CHARACTER

    Over the years, you would have met different people with different character traits. Some are so bad we separate ourselves from them. Others are bearable. Some are like saints. The truth really is that no one is born with any character trait.

    When coming into this world, we all come with a clean slate in terms of character. We all come into life, blind to what we would be like character wise. As we grow, we pick up character traits in different ways;

1.   Every child’s first trainer is the parent. Personally, I do not believe evil character is passed down in any way through father to child. It might be true though. However, I do not base my analysis on that.

    There’s an adage that says, ‘When the mother is eating hot yam, the child looks at her mouth’. Most times, parents behave like this children are invisible. This is because they believe they do not understand what they are doing.

    It’s true that they do not understand. However, these memories have been implanted in them. They might not be directly led by these memories by remembering the image. Still, these memories have a way of governing their lives.

    They don’t really need to understand any of these things. The memory of it is just as harmful.

2.   Parents with good character traits that expose their kids are also play a role in altering their character. This is predominantly a huge problem in this digital age.

    Many parents expose their kids to adult contents, the media at tender ages, comedy skits that portray good things in bad light just to make you laugh and a host of other things.

    Even if your child isn’t exposed to the digital world, as long as the child is excessively relating with exposed children, your child would be affected too.

    Exposure to hard life on the street is another way to change them. The streets train children to be cold, wicked, angry, frustrated, loveless and selfish, disrespectful and many more.

3.   A child who is constantly provoked as a child or watches people act out in anger has a night tendency to have anger issues. When they are not taught the right ways to relinquish their emotions, they will act out(act as they feel).

    Kids should be trained on how to control their emotions and how to do what is right nor act how they feel. Feelings deceive a lot.

4.  Even after all the exposure, if the child notices his flaws and decided to train himself in the right way, he would do really well.

    As long as we are humans, we always feel this rush of emotions. However, if we are not constrained or trained to channel them in the right direction or do the right things, we would certainly do the wring things with them.

    SELF CONTROL is a necessary factor needed in today’s society. Many people lack self control. Some thing that self control is the ability to abstain from food, sex and many other issues. Whereas, it goes deeper than that.

    Self control is the ability to decide how you will react irrespective of what you feel. Self control is denying yourself the pleasure of acting out and being in obedience to your own decisions.

    If you can get uncontrollably angry, you lack self control. If you can hurl insults at people, you lack self control. If you can commit sin, you lack self control.

    Character is all about self control. She doesn’t change your character, it only gives you a wealth of experience. Your ability to make good use of that experience is what will produce a change in you.

    Your ability to consciously exert self control is what makes you have a good character. Even old people can be ill mannered, I’ve met many. They get used to the life of impulse that it becomes a new normal for them.

    May we not end up old and ill mannered. Amen!

    2 Timothy 1:7 says; “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (AMP)

    This is a very profound verse, one of my favorites. God didn’t give us up into fear. Rather, He gave us into self control. Indicating that lack of self control is a product of fear.

    Fear of what people will think. Fear of what the feeling will do to you. Fear of being laughed at. Fear of not belonging. Fear of the unknown. Any kind of fear produces lack of self control.

    Most people who hit people are hurt and lack self control. They cannot bear emotional pain (which is the most hurtful). They decide to act out to release themselves. This is where self control should come in.

    St. Matthew 26:41 says; ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(KJV)

    The spirit of God is ever willing to make you have complete control of your emotions. However, the flesh poses a threat to that willingness. Therefore, you would have to prioritize the spirit over the flesh in prayer and fastings.

    Watch and pray, not just pray. If you must ensure progress, you must watch as well. Watching entails reading books and listening to sermons pertaining to your problem.

    That way, you see people who have similar issues overcome and you can learn from their stories. That way, you pray and practice the shoes these people took to help themselves.

    In all, self control is the real deal. Only God knows how to help us. Your personal efforts will be nothing if you don’t yield His spirit.

Happy Sunday family!
#GrowingInGrace