I have been around in ministry for a while, maybe silently so…but I have been around. I have observed, I have learnt and I am still learning.
One of the most difficult things to do is to UNBECOME what you have BECOME. It’s very possible but it’s just difficult.
Many years ago I had met an old friend, who seem excited that I had left the bad boy life and serving the Lord. He felt the need to give to the ministry but then it was going to be in cash and not online transfer. He gave me an amount that at the time was huge. I prayed with him and thanked him. Well, I returned to ilorin and the money was still with me. I planned to give it in the next service but It didn’t take time before a need arose around me. The thought came to use the cash now. This thought nagged me for a while.
Then it occurred to me, if you go this route…to come out of it may be more difficult than you imagine. You would have found a satanic short cut to faith. That doggedly believing God to do for you things that you need.
CHARACTER IS EASIER KEPT THAN RECOVERED!!!
Some years back, a lady I knew and was very close to had reached out to me about her wanting to discuss certain matters with me. She suggested we had that conversation over a dinner at a hotel she was lodged at, I had always known she liked me. I could have shown up for that appointment and then she would have said…”see me off to my room now” and KABOOOMMM… SIN. I never showed up. We never had that conversation and she didn’t die. If you go that route…to return maybe difficult. Some pastors are not sexual predators as the world would have you believe even though there maybe some….A NUMBER OF THEM WERE JUST NAIVE AND SEXUALLY UNWISE. See a classic case here.
Proverbs 7:5-10
That they may keep thee from the strange woman,
from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
For at the window of my house
I looked through my casement,
And beheld among the simple ones,
I discerned among the youths,
a young man void of understanding,
Passing through the street near her corner;
and he went the way to her house,
In the twilight, in the evening,
in the black and dark night:
And, behold, there met him a woman
with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
Continuation…
Proverbs 7:22
He goeth after her straightway,
as an ox goeth to the slaughter,
or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
Notice the only criteria for this young man’s downfall was not being SEXUALLY ACTIVE BUT BEING SEXUALLY FOOLISH.
Run from some crazy things.
CHARACTER IS EASIER KEPT THAN RECOVERED!!!
I was in a car once and someone dear to me had brought up what I considered a dishonorable conversation about a senior minister…I could have added more salt and pepper since I knew more about that story than the fellow but I shut down the conversation before it went too far. I don’t want to be the pastor who sees every others person’s flaws and gloat and revel in such conversations and lose my personal stance and conviction about gossip. If I go that route…I may begin to enjoy gossip going forward. I don’t want to be that minister. So I stopped it.
CHARACTER IS EASIER KEPT THAN RECOVERED!!!
We had a pressing need in ilorin church once and it was sooooooo urgent. The suggestion to borrow from the bank came to me. I sincerely even thought of it for a moment until I saw that it would be a road that leads to a place of no return. Please I do not say this to attack anyone who chose that road but for us….it’s out of character to do such. We decided early NEVER TO BORROW.
I would have discovered route to get things done in my own power without believing. And thereby gradually killing my faith. Notice this is a personal conviction please.
CHARACTER IS EASIER KEPT THAN RECOVERED
What Character, Values and Personal Disciplines have you developed…STICK TO THEM NO MATTER WHAT… if you compromise just once… you may finally discover how tough the path of discipline you chose has been and how easy the path of compromise is and find it add to return to you STANCE of CONVICTION.
I have learnt we all don’t have the same discipline in certain areas. You stick to yours and let others stick to theirs.
THE WOUND OF HONOR JUST LIKE THE WOUND OF DISCIPLINE IS SELF INFLICTED!!!
If you change seat of discipline, you may find it hard to return to that spot again. It’s not impossible….ITS JUST DIFFICULT
I hope it’s simple enough…
WELCOME TO FREEDOM