American Values and Leadership Qualities – Faith, Integrity and National Strength

The greatest need in America today is for real men—men of character, integrity, and strength. The nation’s troubles often trace back to troubled homes, which, in turn, are troubled because men have failed to be the men of God they ought to be.

The biblical figure Jephthah, listed among the great heroes of faith in Hebrews Chapter 11, serves as a powerful model of true strength. His life demonstrates three non-negotiable marks of character that allow a man to overcome severe challenges and walk in divine confidence.

Key 1: Character in the Face of Difficulty (Unshackled by the Past)

Jephthah’s background was marred by severe hardship and rejection. He was the son of a harlot, an illegitimate child in the lingo of his day, who was disowned and thrust out by his half-brothers, forbidden to share in the family inheritance. He fled and dwelt with a consort of “vain fellows,” enduring a bad environment, failure, rejection, and poverty.

If anyone had an excuse for failure, it was Jephthah. Yet, his life teaches a critical lesson: You must learn to be unshackled by the past.

The Modern War on Guilt

In today’s society, there is an aggressive “war on guilt,” leading to a “no-fault society” where no one is expected to be responsible for doing wrong. Psychologists and sociologists often argue that individuals are merely a “creature of their environment” and are not to blame for their actions, citing their background as an excuse. To feel guilty is considered “unproductive,” an affront to dignity and self-esteem in an era where “me-ology has taken over from theology”.

Advice columns suggest that compulsive behavior is not one’s fault, and one should refuse to accept blame, arguing that “guilt is a pollutant” that only adds stress and lowers self-esteem.

This worldview leads to:

• Victim Mentality: A generation exists where nobody is responsible; people are merely casualties.
• Redefined Sin: Sin is renamed as sickness, disease, or dependency. For example, a person is not a glutton but has an eating disorder; not a sex fiend but is “sexually challenged”.
• Therapy Industry: The booming therapy industry thrives by convincing people they are “sick, not sinful,” transforming the sinner into a patient or addict (sex addicts, debt addicts, anger addicts, etc.).

The True Diagnosis and Cure

The problem with this approach is that a wrong diagnosis will never lead to the cure. Jesus did not die for mistakes; He died for sin.

To rise to the person one ought to be, one must stop blaming the past and stop making excuses. The Bible affirms that guilt is real and that we are responsible. However, the Bible also teaches that grace is wonderful, and forgiveness is free and full.

• Born Again: If one was “born wrong the first time,” they can be “born again” and become a “royal blueblood, a child of the King”.
• Divine Advancement: Difficult backgrounds can serve as the “black velvet on which the diamond of God’s grace is displayed”. Like Joseph, who was disowned, slandered, and imprisoned, Jephthah’s abasement was God’s plan for his advancement. God often humbles a man before He exalts him.
• Overcoming the Odds: The power of God is greater than all the odds stacked against you, and the grace of God is greater than all your sins.

Jephthah’s inclusion in the Hall of Fame demonstrates that one can disentangle themselves from the past and declare, “I can be what I ought to be by the grace of God today”.

Key 2: Confidence in the Face of Danger (Not Bound by the Foe)

The second mark of Jephthah’s strength was his unwavering confidence in the face of danger.

When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead—the same people who had expelled and hated Jephthah—were in distress and urgently sought him out. They recognized his reputation for being a “strong man” and pleaded with him, “Come and be our captain, that we may fight”.

The Question of Lordship

Jephthah immediately challenged the elders about their past rejection, but they turned again to him in their time of distress. Jephthah then laid down a powerful condition: “If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?”. He was asking: If I win this battle for you, will you follow me?.

This exchange reveals Jephthah’s tremendous confidence in God. His faith was not fettered by his fear; he knew that “fear is a dark room where negatives are developed”.

The sources highlight this interaction as a glimmer of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Jephthah, Jesus was despised and rejected, yet when we are in trouble, we turn to Him for help. When we seek deliverance, Jesus asks the same question: “If I deliver you, will I rule over you? Will I be your head?”.

The ultimate principle is: Unless Jesus is your Sovereign, He will never be your Savior. Jephthah, like Christ, came to save those who had despised, rejected, and cast him out.

Prayer as the First Resort

Jephthah’s confidence stemmed from his faith and was demonstrated through prayer.

• Before going to battle, he went to God, uttering all his words before the Lord.
• Prayer was not his last resort; it was his first thought.
• A man cannot claim to be a man of strength if he is not a man of faith, and he cannot claim to be a man of faith if he is not a man of prayer.

Men of strength must remember that “greater is he that’s in you than he that’s in the world”, and must refuse to let present dangers intimidate them.