Character

It’s hard not to be a hypocrite. Everyone ends up being one occasionally. For the most part, we start acting like someone we’re not, or trying to be something we aren’t. We say one thing and do another. We try to impress our friends, hide things from our parents, go along with the crowd, and even show off.

But the secret to character — and the true measure of any hypocrite — is how you act when you are alone: when it is just God and you. How you behave in those private moments speaks volumes. Are you honest? Do you hold yourself accountable? Are you the same person alone as you are in front of others? If someone were watching, would you be proud of what you did?

Here’s the thing about character: it isn’t built in the big, dramatic moments. It’s built in the small ones, over and over — the times you tell the truth when a lie would be easier, the times you do the right thing when no one would ever know the difference. Every one of those small choices is a brick, and over the years they build the person you become.

The good news is that it works in your favor. If you practice being honest and good when you’re alone, being honest and good in front of others becomes almost automatic. You won’t have to remember which version of yourself to be, because there will only be one you — the same person, everywhere, all the time. That is what integrity really means: being whole, undivided, the same on the inside as the outside.

And if you are ever looking for someone’s character to emulate — Jesus would be a great choice.

Be a person of character first when you are by yourself. Then, when you’re around other people, it will be much easier — because you’ll already know exactly who you are.