Character

The verse that caught my eye today is Proverbs 24:10:

If you falter in times of trouble,
   how small is your strength! 

I first ran across this about 10 years ago, right after 9-11 when I was looking for Bible verses that could give me some direction and insight. It's the hard times that define us, since anyone can smile when things are good. It's what we do when our backs are to the wall that define us. 

There are people today who are risking their lives to spread the message of Christ, but I'm pretty certain none of them are reading this blog. Think about all the martyrs for Christ throughout history, and by this point, there has to be MILLIONS of them--they suffered horrible deaths, yet they didn't falter. I don't tell people how to live their lives for many reasons, but this simple verse is a pithy definition of character. 

Let's dial it back a bit to situations we more readily see. Ever compete against someone who was all talk and blather while winning but became sullen when losing? They faltered in times of trouble. Know anyone who bragged about their grades until they found out yours were better and stopped talking to you? They faltered in times of trouble. How about the person who gloats of their success in life until the way they define success turns south on them? They faltered in times of trouble. These types of people talked the talk but didn't walk the walk. God doesn't care if we say we're Christians, but instead that we live as Christians, and if we claim to bear that name, he gives us no excuse for bailing on him at the first sign of adversity. Pray that when your times of trouble come, you don't falter.

Scott