Daily Devotional
Character Makes You Free

November 14, 2020

Ponder This

As Christian citizens, we must abstain from all that’s wrong and approve all that is right. It is character that produces liberty. Don’t let that go past you. It is character that produces liberty. The reason Americans have been free is that they began as people of character.

Responsibility and character are two ways of saying the same thing. Responsibility and character are inseparably linked together with liberty. For example, a little baby has no responsibilities. He doesn’t have to worry about anything. Everybody takes care of him. But he has no liberties. He does what he’s told to do. He eats that pabulum and those strained beets. He is bathed and put to bed. No responsibilities, but no liberties.

As he grows in responsibility, he gets more and more liberty. There comes a time when his father will give him the car keys. But if he takes that car and acts irresponsibly, the father takes the keys and his privilege away. If he acts really irresponsibly, he may wind up in jail and all his liberties are taken away. Liberty is responsibility assumed.

Practice This

A republic is a government for people with character, and only people with character can maintain it. If we lose our character as a nation, we are going to lose our liberty. And always, when there is a loss of character, there’s a growth of government. If you want to remain free, you must be men and women of character, and you must raise young men and women of character.