James chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Tempting Your Character
Habakkuk 2:2
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
VISION
Today we look to the word VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state), visions (in night), oracle, prophecy (divine communication), vision (as title of book of prophecy) from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide, to see, behold, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state, to see, perceive with the intelligence, to see (by experience), to provide
The Torah testifies........
Numbers 24:4
He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
Numbers 24:16
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
The prophets proclaim.........
1 Samuel 3:1
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377.
Jeremiah 14:14
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
The writings bear witness.........
1 Chronicles 17:15
According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Psalm 89:19
Then thou spakest in vision H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
Chapter 10
Tempting Your Character
“Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour....If at my convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?”
—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
On a trip to Israel, I toured a site where ancient artifacts from the Roman Empire were on display. In one area of the site, I noticed what looked like a large smelting pot, as well as pieces of metal, a broken sword, a broken dagger, and an intact sword. The guide at the site explained, “The Roman Empire had the most powerful army in the world. Practically no one defeated the Romans militarily. Why? They not only had superior strategy, but they also had superior weapons. And the reason Roman swords were so powerful is that they had been properly tempered.”
The guide then explained the tempering process. A Roman blacksmith would take iron ore and beat it on an anvil with a steel mallet to make it flat and even. Then, he would put the metal in a furnace. When the metal became red-hot from the fire, the blacksmith would be able to detect dark spots in it, which indicated areas of weakness. Wherever he saw a spot, he would hammer at it until he couldn’t see it anymore. Then, he’d take the glowing metal and thrust it in very cold water. This caused all the molecules in the metal to move close together, strengthening it.
After this, the blacksmith would take the sword out of the water and put it back in the fire. The metal would heat up again, and he would check the area where he had previously worked on the spot. If it was still there, he kept working at it until it was completely gone. Then, he’d put the sword back in the fire until it was glowing hot again, so he could identify the other weak areas. He would repeat this process until no more spots remained. In this way, the sword would repeatedly be subjected to a process that took it from burning fire to hammering to ice-cold water.
The guide said that whenever a blacksmith finished making a sword, he engraved his own name or mark on it. So, every Roman sword identified the person who had forged it. And every blacksmith who worked for the Roman army had a contract stipulating that if any of his swords broke, he could be put to death.
This guarantee that the sword would not break was crucial to the success and safety of the soldiers. They were going out into the world of battle. And when they were in the middle of the pressures of combat, they couldn’t afford to have their swords break. If they did, their lives could be jeopardized. The soldiers had to be able to place confidence in the strength and durability of their weapons. And the only way they could trust their swords was to know that they had gone through this “tempering” process.
Strengthened Through Trials
The verb temper may be defined as “to make stronger and more resilient through hardship.” The process of tempering swords may be compared to a process that is essential to the building of our character—this is the process of being tempted.
You may be thinking, What? Isn’t being tempted something to avoid?
We must realize that being tempted is not the same as succumbing to temptation. The process of temptation reveals what is genuine in our character and what is false, similar to the process of refining gold in fire, in which everything that isn’t pure gold is burned away. Believe me, friend: Every day of your life, your character will be tested! These tests are not for the purpose of defeating us but rather for strengthening us.
You probably already know many of your strengths, but are you aware of all your weaknesses? Each of us has weak areas in our character. And testing, or tempering, has much more to do with checking for our weaknesses than for our strengths. The Roman blacksmiths would start out with weak, porous pieces of metal when crafting their swords. That condition of the metal describes the inner state of human beings, who contend with the effects of fallen humanity. To be tempted is to be assessed for moral weaknesses —“spots”—in our character, so they can be removed, and so we can become leaders of principle. And as our character is strengthened, we will prove our trustworthiness to lead others.
To be tempted is to be assessed for moral weaknesses— “spots”—in our character, so they can be removed,
and so we can become leaders of principle.
Paul of Tarsus wrote the following to his first-century audience in Rome about the process of character building: “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us....”1 Isn’t that powerful? The Greek word for character in this passage indicates “the process or result of trial, proving, approval.”2 What a process! I consider it the secret to character development.
The word “sufferings” here can be equated to tests and challenges. Paul was saying that when we go through trials, we will build perseverance. To persevere means to bear up under pressure, so that we remain consistent and stable. We should view each temptation as an opportunity to strengthen the weak areas of our lives.
Resisting temptation and enduring in the midst of trials can seem like daunting tasks. However, as one biblical writer emphasized, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”3 We never know how strong or stable we are until we’re under real pressure. When life heats up in the course of various difficulties and trials, our weaknesses become exposed, allowing us to see them clearly. Instead of turning away from what we see, we must acknowledge those flaws. Then, to get back on the right track, we need to determine the appropriate ethical principle to apply and then align ourselves with it through personal discipline. We must allow the tempering process to train us. As we do, we will recommit ourselves to our convictions, values, and moral standards, strengthening our character.
Intentional Personal Development
Character is manifested when our values, principles, morals, and standards are tested. And life will give us plenty of tests. However, the challenges and trials that come to us from external forces will not address all of our weaknesses. Therefore, just as the blacksmith sought out the weak areas of the metal, character building involves self-evaluation. We should be intentional about assessing ourselves according to the established moral principles to which we have committed. Wherever we find a “spot,” we should work to eliminate it. When we have addressed a character flaw for a period of time, we should search for another. This can be hard work, but it is worth it!
As we have seen, our character cannot be developed unless we make a personal commitment to our convictions and moral standards. We also need to specifically state these convictions and standards—first to ourselves, and then to our families, our colleagues, our constituents, our communities, and so forth. This is when we make declarations such as, “I will/will not do such and such.” When you state your values, standards, and code of ethics to yourself, you reinforce your convictions and encourage personal discipline in relation to them. However, you must be aware that when you make a commitment to a moral standard and declare that you will uphold it, you give “life” the right to remind you of it in the tests and challenges it hands you. It’s as if life says, “You told me that you believe this—now prove it. I’m going to test you.”
When you state your values, standards,
and code of ethics to yourself, you reinforce your
convictions and encourage personal discipline.
Peter, one of Yahusha of Nazareth’s disciples—His leaders-in-training—said to Him, “I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”4 In other words, “I will never compromise my values; I will never violate Your trust. In fact, I am willing to sacrifice my life for You.” Yahusha knew His disciple’s weaknesses. He explained to Peter that not only was he not yet committed to sacrifice for his beliefs by going to prison and to death, but he would even deny Him three times. That is why He previously told Peter, in effect, “The adversary (HaSatan) will try to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, so that you will retain your faith.” (In other words, I have prayed that your convictions will not collapse in the midst of your tests.) “Then, when you come through this, and your own character is strengthened, use this experience to help others strengthen their character.”5 When we fail life’s tests, we must learn from them. We must not give up our core beliefs and convictions but recommit to act in accordance with them.
There can be no “secret” or private moral codes in a leader’s life. There may be times when individuals need to strengthen their personal character for a season before announcing their convictions to the world, so that they won’t fail publicly if they have a number of character issues to work on. But, at some point, a leader’s convictions must become public knowledge. All great leaders face opposition to their convictions. They don’t experience this opposition by keeping their ethical values a secret. It happens because they commit to their values and express them openly, and because their words are reinforced by their actions.
Our character, then, is forged in the public declaration of our values and moral standards. Suppose Mahatma Gandhi had never spoken publicly of his convictions about the dignity and equality of all human beings. He might have earned a good living and had a fairly happy—and safe—life as a lawyer. However, he never would have achieved greatness by helping the people of his country to achieve self-rule.
As you’ve progressed through this series, have you become aware of your own ethical weaknesses? If so, that’s a good thing. Again, only when we see our ethical “spots” can we remove them. For example, you may be saying, “I have been compromising in my personal life. No more! I’m not going to date that person anymore. He is not encouraging me to hold to moral standards.” You shouldn’t be surprised if your new commitment is tested immediately. So, prepare yourself.
Years ago, a young woman came to me and said, “Dr. Munroe, I heard one of your teachings, and you were talking about how to set disciplines and standards for your life. I decided I was going to live that way, because I want to be an upright person.” Then she said that, the day after she made that commitment, an old boyfriend she hadn’t seen for twenty years just happened to get on the elevator she was riding. She told me, “And he was looking good! I’m forty-two years old and still single, and he made me a tempting offer.” This offer was not in keeping with moral standards, so I asked, “What did you do?” And she said, “I ran to you—help me!” I told her that, ultimately, no one else can assist us to keep our character. They can encourage us and challenge us, but we have to take responsibility for our actions and apply personal discipline.
Allowing life to expose our ethical flaws, and intentionally rooting out our weaknesses, are ongoing processes that make us more and more ethically resilient. This means that we’re always in one stage or another of development—we’re either hot, cold, or getting hammered at! When will our individual spots be fully pounded out? When we have proven to be trustworthy in the corresponding areas.
We’re always in one stage or another of development— we’re either hot, cold, or getting hammered at!
The Distinguishing Mark of Character
The following are several key concepts related to character development, or the “tempering” process:
The distinguishing mark of a leader is character.
The distinguishing mark of character is trustworthiness.
Trustworthiness is a product of stability established through tests over time.
A leader becomes trustworthy by staying consistent in character as he undergoes tests and trials over the course of time. Your trustworthiness is established when you have been tested over a long period—with such difficulties as changing circumstances, vocational challenges, personal crises, and temptations—and have either passed the tests or learned from them so you can pass them in the future.
Remember that a principled leader is fixed, predictable, and stable. Because a leader’s character is developed as he stays steady and strong through tests and trials, people trust him on the basis of the tests he has come through, not merely by what he says. If you lose the trust of your followers, you’ve lost your followers—period. That is why the ultimate pursuit of a leader should be character, not skill, power, influence, or anything else.
Whether we are fully aware of it or not, life tests us to see if we have developed such qualities as responsibleness, competence, loyalty, honesty, fairness, and goodwill. We don’t know what our true character is until it has been tested. We don’t know who we really are until we have been tempted to compromise.
Here are some of the areas in which our character will be tested:
1. Our commitment, or standards, in relation to
something or someone.
2. Our loyalty to our convictions when we are under pressure.
3. Our dedication to the values we promised we would never violate.
4. Our faithfulness to what is right and just.
5. Our honesty and integrity.
Our character cannot mature unless we are tested and tempted. We must accept the fact that the tempering process is necessary if we want to cultivate moral force. When we go through trials, we often wonder, “Why is this happening to me?” It’s part of our leadership training in character.
Establishing Trustworthiness
Yahusha of Nazareth experienced many tests and trials, and one of the most demanding was at the beginning of His public ministry, when He was thirty years old. Let us look at an account of what transpired, written by one of Yahusha’ disciples. It begins, “Then Yahusha was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted....”6 The word “Spirit” in this passage has a capital “S.” That means that Yah Himself led Yahusha into the desert to be tempted, or “tempered.” He tested His own Son for the purpose of trying His character. Let us continue the account:
After fasting forty days and forty nights [in the desert], [Yahusha] was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of Yah, tell these stones to become bread.” Yahusha answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of Yah.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of Yah,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Yahusha answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your Yah to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Yahusha said to him, “Away from me, HaSatan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your Yah, and serve him only.’”7
Yah’s enemy, HaSatan, is the enemy of humanity, as well. In the Bible, he is referred to variously as “the tempter,” “the devil,” and “the accuser,” and he, too, tests us for weakness. He did this with the first human beings when he told them the Creator was acting in an unjust way toward them and tempted them to violate a vital principle. As we discussed, the first man and woman failed this test.
Yah allows the tempter to test us as part of the tempering process, which is meant to show us our vulnerable areas so that we might seek to be strengthened and established in character. As the first-century writer James expressed, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘Yah is tempting me.’ For Yah cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”8
As the tempering process builds our character, we become more and more trustworthy. For instance, being criticized by other people is a test we all experience. Yet our critics can be among our greatest assets, because criticism always puts our character on trial for its authenticity and shows us the true state of our thoughts and attitudes.
HaSatan will not tempt us in the areas of our lives in which he knows we are strong. Rather, he tests us in the areas in which we are unstable or about which we are uncertain. And, every time we resist temptation in an area of weakness, we fortify that area with character. Suppose you are trying to break a bad habit. If, every time the habit attempts to assert itself, you “hammer” it, your character in that area will be strengthened. Eventually, you will overcome the habit and no longer be tempted in that area. But stay alert—the tempting will begin in a different area!
Our critics can be among our greatest assets, because criticism always puts our character on trial for its authenticity and shows us the true state of our thoughts and attitudes.
Here’s another example of a type of test that may come your way. Suppose you are returning to your home country after having traveled overseas. The customs officer asks you, “Do you have any goods to declare?” For five seconds, you feel the intense pressure of a test, because you are tempted to tell a lie so that you that won’t have to pay any customs duties. You think you might get away with it. Then you remember that one of the moral standards you have committed to is, “I will be honest in all my business dealings.” So, you say, “Yes, sir, I have several items to declare.”
Once, when I arrived home from a trip out of the country, I made my way to the customs desk at the airport. I am well-known in my nation, and the customs officer said, “That’s okay; you don’t need to declare that.” I replied, “No, it’s not okay. I don’t want you to give me any special treatment. Let me pay.”
A leader’s position and title do not exempt him from being honest. We don’t have the right to violate principles just because an opportunity to cut corners or make money illegally presents itself. Suppose you obtained a position as the head of a government department that awarded contracts in the areas of engineering and construction. You have three hundred million dollars in your budget. Suddenly, you experience intense pressure, because many of your friends and casual acquaintances begin to call you, asking to be granted contracts. But the hardest test comes when your uncle approaches you with a tear in his eye, telling you that things are financially tough, and he can’t pay his rent. He wants you to grant him a lucrative contract. You know he’s not qualified to be given a contract, and it would be a conflict of interest, but you are tempted to compromise your principles and misspend public funds for the sake of helping your father’s brother.
Let me emphasize that there is no one in the world for whom you should give up your integrity. In many instances, if you compromise your convictions to please someone else, you’ll be amazed at how little that person cares. He will use you, and then dismiss you. Or, he will leave you to pick up the pieces. Then, you will have to live with the fact that you compromised your moral standards. Again, leaders fail when they sacrifice their character on the altar of compromise.
Yahusha passed each one of the tempter’s tests without compromising His integrity. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t painful for Him to experience those tests. But His commitment was steadfast—He remained true to His values and principles, citing them in response to each argument of temptation made by HaSatan.
Note that in the process of trying to get Yahusha to violate His principles, HaSatan endeavored to make Yahusha doubt His position. The tempter also distorted the meaning of one of the principles Yah had established. The principle he twisted would have been valid in context, but he used it out of context. Yet, because Yahusha had a thorough knowledge of the Creator’s principles, He was able to see through the tempter’s deception and effectively refute him.
We must be aware that the same experience could happen to us. Other people—or the tempter himself—may try to make us doubt our position in Yah or twist the meaning of first laws in order to get us to compromise our beliefs and values. For example, someone may say, “The Bible says, ‘Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.’9 You’re supposed to prosper in all things, so what’s wrong with taking a little money under the table? Everyone does it!” To which you should reply, “The Bible also says, ‘You shall not steal.’”10
The temptations that Yahusha of Nazareth experienced in the desert reflect the three major types of temptations that all human beings experience in life: (1) The test of the appetites—such as for excess food and drink; illegal drugs and other addictive substances; and lust, or uncontrolled passion—whether physical or emotional; (2) the test of fame; and (3) the test of power. Every leader who has fallen has been snared by at least one of these three.
The three major types of temptations that all human beings experience are the test of the appetites, the test of fame, and the test of power.
The second temptation the tempter tried on Yahusha was essentially this: “Jump off the building and land like Superman! People will be dazzled, and You’ll be an instant success.” Leaders who rise quickly in fame, power, and/or fortune are often referred to as “overnight successes.”
I do believe in overnight success—if the “night” lasts about twenty-five years! Principled leaders usually go through a long process of character building and persevering in their leadership vision, during which they faithfully keep their commitments, pursue their goals, refine their skills, and develop their trustworthiness. This process leads to personal success that is grounded and lasting. However, many who become successful overnight end up instant failures not long afterward. Think of what happens to the majority of people who win the lottery. They squander their winnings quickly, and many are worse off than they were before they had wealth.
So, don’t jump from the pinnacle of the building. Instead, take the long walk that leads you through places of testing, where your character can be tried and proven. Then, you can come out on the other side as a successful leader, both personally and professionally, experiencing longevity and leaving a lasting legacy.
The Trust Exchange
We should never take our leadership role lightly, because people are observing us as we go through various tests and trials in the tempering process. They are watching our lives, our marriages, our attitudes, and our manner of conducting ourselves when we work. And if we become ethically shaky, or shadowy, in these areas, we will lose the most important gift a leader has—the trust of his followers.
The Currency of True Leadership Is Trust
In any economy, transactions between producers and consumers cannot occur without the exchange of some form of legitimate currency—money, goods, the promise of a percentage of profits, and so forth. Likewise, leaders must have the indispensable currency of trust in order to enter into corporate agreement with their followers and/or the members of their group. Trust is like an account that people make deposits into on our behalf, based on our character. Without the currency of trust, we cannot function as leaders. In fact, without trust, we have no leadership.
Trust Is the Product of Character
You cannot lead people who don’t trust you. As a leader, you must accept that fact right now, if you haven’t already done so. If people don’t trust you, they will ignore you, resist you, even sabotage your leadership. The account of trust that a leader has established between himself and his followers should be considered sacred. Accordingly, your personal decisions should be such that they protect the confidence your followers have placed in you. Otherwise, you could lose all the currency of trust you have accumulated to this point.
Your trust as a leader is earned and maintained by the consistency you exhibit as you go through various tests over time, such as we have been discussing in this teaching—tests of faithfulness, reliability, consistency, and so forth. People will observe how you go through various challenges and trials, in order to determine what your true character is. When they see that you stay steady, they will make a deposit of trust into your leadership account. When they see that you remain faithful, they will make another deposit. When you prove your reliability, they will place additional currency into your account. However, if you were to violate the people’s faith in you, you couldn’t buy their trust. Your account would probably have to be closed, because the deposits would stop immediately. You could no longer transact leadership business with your (former) followers.
Your trust as a leader is earned and maintained by the consistency you exhibit as you go through various tests over time. Character is moral force that convinces people you are someone who has earned the right to be heard and followed. In this way, great leadership is not attained by pursuing greatness but by persevering through great tests. Your character will be defined by the tests you have endured.
Let Your True Character Emerge
Right now—or sometime soon—you may feel as if you’ve had the heat turned up beneath you, followed by the impression that you are being hammered by trials, followed by the sensation of being plunged into an icy sea of trouble. If so, you may be experiencing one of the most significant periods of your life. Though you are being challenged, you can appreciate where the challenge will take you, now that you understand the tempering process. Tell yourself, “I’m going to make it through the fire, the pounding, and the freezing water!” Character is developed through pressure, demands, temptations, and resolve. It is my hope that, as your character undergoes various tests and trials, you will become a principled leader who makes a remarkable difference in your organization.
At times, life throws us some heavy disappointments. But we shouldn’t allow them to defeat us. In teaching 9, we looked at various illustrations of what it means to have fixed, predictable, stable character. One of those was the example of a statue, which provides us with another important image that corresponds to the tempering process.
As I said previously, the statue of Queen Victoria in Parliament Square in Nassau is carved out of solid marble. Yet what we must keep in mind is that the statue didn’t always look the way it does now. Before the sculptor created the image, it was “hidden” in a big block of rock. But I picture this artist walking around that block and saying, “There’s someone in there—I can see her clearly!” That’s because the artist could envision a beautiful piece of sculpture underneath the plain surface of the marble.
The same concept holds true for us. At times, we may not look like much to ourselves. We may become discouraged about the exercise of our leadership and the process of our character development, so that our vision of our future becomes blocked. But our Creator is saying, “There’s someone in there—I can see him clearly!” He sees our potential; He sees the promise He’s placed within us. He sees the finished product—a leader of character.
The only way the sculptor could prove the potential of that block of marble was to pick up a piece of steel and a heavy chisel and begin applying pressure, skillfully chipping away at the stone over the course of weeks and months. He had to keep working with that piece of marble so that “Queen Victoria” could emerge. If the developing statue could feel and speak, she’d say it was a painful process. As the fragments were chiseled away, she would have called out, “Stop! That hurts!” When big chunks fell off, she would have thought, I’m not going to survive this!
Similarly, there are times when we experience sustained periods of difficulty, when everything seems to be falling apart in our lives. We feel pressure that is so intense, it’s as if we’re being shown no mercy. We think, This isn’t fair! At such times, we must let our beliefs, convictions, and values tell us, “Stay steady; hold on.”
Then—bam!—life will hit us again, and we’ll say, “I don’t think I’m going to survive!” But that’s the point when we must allow our moral discipline to reply, “You’re going to be okay. You are still standing.” Sometimes, when big “pieces” drop from our own lives—jobs, close relationships, comfortable positions—we feel like we’re losing part of ourselves. However, we must let our character say, “That aspect of your life was holding you back, and you needed to be free of it to emerge a true leader.”
“Queen Victoria” endured much chiseling and the loss of what surrounded her—but for the purpose of becoming a beautiful sculpture. We, too, are “artistic projects” of our Creator. For too long, we’ve been hiding underneath our character flaws. Yet the process of character development will reveal who we really are—who we were always meant to be. We were created to be strong, steady, and noble leaders, fulfilling our purpose and vision with excellence.
Sometimes, people have not yet reached their leadership goals because their character needs to be developed more first. They will arrive at their destination if they persevere. Some people want to be in the public eye too soon, when there are still negative “chunks” of their lives that need to fall away. I’ve gone through more than four decades of being “chiseled” and having the excess “rock” broken off of my life. This ongoing process has given me stability; it has caused me to become established in my life and leadership.
So, be grateful for the chiseling and the hammering—the trials and tribulations of life. Give thanks for the process of tempering. Allow every stress, problem, and challenging circumstance to further prepare you to fulfill your leadership vision.
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