“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” John Wooden

The other day, I listened to the concerns of a number of people at the possibility of cheating having taken place at an athletic event. The results were that one team went to the State tournament, while another team – the team that may have actually earned that honor, had to stay home.

We have all heard of similar events through the years. Some are legitimate concerns, others are just sour grapes, but that is not the point of this article today. The point I want to make is the same one that John Wooden made many years ago: Character is who we are when we think no one is looking.

The thing I like about character is that it is hard to hide. Good character, like cream, will eventually rise to the top. Bad character, though sometimes going unseen for many years, will always be revealed in the end.

And good character lets you sleep at night. Good character lets you look yourself in the mirror without shame. Good character is a virtue that never lets you down.

Bad character just rots.

And, it will always, always, always, come back to haunt those who possess it.

I once gave a test to a group of young men and women. As I passed it out, I repeated an admonition another teacher had once given. I told them that I was about to give them two tests. One was a test in math, the other a test in honesty. I told them that I hoped that they would pass both tests– but if they could pass only one test, I wanted it to be the one in honesty.

I believe God wants us to do the same!

And, to those who may have been temporarily cheated at one time or another, remember this: You have passed the most important test… and Someone was watching. And that Someone will reward you someday with something far greater than a trophy that will just gather dust and be forgotten. But to get that reward tomorrow, you must not fail God’s character test today.

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14, NIV