Does Character Really Matter?

Kristi Noem is out.

Her recent firing as the head of the Department of Homeland Security has only added to a raucous debate: Does character really matter?

A new, rising view in our culture contends that one’s character is a non-factor. What we say or do in our personal life is of no consequence. All that matters is our conduct on the job.

This view assumes we can divide ourselves into compartments. What happens in one area of life has no bearing on any other area of life. If so, it would certainly make things cleaner.

Is it true?

But is it true? Does a woman’s untreated depression in her personal life have no effect on her professional life? Would a man’s abusive use of power at work never show up at home?

Often we try to box up one part of our lives to keep it separate, but over time, it spills out – everywhere. Beloved comedian Bill Cosby and former film producer Harvey Weinstein are painful examples.

More recently, the heinous sex trafficking revealed in the Epstein files is unmasking many dark secrets of the rich and powerful. Regardless of the sheen of success, inevitably, what’s in us comes out.

North Star

In contrast, others claim character matters immensely. They see it as a non-negotiable North star that leads us to someone we can trust.

In their view, we either consciously or unconsciously search for character all the time. We look for it in potential spouses and employers, in pastors and church leaders.

We use it as a measuring stick to pick a car mechanic, a doctor or a president. If we have kids, we certainly want to raise them with it. In fact, many parents pick a school on whether they have character-based education.

Fuzzy

Although much of this still holds true, the lines between these two views have grown fuzzy in recent years. Character has lost its luster. We might think others should have it, but few of us can really define it.

Often, we only recognize it reverse. Callous and greedy drug company executives who pushed fentanyl to gain sky high profits didn’t show much of it. As a result of their actions, 75,000 Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses per year. People who loot homes and stores after devastating hurricanes don’t display it. Students who drop out every time a class gets hard have a lack of it.

On some level, the value of character is self-evident. Apart from it, the human, economic and societal toll on life is staggering.

It’s About Who

But what is real character? Let me take a shot at it by describing a series of contrasts. Author and Methodist Pastor E.M. Bounds said,

Conduct is what you do. Character is who you are.

We live in a personality-driven culture. Due primarily to TV, movies and social media, we venerate a whole class of people known as celebrities, whether entertainers, sports stars or politicians.

But beneath all the hype is the real person – who that person is when the cameras turn off, and no one is looking.

Although Jesus cautions us not to make snap judgments about others, he does encourage us to be fruit inspectors.

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit.

Luke 6:43 (NRSVUE)

The fruit is what a tree naturally produces over time. What we do arises from who we are. Jesus says the fruit will tell us about the root every time.

Susceptible

Character is not to be confused with success or achievements.

We are so susceptible to success. Our culture tries to move people by an individual’s achievements, dazzling us with money, fame or power. If the celebrity says the right words and provides the right image, we can easily be hooked by the glitz.

But outward techniques lose their influence over time when the true motivation is self-serving or contradicts the message.

Perhaps you’ve notices, there is no direct correlation between success and character. How many “successful” pastors, businesspeople and entertainers have proven this sad truth? In fact, outward success often covers up inward failings.

The Bedrock

Character cannot be faked.

You and I can learn how to win friends and influence people. We can dress for success and try to control what other people think of us. We might have a wonderful personality that we put on display for the world to see. But we cannot fake our character.

When a pastor friend of mine did a study on this topic, he found that personality comes from the Greek work, persona. It literally means façade. It is a term from the Greek theater where actors used various masks for the different characters in a play.

However, character is a Latin word which literally means, chiseled in stone. Character is the bedrock of our soul. What we say and do, the way we typically act, springs from our character, who we really are underneath everything else. Jesus put it this way,

For it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (NRSVUE)

We cannot continually behave on a level that is inconsistent with our character.

Sooner or later, what’s in us comes out. If we hang around people long enough, we will see how they react in a crack of their lives, an unguarded moment. In that crack, we get a window into their character.

Our Greatest Need

In my view, our culture is not primarily in need of more intelligent people or talented people or creative people or skilled people.

Our greatest need is people with deeper character.

Our world is begging for real people who stand by their word, who are willing to sacrifice for what is right, who genuinely care for others, and use their power not for themselves but to serve those who are powerless.

How does a person develop that kind of character? I’ll talk about that next week.

New Release!

Kinda Christian: From Curious to Serious About Jesus, United Methodist Edition, released January 27, 2026. Same content as the original version with additional reflections from six United Methodist Bishops on the six marks of a deeply devoted disciple.

Catch more on this recent episode of Compass.

https://www.umc.org/en/content/beyond-spiritual-neutral-compass-175

Available on Amazon, Walmart, or Barnes & Noble. Bulk order discounts for groups or churches available at Invite Ministries here.