The Legacy of a Man – It Starts Todayනියැදිය

Character When No One's Watching

Throughout the Bible, men of faith are often tested in private before they're honored in public. Think of Joseph. Before he became second-in-command over all of Egypt, he was just a young Hebrew servant in Potiphar’s house. One day, he was faced with temptation—Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. No one else would’ve known. He could have justified giving in. After all, he had been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and falsely accused. But Joseph didn’t compromise. He fled.

Joseph’s integrity in secret set the stage for his influence in public. He chose obedience over opportunity, and God honored him for it.

A Soldier's Legacy

Over 160 years ago, during one of the darkest periods in American history, a young man fought in the Civil War. At just 24 years old, he left everything familiar and stepped into a war that offered little in return—no guarantee of survival, no comforts, no recognition.

He endured battlefields soaked in pain and loss. His daily pay amounted to barely enough for a meal, and his nights were spent without shelter. But through it all, he kept a diary. His entries weren’t poetic—just brief, honest records of daily movements.

June 29, 1863 – Left Frederick City 5 A.M. Marched until 8 P.M. It rained in the morning.

July 3, 1863 – We took our position. The fight commenced 3:15 A.M. We repulsed the enemy every time. The firing stopped 11:15 A.M. I found a gold watch.

That day was the Battle of Gettysburg. And the only detail he recorded about it—besides the fight—was that he found a gold watch.

Fast forward eight months.

March 23, 1864 – A nice day. I got relieved 9 A.M. I signed my name to give Col. Wm. Patrick $1.00 for the gold watch I found.

He had returned it. After eight months. No one would’ve blamed him if he kept it. He had earned it. But he chose honor over entitlement. He gave back something no one expected him to. That moment revealed his integrity.

What’s remarkable is not just what he did, but who he was.

I didn’t know this story until much later in my life, when I had the chance to read his journal that he carried with him and wrote in nearly every day. This soldier was my great-grandfather, Henry A. Stoffregen, on my mother’s side. He fought with the 5th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He would go on to become a Sunday school teacher for 40 years and a man remembered not just for what he did, but who he was: a man of God.

He had no idea that his diary would one day impact his great-grandson. He didn’t know his choice—made in private, under hardship—would model legacy for someone he’d never meet. But it did. And it shaped me.

Devotional Reflection:

Character is revealed when no one else is looking. It’s built not in front of the crowd, but in the quiet moments. Integrity isn’t something you turn on when others are watching—it’s who you are when no one else is.

Like Joseph in the Bible or my great-grandfather on the battlefield, your legacy isn’t formed in one dramatic moment. It’s built day by day, choice by choice, in the shadows. And one day, those private decisions will be seen—and felt—by others.

The question is: Who are you becoming?

Action Step:

Think of one area in your life where you are tempted to compromise. Maybe it’s what you watch when no one else is around, or how you talk when you're with certain friends. Identify one private behavior and commit to walking in integrity starting today. Write it down. Share it with a trusted mentor or friend.

Reflection Questions:

1. What does integrity look like in your daily life—especially when no one’s around?
2. Who in your life has modeled character when it wasn’t convenient?
3. What decisions are you making now that will be remembered later?