Character Counts

Scripture

He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 

Genesis 29:5, NASB

Quote

“Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.”

~Thomas Paine

There are degrees in knowing another person. Knowing someone casually is different from knowing them throughly. You don’t really know a person until you see them under pressure. What do you get when you squeeze a lemon? You get whatever is in it and most likely that is some very tart juice. When we get in a tight, the real inner person comes out. What makes it so difficult to know people is our pretense. One of the first things we learn to do early on is act. Practically all humans are actors. Small children are generally very honest but the older they get the more they learn to pretend. The bottom line is–you many not know a person as well as you think. When Jacob asks the residents of Haran if they knew Laban, they was a quick reply, “We know him,” and I bet they did. Laban was as crooked as a dogs hind leg. He was a cheater, a swindler, and a con-artist who was always working toward his advantage and never giving consideration to others, not even his own daughters. Ironically, Jacob was following in Laban’s footsteps but Laban’s character or lack thereof turned Jacob’s stomach. I think Jacob’s goal was to be anything other than his crooked uncle.

There is no doubt that some would call Laban a “screw” business man, but in reality, he was a liar and a promise breaker who had no ethics when it came to making a dollar. Most of us have been cheated or lied to in a business transaction. I had a friend who worked in the Lynn Layton parts department. I went to him and told him I was planning to get a better truck but I didn’t want a new one. I asks him if there was anyone there I could trust. He said, “Yeah, and he lives in your neck of the woods.” I went to talk to him and he said, “You need the demo I am driving. It gets good gas milage. My wife and I drove it to the cost without filling up.” I took the bait, hook, line and sinker. June and I drove it to the beach for Steadman’s wedding; we had to stop and fill up before we got there. It was a Frontier and it got about 15 miles per gallon. When I saw that gas hand sink, I thought, “O no, I have been had again.” I bet Laban had a camel dealership. So there is knowing a person by face and name and then there is knowing their character. Despite what CNN said about Slick Willy, “Character Counts.”

Extra

Thank the LORD for the SABBATH. I started reading Charlie Kirks book on the Sabbath after I wrote this first line. Folks, I need a sabbath. My body needs a sabbath and so does my mind. I thank God for a day of rest and I take advantage. We have some unpleasant things on our agenda today: bloodwork at 8:00 which means no breakfast and no coffee; then we have to get the colorado to Lynn Layton; then I plan to attend the Pastor’s conference {first time in 2026} and then I have chiropractor appointment in Cullman at 1:30. It is a full day.

We have hopes of getting the gas on at the new place today and getting the plumbing finished. If these two things happen, we can move tomorrow. The office is set up except for water and sewage. It was just getting dry enough for me to rent a trackhoe. The back side of the property does not drain well so it will be awhile but that is ok. The office is fairly close to the apartment.

I hope you have a great day and a great week. Thanks for reading the blog.