A new old religion is leavening our American society. Born in the Garden of Eden, the modern form is nourished by those who think themselves to be enlightened, independent thinkers. The religion is tolerance; its devout bow down to the god of choice.

Seduced by Satan and their own intellects, these "rational" thinkers cannot understand they are unleashing a great tragedy. In simple terms, this tragedy is the return of slavery. Not the slavery of iron chains and manacles that stains our history, but the slavery of a more evil and cruel taskmaster: the greedy, unquenchable thirst of the human appetite.

When a person chooses to worship the god of choice, the only arbiter of right and wrong is the almighty self. A self left to its own devices will become enslaved by its appetites (Romans 6:16-23).

A religion that removes absolutes and leaves God out of the picture requires its converts to construct their own definitions of right and wrong. This was the ultimate "prize" that seduced Eve. This insidious form of slavery deceives the captives into thinking they are free; like an alcoholic who believes he has no drinking problem, but says, "I need a drink."

Slaves who are imprisoned and forced to serve their master with rigor have no need of self-discipline. They are regulated with the lash. This is the opposite of the agreement God the Father would have with all His children: that they would be like Him-from the inside out (Hebrews 8:8-13).

To have a heart like God's requires His character. To have godly, righteous character requires self-discipline. To be exercised, self-discipline must have mountains to climb, oceans to cross and targets to hit. What should we aim for?

The Most Demanding Performance Metric

There are many important lessons to be learned from the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:15-30). God gives of His endowments to His servants. He divides His gifts judiciously not burdening any with more than can be handled and not expecting any more or any less than each person can give.

He measures outcomes not in terms of gross return, but in percentage gained. The servant with five talents and the servant with two talents each generated 100 percent return on investment and each heard, "Well done, you good and faithful servant." The servant who played it safe was shocked and horrified to learn that he was unprofitable and unusable; a castoff.

Therefore we see that we are judged, not by what another has been given or does, but by a much more demanding performance metric: our own potential.

What about you? What about me? Are we reaching our full potential in this life? Are we constantly moving, growing, learning and doing? The famous homespun humorist Will Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

The firstfruits of God—the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ—have a destiny of leadership, fame, fortune and power that eclipses the wildest imagination. It's not the leadership of the selfish, but the leadership of the servant. True, godly leadership—in any context—is helping other people reach their full potential. The definition works in a home, church, school or business. It is the antithesis of Satan's perverted raison d'être.

However, before we can lead others, we should be seeking God's help to lead ourselves. It is common sense to know that one of the most powerful leadership tools is personal example.

What others do especially influences our precious teens and young adults who are particularly vulnerable during the natural cycle of spreading their wings. For those seeking life's treasures and mysteries, newfound freedom to choose makes the religion of tolerance gleam like the forbidden fruit in Eve's eye.

Tragically, many, if not most, of the priests for the god of choice preach from pulpits of higher education where they find an abundance of willing converts.

It doesn't help that the media machine willingly evangelizes this pseudo-religion by flaunting the escapades and excesses of the pop-culture icons who drink, snort and exchange partners from resort to resort around the globe. The powerful message is heard and internalized by impressionable youth who learn that fun is the only answer, and what matters most is how you look, not what you do.

It is the personality ethic, outside-in, plastic surgery for plastic people who are soul-sick and empty.

The relentless pursuit of pleasure flies in the face of how blind, deaf, super-overcomer Helen Keller saw life: "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

What Happened to Building Character?

What happened to inner beauty? What happened to morals, personal principles, rules—"lines I won't let myself cross"? What happened to restraint and self-discipline—telling myself no to something now (even something that might be good) for the sake of something better later?

The apostle Paul understood the value of the struggle. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul speaks of temperance, discipline, fighting, enslaving his body as though subduing and vanquishing an enemy. In Greek, "keep under my body" (KJV) literally means "I give myself a black eye."

Even today we understand and value the discipline required to excel in sports. Two quotes from coaching greats from a bygone, seemingly irretrievable, era nicely paint the contrast with where we have fallen today:

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are"—Coach John Wooden.

"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand and the determination that, whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand"—Coach Vince Lombardi.

But lives are artificially compartmentalized today and character or self-discipline in one area of life is no guarantee of finding it elsewhere.

"Bold and Arduous Project"

There was a time when building character was chic. A famous American wrote about his quest to become morally pure. See if you can guess who it is from these autobiographical excerpts:

"It was about this time that I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time . . . As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other."

The young man then listed 13 virtues he would like to incorporate into his life. He developed a disciplined plan to measure his daily behavior against his ideals in a log book. After working on himself he said, "I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined, but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish."

This popular and enormously influential American sought God's help to overcome. He wrote the following in his log book: "O Powerful Goodness! Bountiful Father! Merciful Guide! Increase in me that wisdom which discovers my truest interest; strengthen my resolutions to perform what that wisdom dictates."

Do you know who it is? Is it Colin Farrill, Brad Pitt, Kobe Bryant or Paris Hilton? Not quite. It was the great founding father, Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately morally bankrupt "stars" and their handlers are today ruining the nation Ben Franklin helped birth.

What if all people today simply tried to live Ben Franklin's virtues? His virtues square with godly principles. See the sidebar for the list from his autobiography with a little jab at our modern society for contrast.

Ben Franklin's list of virtues is not the be-all and end-all. The sharp, two-edged sword of God's Word is our complete guide. Are you and I even working as hard as old Ben Franklin to develop our character? Imbued with the power of God's Holy Spirit, shouldn't our strivings and successes far eclipse those of mere mortals?

Years of Preparation

English orator H.P. Liddon said, "What we do upon some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline." Righteous godly character is not developed with the flip of a switch or instantly manufactured in the crucible of some cataclysmic convulsion. The five unprepared virgins could not whip up the Holy Spirit in a moment (Matthew 25:1-13).

It is said that nothing so concentrates the mind as the knowledge that one has but one month to live. How long do you suppose we have? Look around the world and do the math. The 6,000-year workweek allotted to Satan and man is about to run out. At the very least we know it is the preparation day—the day before the millennial Sabbath.

We must with great zeal and fervor perpetually prepare to lead by building holy, righteous, godly character. We must continually discover, develop and, as we have opportunity, deploy our God-given spiritual gifts. If we are called to fully use our gifts and lead now, we will be ready. If we are not in this life called upon, we will still be ready.

Either way, when we are called upon in the next life, we will have prepared to lead effectively because we have struggled, with God's help, to build character. UN