Over the past few days I have had the pleasure of reading portions of Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. I would like to relate to you one particular passage which made quite an impression on me. “We sail’d from Gravesend on the 23d of July, 1726. For the incidents of the voyage, I refer you to my Journal, where you will find them all minutely related. Perhaps the most important part of that journal is the plan to be found in it, which I formed at sea, for regulating my future conduct in life. It is the more remarkable, as being formed when I was so young, and yet being pretty faithfully adhered to quite thro’ to old age.:” (emp. mine, p.e.p.)

When Mr. Franklin was a young man, he set about forming “the plan” for his personal character development and “future conduct”. To this end he identified 13 virtues which he would tirelessly pursue to, in his words, “moral perfection”. It seems to me, that his inclination was not toward proud self-righteousness, but rather a sincere desire to be a “good man.” His thirteen virtues were: Temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity and humility. Each week he would focus on one virtue, giving it “strict attention” leaving the others “to chance.” At the end of each day, we would note in his journal all of the faults of the day. The areas and occasions that came to his mind that indicated he had failed in the pursuit of that virtue.

What impresses me most is the distinction between the focus of Mr. Franklin's plan and the focus that most today would have in their plans, were they to follow a similar path. Do you note anything absent in his plan? I do. There seems to be very little design in his plan for the accumulation of wealth or material possessions. He was quite a successful business man and was able to accumulate and fair amount of wealth. This, however, was not his focus or primary aim.

Many today spend money on “self-help” books, videos and audio programs. Television infomercials abound with the latest get-rich-quick schemes. Obviously the focus is not upon character development, but rather the accumulation material gain or the promotion of self. Stephen Covey, in his Seven Habits makes note of how most of the self-help literature of the last century has focused upon, what he calls, the personality ethic (shallow, superficial behavior) instead of focusing on character development. I agree.

As I reflect upon plans and resolutions that I have made in the past, books that I have purchased, programs to which I have listened, I regrettably find that too often I have fallen into the trap of superficiality. As it is still very early in the year is it not a wonderful opportunity to form or re-form our “plan”. Let us turn to Scripture to identify those Christian virtues that will develop in us the Christian character that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.