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The name Benedict Arnold was once synonymous with honor and courage. But then he switched his allegiance from America to the British army. Jim Daly explains why a reputation is only as strong as the character beneath it.
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Focus on the Family Commentary — Don't Be a Benedict Arnold. Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.
0:00Once upon a time, the name Benedict Arnold was synonymous with honor and courage. Arnold was George Washington's favorite military officer for most of the American Revolution, and Washington considered him a hero, a brilliant strategist, and a key reason for the Continental Army's success. But that all changed in 1780 when Benedict Arnold switched his allegiance from America to the British Army. It's a moment that has gone down as one of the most famous betrayals in American history. Even today, almost 250 years later, to label someone a Benedict Arnold is to accuse them of betrayal, disloyalty, and treason. That's the danger of creating a bad name for ourselves. It can hang over us like a dark cloud for weeks, months, even years, or centuries, bringing rain, not only into our lives, but perhaps into the lives of our children and grandchildren as well. At the end of the day, a reputation is only as strong as the character beneath it.
1:01Don't pretend to have a good marriage. Face your issues and put in the work to actually create one. Don't just wish for a world where integrity and good values are upheld. Be a person who upholds integrity and good values. Both good and bad choices alike, ripple outward and affect the people around us. To build a good name for ourselves and our families, we must make choices today that bless our tomorrows. For Focus on the Family, I'm Jim Daily.
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