Prevailing Strategies: Your Mind Governs Your Character

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch (Genesis 49:3-4).

It’s possible for someone to have so much ability or be gifted with a certain skill, yet when such a skill is required, that individual isn’t chosen, because he or she doesn’t have the right character. If you’d build your mind and develop the right mental structures, sooner or later, you’ll see the manifestations in your personality. “Mental structure” in this context, doesn’t mean imaginations and reasoning; rather, it means attitudes that you’ve cultivated over time that control your actions.

For instance, someone may have a great voice but he’s unable to make good music. Not because his voice isn’t fantastic, but because he’s not trained and disciplined to make the most of his gift. We read about Reuben in our opening scripture. Reuben’s character and ability collided. He was the beginning of Jacob’s strength, the excellence of his wisdom. That means Jacob invested so much in him, but he was unstable as water; therefore, he wasn’t going to excel.

The Hebrew word for “unstable” is “Pachaz,” which also means frothiness, to be unrestrained and undisciplined. Reuben was undependable as foamy water. He had the ability to be someone influential and prosperous, but his character wouldn’t let him excel.

The ability to take on more assignments because of your performance is an excellent characteristic. That means, you’re dependable and when there’s an innovation to be actualized, you readily come to mind. But there’re those who are never thought of to handle responsibilities, because they aren’t dependable.

Become the best of you by cultivating the right character. Inside you are hidden treasures; you came into this world with a unique personality. There’s something you possess that nobody else in the whole world has; hence it’s important to find your place and be the best of that peculiar you.

A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength (Proverbs 24:5)

There’re some people who feel they’re disadvantaged, perhaps, because they don’t have an academic degree; they didn’t quite go to school or maybe they dropped out at some point. If this describes you or someone you know, it’s not the end of the world. Even if you lost an opportunity to go to school, you haven’t lost an opportunity for education. Just begin by investing in your personality. Listen to the right things; read the right books; open your mind and thinking to the right knowledge and information. What defines your life isn’t so much your academic qualification as it is the quality of your personality; the investments and deposits you’ve made in your mind and in your heart.

Daisy Osborne once said, “Work on being, not on having, for with what you are, you will have.” How true! Put differently, that simply means, “Don’t work on having anything; instead, work on being something.” By investing in yourself, you won’t just walk through this world unnoticed but would have actually impacted the world with the investment of your personality. That’s success.

Polish yourself. Improve your value. The world is changing fast; you must therefore inundate your mind with the right information that’ll put you over and give you the advantage. When you study the Bible carefully, you’ll discover that knowledge is power. Our opening verse says, “…a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” The same word translated “strength” is also translated “ability” in some other places. Thus, with knowledge, you multiply your abilities; you see your endless potential.

It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or how you’ve lived before you were born again. It might have been that in your biological family, no one has ever been successful, but with you, that jinx is broken. Now that you’re born again, all things are possible to you, the believing one (Mark 9:23). Blessed be God! The difference is knowledge. With the knowledge of the Word, and the right investment in your personality, the Lord can do anything with your life.

Often you find people who allow their good character to be corrupted or negatively influenced by the bad behavior or ill treatment they receive from others. For instance, someone could decide to stop greeting a neighbor, because each time he greets that neighbor, he or she doesn’t answer. To make such a decision would mean that you’re allowing someone’s bad behavior to change your good character. Never allow that to happen to you.

If someone, like that unfriendly neighbor, took undue advantage of your good behavior, it’s no justification for you to change for the worse. Maintain your good character. Keep on being the nice, loving and caring one; it will pay off. The question to ask before making a decision to change your good behavior should be: “Was it right for me to do what I did?” If it was right, then you shouldn’t change it because someone else doesn’t like it.

Don’t be moved by the negative actions, comments or ill-treatments from others. Rather, respond in love to those who hurt or despitefully use you. If you act this way, you’ll be protecting your own spirit and at the same time promoting love, harmony and unity. Make the quality choice not to allow someone’s bad behavior to change your good character.

Did you know that what you give to others—the treatment you mete out to them—is actually unto God? That’s what the Bible says: “If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD—and he will repay you!” (Proverbs 19:17 NLT). So, when you do good things for others, never complain about it; instead, be glad.

Once you complain about the good, you’re doing, you destroy the effectiveness of it. Remember what the Bible says: do all things without complaining, and by so doing, you show yourself to be a true child of God without fault, manifesting His light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:14-15).

When you’re kind and affectionate to others, you don’t have to expect anything from them in return, for the Bible says, “of the Lord you shall receive your reward:” “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).

Everyone who treats people well turns out to be a success in just a matter of time. Why? Because God treats people well and He’s always on the lookout for those who manifest His character. Remember, He so loved us that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place for our salvation (John 3:16). He looks out for those who identify with Him in saving, blessing and loving others so He can manifest His grace and power in and through them. Best gifts for your loved ones.

Therefore, let His love flow out of you effortlessly. Be genuinely interested in people and be willing to help them. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, offer your assistance. Ask, “May I help you?” and when you’re through, still ask, “Is there anything else I could do for you?” What if they don’t treat you nicely in return? It doesn’t matter!

The Bible says, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9 NIV). Spread love. Spread life. Spread joy! That’s what Christmas is about. Let others testify that their lives changed for the better because they met you.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height (Ephesians 3:17-18).

Notice that Paul, in the verse above, didn’t say, “That Jesus may dwell in your hearts by faith….” Rather, he said, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith….” Jesus has ascended to heaven; the man Jesus is in heaven. So, what he’s talking about here isn’t the man Jesus Christ dwelling in you, rather, he’s talking about all that’s in the character, personality, potency of the glory and graces of Christ; the personification of Christ in you. And that’s done by the Holy Spirit.

That’s why, when we say, “Christ in a man” we’re looking at the character, the beauty, all of the glory, power, and the righteousness of God encapsulated in a man. So, a Christian isn’t just a religious person; a Christian is that man in whom Christ resides.

The word “dwell” also means “settle,”; so, a Christian is one in whom Christ has settled. In other words, being born again, Christ has made His abode in the quarters of your heart; all the qualities, personality, and the character of Christ are tabernacled in your spirit! You’ve now become like Him because He has settled and made His home in your heart by faith; everything about Him is now resident in your spirit.

No wonder the Bible says “…as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17); because His very life, the very quality of His personality and the characteristics of His glory are all in you today. Blessed truth!

–GSW–