The Great Wall of China is considered one of the seven man-made wonders of the world. It is an amazing feat of construction, especially considering it was done well before modern engineering and construction methods were ever thought of. The wall is 30 feet high, 18 feet wide, and more than 1500 miles long. That’s a really big wall by any standards.
The ancient Chinese had apparently been invaded one too many times by the marauding hordes to their north. So, the wall was built primarily as protection. It was a type of insurance. Something so tall and wide and long would surely keep the enemies out, right?
Yet, within the first one-hundred years of the wall’s completion, enemies came in on three separate occasions. Oddly, those invaders didn’t go over, under, or around the wall. Instead, they simply bribed the gatekeeper … and walked right through an open door.
When people suggest that personal character and individual values have no bearing on their job or other position, they are sadly mistaken. The ancient Chinese people would tell you that a lack of character and values was extremely detrimental to their society.
“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). “Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright” (Proverbs 20:11).
