It’s About Character: What I Learned from My Dad
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Our culture is overly impressed with the externals. You must look good on TV to win the political race. It’s the image you need to polish. Spin it just right.
But we all know—and all have seen—that a leader without character is a tragedy getting ready to happen.
As pastors, we know about the importance of character, of course. But knowing it isn’t our assignment. Your congregation requires your godly character. You fulfill your pastoral role only when character is present.
It’s the same with me. The church where I serve as senior pastor respects me and appreciates my efforts (all my weaknesses not withstanding). But this respect hangs on the fact that I’m committed to modeling character. I’m not going to let it slip away in the stuff of leadership.
An Unforgettable Lesson
I remember the day my dad drove home and the front windshield of our car was broken. He had blood running down his face and I thought, He’s been mugged!
No, he decided to cross the picket line because he didn’t believe the union’s plan was the best plan. Furthermore, he had a family to raise. So, as he weighed the options, he chose to stand against the union. That took guts.
I learned from my dad that you must think for yourself. You don’t follow the crowd when they go against what you believe. If that means being unpopular, be unpopular. Who cares? It’s about character, not others’ approval and applause.
What a valuable lesson for life and ministry! I learned more from a cracked windshield and a bloody face than I could have ever learned from a preacher or a professor.
Character is modeled . . . not just mandated.
Swimming Upstream
Our roles as pastors are invaluable roles. So, let’s never forget our roles begin with our character. I call it swimming upstream. Our flock learns this more from our lives than from our lips. The Scottish people have a great saying: “Some things are better felt than telt.”
I came across a great verse again recently. Listen to its poignant challenge:
“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.
“Look high and low; search throughout the city!
If you can find even one just and honest person,
I will not destroy the city.” (Jeremiah 5:1)
In other words, “Go look for people of character, but you won’t find any.” What if Jeremiah roamed the halls of our churches? How about your study?
Reading verses won’t make our lives automatically change, but it sure will motivate us to cultivate character. God expects it, and He rewards it when He finds it: “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
Character is not some ancient biblical term that gets lost in the dust of the Minor Prophets. It’s what makes you contagious. It’s what gives you the right to lead without ever having to remind anybody you’re the pastor.
It pays off . . . it pays off. It’s about character.
Copyright © 2025 by Insight for Living and Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide.
About the author
Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading program in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.
