Character is Doing the Right Thing — When No One is Looking

Character is doing the RIGHT THING – when no one is looking. You know – putting the grocery cart in the stall instead of just leaving it in a parking space, or putting the lettuce back in the produce department instead of conveniently slipping it in the laundry detergent department. Our logic says “After all, those store clerks are paid to put stuff back where it belongs”. Or, how about the extra change that we received from the cashier and telling her she overpaid you? Or, how about the items in our grocery cart that we weren’t charged for, and taking the time to go back into the store to pay for them?

What are the life rules that we play by? The ones that are just obvious because “they’re the rules”, or, though inconvenienced, the ones that are simply just the right thing to do? I think about our kids and grandkids that watch our every move and, quite frankly, they pay more attention to what we do rather than what we say. When we, on purpose, are people of honor, integrity, character, sportsmanship, appreciation, and courtesy, we are demonstrating the lessons of life, and quite frankly, rules won’t even be necessary. As I’m typing this, I’m thinking about a Sunday School song that I sang as a kid. If we lived our lives with these words, and with the “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) state of mind and state of actions……we would be known by others, and God, as men and women of great character.

O be careful little eyes what you see
There’s a Father up above, and He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

And, replace the first line above with these:

O be careful little ears what you hear…….
O be careful little hands what you do…….
O be careful little feet where you go……..
O be careful little mouth what you say….