What do you have inside of you?
History has it that when the ancient Chinese decided to live in peace, they made the Great Wall of China; they thought no one could climb it due to its height. During the first 100 years of its existence, the Chinese were invaded thrice and every time, the hordes of enemy infantry had no need of penetrating or climbing over the wall, because each time, they bribed the guards and came through the doors.
The Chinese built the wall but forgot the character-building of the
wall guards. Though the Great Wall has over the years become a
a powerful symbol of the country’s enduring strength and spirit, but it
has actually been a good reminder to the Chinese of the superiority
of human character.
The Chinese realized much later that the best defense against the
enemy is not a fortified wall, but a fortified character. Thus, the
building of human character comes before the building of anything
else.
I want to say emphatically that character is not optional; it is
sacrosanct to the future that God has planned for you. No matter
where you place religion or spirituality, skills, etc, character matter.
The greatest fraud in life is religion without character. A
man/woman without character is recklessly alive. Build a
relationship and start with God who can build up your
character.
William Shakespeare captured it succinctly when he said: “The fault
is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
Peter Schutz, the former chief executive officer of Porsche said:
“HIRE CHARACTER; TRAIN SKILLS.”
Lastly, back in the days when Germany was divided, a huge wall
separated East and West Berlin. One day, some people in East Berlin
took a truckload of garbage and dumped it on the West Berlin side.
The people of West Berlin could have done the same thing, but they
didn't.
Instead, they took a truckload of canned goods, bread, milk, and
other provisions, and neatly stacked it on the East Berlin side. On
top of this stack, they placed the sign:
“EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS"
How very true! You can only give what you have. What do you have
inside of you? Is it hate or love? Violence or peace? Death or life?
Capacity to build or capacity
to destroy?
What have you acquired over the years? Team spirit or pull-down
architecture?
"EACH
GIVES WHAT HE HAS" Think about it!
Please give out the good in you always.
How will you check what you have inside you?
How will you be sure you have and maintain good inside you?
My Character: Who I am when no one is watching.
ReplyDeleteA relationship with God is the pathway to building the godly character needed to fulfill our destinies. Such a great write-up!
Thank you very much for your contributions on this. This is a great question to check oursleves to be able live godly and in high intergrity. Our destinies destination should be a motivator to keep on building the character , the godly charachter. This will pay us and our community and generations.
DeleteCharacter building is one of the personal development that everyone should put as a measure for his/her life to living a good and Godly life.
ReplyDeleteCharacter building when put to consciousness in one's life help to live a flawless life as though one is from another planet and when it is through the work of Grace, living eternally is guaranteed.
Absolutely. This should be an investment to put life on. It is a lasting legacy.
DeleteThank you.
Attitude is everything and requires discipline.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Self discipline. God bless you and looking forward to reading more from you.
DeleteCharacter is the ultimate, it shows who you are actually. It can only be built by the love of God in the heart, without which character building is not possible. May God help us to show forth His love.
ReplyDeleteAmen. This is so true. We should covet this and let it be our desires. Thak you.
Delete“EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS" - interesting
ReplyDeleteExactly. You can give what you dont have, So get what is good so you can give out what is good. It helps to make life better. Thank you sir.
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ReplyDeleteWho we are on the inside matters and it speaks volume!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, because it will definitely relect in our speech, and in conduct generally. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.. So the Bible says.
DeleteThanks so much.
DeleteCharacter is the centre point of all. There is a popular say in my former religion and it goes like this " We shall be left with characters when we are there alone in the grave".
ReplyDeleteHmmm, deep. it is actually saying it will be a determinant of where we spend our eternity. Based on some comments here, it is a character that is built on goldy virtues through godliness that can gurantee a better place beyond the grave. May God help us.
DeleteThank you so very much.
Our character is best displayed during testing. The more reason our prayer should centres on Jesus being our succour on days of testing.
ReplyDeleteIn the mid-1990s, I had a neighbour at Alamutu Estate, Iju-Station, Agege. He was not just a believer but a pastor with one of the popular churches in Nigeria.
Being Pastor did not mean he could not send packing his wife, even by midnight or ordering his cousins to kill my cockerels just to pester me or whatever the intentions were.
I returned from work one day, and pronto, my wife who was battle ready narrated how the pastor had upturned my property under the staircase. She told me point blank I must let the pastor knows I got to that house at least five years before him.
I was praying inside as I listened to the narrative, after which I went to the dining to take my meal.
My wife and her mum, who also stays with us were highly disappointed at my silence.
After my meal, my wife charged at me that if it were her, I would have called down fire and brimstone and that it was time I called the man's bluff. I merely retorted, "How would the people know the difference?"
You know what? The man did not sleep throughout that night. He was praying that God should give him a peaceful spirit that looks the other way when provoked. It was during the prayer session, I discovered he was fully prepared to engage me that night if I had raised eyebrows.
It is important to appreciate that salvation does not change our DNA but while seeking sanctification, we must persuade God to make us a new creature indeed. Some people call the new creature "brokenness." We sure need it and except we acquire it, carnality would soon crawl back, and our outlook and old character resembles that of the world. "The dog returns to it's vomits."
Truth is, character is everything. The world cares less how many days you go to church or whatever. Their judgment is based on what they deduce from your interpersonal relationship. If anyone misses it at that level, the testimony is impaired, sometimes for life. Well, out pastor friend eventually became a member of my church. ---Charles Oni, Ph.D.
There are both good and bad characters. The habits, actions and emotional response of the person of good characters are all United and directed towards the moral and the good. A person who lack character is the one who compromises on higher level values, such as integrity. Character is something which comes within and is often long lived. A good character helps you develop winning personality. Lastly Proverbs 22:1 - A good name is to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
ReplyDeletePerfect. character is intergrity. character is our name. We should build our names with intergrity which does not perish like the silver( money) or gold, (what money can purchase). No matter how long, they perish but a name built well will be preserved as leagacy with or without physical things.
DeleteThank you so much for the deep insight.
Really who you are inside will determine strongly what your character will be. No matter how you pretend, one day, the real you will be displayed and that is why we need that first work to be done in us, "Having a relationship with God who will help us to build a strong character to even influence our world in a positive way". Remember here the "Golden rule"-Matthew 7:12. You can not give what you do not have so we really need to build our characters. God help us!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right. First works lays the foundation for building the character. Thank you.
DeleteReading this I understand that the person you are on inside projects your outward behavior, no matter how much you try to hid it the inner personality always comes out, so your intentions, your motives should be good so your character is good.
ReplyDelete