Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.

Henry Ward Beecher

One of my favorite stories is of a young man who held a door open for a woman who, as it turned out, was very sold on the women's lib movement. The woman glared at the man and said, "I hope you're not holding that door open for me because you think I'm a lady!" "No, Ma'm", came the polite reply, "I'm holding the door open for you because I am a gentleman."

I enjoy this story for several reasons, but the main one is that it teaches something about holding ourselves to a higher standard than others may expect of us. Whether it is something as simple and refreshing as common courtesy, or something as critical as a high standard of integrity, our personal standards must be absolute and uncompromising.

It's important that our standards are exercised on the basis of being the right thing to do, rather than impressing the right people at the time. In other words, a gentleman will treat every woman as a lady, rather than try to ascertain her worthiness when it comes to courtesy.

Character, as someone so aptly phrased it, is who you are when you think no one else is looking. If we are in the habit of a high standard of conduct, we will be honest, hardworking and thoughtful as a matter of course instead of as a matter of convenience. It is when we reach this level of character, that we truly become what God has intended for each one of His dearly loved children: A servant worthy of the task to which we have been called.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 1:27, NIV