change! Money can come and go, skills can diminish, and voices can change over time. Though there is nothing wrong with having great characteristics and abilities, it is THE CHARACTER and INTEGRITY of the person you marry!
If the person you are with doesn’t respect your parents, then what make you think they will respect you? All these factors give us a sense of character, integrity and value. Value of ourselves and the value of the one we will be with.
This can only be achieved daily unto eternity when one realizes that God has called them to go unto maturity in Christ!
It is CHARACTER and INTEGRITY that will make your life as a written epistle, read among men that would really be worth the read, trust, appreciation and admiration.
In the famous traditional marriage vows “through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer” that is perhaps one of the most powerful and important proclamations because that reinforces a character that stays consistent in love through all the changes of life.
I remember as my wife and I wrote our vows, we promised many things as to what to expect and how much we will live accountable to Christ and each other, but when I stated my disposition during such major life events, that seemed to be the part that my wife was waiting to hear. Why? Because she was looking and hearing for character and integrity. EVERYTHING ELSE comes and goes but since we desire for a marriage that stays, we needed to hear of the qualities that are capable to stay in order to help keep our covenant together, as well as our lives!
Whoever you are, wherever you, I pray your greatest ambition in life is that marked by great godly character and integrity, because that will take you far and whoever else God joins to you! Before you marry anyone, let character and integrity be married into your life as it will become the byproducts and fruit of a cultivated covenant with Christ!
1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.