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Noble Character

 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)

One idea that came to mind about 2026 goes in and out of fashion among Christian women: being a Proverbs 31 woman. Like other resolutions and my recurring concern about being prepared for emergencies, we get all excited, then start exploring what we have to buy and what we have to do. When things don’t all fall into place in thirty seconds, we sigh. It was a pleasant dream, but we’re stuck with reality.

One source said that Biblically, a noble character requires: integrity, righteousness, wisdom, humility, compassion, and kindness. (Topical Bible: Noble Character). Another, more general list included honesty, loyalty, humility, compassion, forgiveness, authenticity, courage, politeness, kindness, gentleness, optimism, integrity, respectfulness, responsibility, love, generosity, perseverance, reliability, conscientiousness, and self-discipline. And that leads us back to the sigh of the last paragraph, or to avoidance 101 tactics.

I remember reading about someone who set out to form his character. He found that by the time he reached a point of satisfaction about one, the previous ones had slipped. I don’t recall whether someone was Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson, but apparently, building one’s character and failing to do so was a thing in their day. And I can relate. There have been times when I worked on some aspect of my life to the exclusion of almost all else, and made great strides. But then life got in the way, and I tumbled from that pinnacle.

The other aspect of this that attracts me is that it’s tailor-made for the examination table. I can spend hours inspecting, dissecting, examining, and identifying this or that characteristic or its absence. But having a noble character isn’t about gaining integrity or courage. It’s much simpler.

Having a good character is, first and foremost, about asking one of two questions either before acting, or in response to having acted:

Is this how I really want to respond to this situation?

Is this how I would want someone else to respond to me in this situation?

The second help in developing character is simply habit. A person of good character does what he/she does because that’s what he/she does. So, to become a person of good character, one starts to do things that a person of good character would do – regardless of the trait involved. Get into the habit of opening doors, picking up litter, reading to dogs, ringing a bell for the Salvation Army, feeding people at the City Mission, or whatever you think a person of good character would do. It’s not to become a person of good character; it’s just something you’re learning to do. Eventually, you’ll just do it, without ruining it as you consider what a noble character you have. 

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