What Others See: Reputation And Image!
John 1
KJV
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48+ Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
It is strange and interesting to meet people you’ve not met nor interacted with before telling you who you are! That’s exactly what you’ve just read.
Such was the effect that what Jesus said had on Nathaniel that he asked “ whence thou knowest me?”
Beloved, as we go about our daily activities unknown to us many are observing and taking notes; always remember “ character is you “ or “ you are your character”. What they see is not only you but also your character. Your character defines you.
But what is “ character?” It is simply what you do consistently! If you tell lies consistently your character is that you are a liar.
If you speak truth consistently regardless of the consequences, you are a person with an honest character.
If you play to the gallery consistently, acting or behaving like a chameleon you are known as a hypocrite You have a hypocritical character!
Remember each of the above-listed characters attracts likes, birds of the same feathers. They form alliances to defend and protect their own. Have you ever been uncomfortable in a group, this is the reason!
Light and darkness can not coexist. I’ve known some who can not tolerate me because we have opposite characters. A liar can not have a truth speaker as a buddy-buddy. Neither can a hypocrite.
So, what then is your character? This is a question very difficult to answer by oneself unless you are someone who does what is called personal “self-appraisal”.
Personal “self-appraisal” means you take a periodic closer look at yourself, unfortunately, the majority don’t do this. If you are a liar you will know , if you are an honest person you’ll know , if you are a thief you’ll know. If a hypocrite you’ll know.
The only danger is that these can become your second nature, in this case, you’ll begin to think they are the norm Ever heard the expression “ pathological liar?” Yes, that’s it. Anyone who spews our lies as if they were chewing gum is a pathological liar. You know some I also do!
Many don’t know who they are, and if you try to assist them you become their enemy. Sad but true!
Nathaniel was surprised when Jesus told him who he was!! From his response, it indicates that he knew his own character and what Jesus said only confirmed what he already knew of himself.
How do I know? Well if what Jesus said was not true Nathaniel would have disputed it just like how you act when your true nature is revealed to you. But in this case, he didn’t but instead questioned how Jesus knew it.
To avoid disputes and arguments, be like Nathaniel; do periodic “self- appraisal” to know who you truly are.
From the Nathaniel/ Jesus encounter we learn how our reputation precedes us! Your character says it all before you arrive at your destination. So work on your character, for many are character-deficient!
A thought to share