God had given his people so much. For centuries they had conquered the promised land for themselves, and now they are losing everything simply because they had sinned.
Possessing great things is sustained by great character. For whatever a leader has can be lost again within the shortest time if they do not work continuously on their character. Again and again there are examples where a leader's charisma outstrips their character and their moral infrastructure, and this leads to moral failure.
"Nothing is so hard to earn and so easy to lose as a good reputation." Leaders should work more on their character than on their reputation, because character endures while reputation is fleeting. The following thoughts support reflection on this:
| What we normally notice | What we should also pay attention to |
|---|---|
| Talents and gifts | Strong character and integrity |
| An outstanding product | The progress a person is making along the way |
| Excellence in performance | Excellence in discipline |
| Outward appearance | Internal stability and obedience |
Lamentations 1:7-8
7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.
8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.
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