THE BLESSING OF SOLID CHARACTER 

I had shared the testimony of what God did at a season in our ministerial journey with a dear brother who is a minister of the gospel. We had given out almost everything in our house. We moved to a new place and the living room was bare. 

A year later, we got the gift of a truckload of furniture that included upholstery, a dining set, and a wardrobe. It was from our dear friends. On the spur of the moment, he asked whether we had spoken about it earlier. I said “No”. 

But a few hours later, the Spirit of the Lord reminded me about a time we spoke about it. Immediately, I messaged that dear brother and recanted my words. I told him the accurate account and mentioned that they were aware because we had an occasion when we discussed it. 

He responded and said, “Thank you. This shows that you are a man of character”. I did not see it like that before. I just wanted to obey the Spirit of the Lord. 

First, some things will happen spectacularly and some things will happen systematically. It does not mean they are not divine or supernatural. 

For instance, God can bring supplies to you by the spectacular act of raining bread from heaven and sending quails by the wind. That is what we all want. We want it to be spectacular. 

However, He can also bring an increase to what you already have. For example, an increase in business profit, or a raise in salary or even teaching you the importance of savings are systematic. He can use systematic means also. He can teach you to plant in the land. He wants to give you what is sustainable. 

Do not try to turn the systematic to the spectacular when you share your testimonies. It does not have to be high-sounding for it to be divine. 

One of the things you must not joke with, especially on the journey of Christian growth and maturity is the correcting rod of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit points it out, do not hesitate to repent and align. He is bringing you into rectitude. 

At least, His work is to guide us into all truth. If you keep winning arguments with the Holy Spirit, you are building a pattern that will make you deficient as a believer. In a matter of time, there will be an exposure. When you are exposed, little foxes will penetrate the vine and destroy it. 

Do you know what you must do with the help of the Holy Spirit to build a great character? Catch the foxes. 

Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.

Song of Solomon 2:15 NKJV

When the foxes are caught, the Holy Spirit can turn that character deficiency around. He can light up the foxes and use them to bless the nations of the world. Just like Samson used foxes as weapons of war: 

Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

Judges 15:4‭-‬5 NKJV

If you let go of that terrible deficiency, God can use your journey of surrender as a testimony to bless and change other lives and impact your generation. 

Character is everything. 

Do not lose it. 

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa