APPRECIATE SOLID CHARACTER
During our building project, I remember the morning we needed eight hundred thousand naira. At midnight, while I danced and gave God praise, someone I had known since 2004 sent half a million as a seed for the project. I was really grateful.
While on-site the day the money was required, I was thanking God when a dear sister sent me a message asking for the project account. She sent three hundred thousand naira. We got the exact sum we needed.
But the real deal for me was when I messaged the second giver saying, “Thank You and the Lord bless your seed sown”. She responded, “Pastor Temi, you are a great steward of God’s resources”. It is a privilege that I would never abuse. God leveraged that to meet our needs miraculously. What if I have been abusing His resources? We got exactly the amount we needed.
Beloved, appreciate solid character. Character is who you are when no one else is looking. Character is different from reputation. Reputation is what you want people to perceive about you, but character is who you really are.
The tests of life will always reveal the stuff you are made of.
James 1:2-4 MSG
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work, so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
The devil will tempt you, especially in times of need. He will leverage your hunger to introduce the idea of turning stones into bread.
You will be in financial need and ideas will come to you. Make sure you pass your test. He can ask you to steal and assure you no one will notice. Smiles. It has happened to me before as a pastor. I was visiting a rich uncle who left huge money on his table and left me alone there. We had needs and the devil brought ideas. I rejected that thought. The devil will always try.
You will be in emotional, or intimacy needs, and the devil will show up again. He does it often. It is the time that your spouse is overwhelmed that an old classmate will begin to give you attention. You must be very watchful.
As a person, build solid character but also build a culture of appreciating people with solid character.
I have a childhood friend that we made it clear to each other from our admission to the university that we would never lie on behalf of one another. He must never write my name on an attendance list when I am not in class. I must never do the same also. Stand on righteousness.
There are Christian parents who sponsor malpractice now. It is a shame. There are Christians who did not write their own final-year projects. How did we get here? Christians are now comfortable in conforming. There are Christians who bypass appropriate measures for utility bills. How are you comfortable with such behaviour?
Matthew 5:13 MSG
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
This is why people treat some ‘believers’ like trash! Character counts.
temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa