Walk into your Destiny

Our destinies are promised and set up for us, however its our choice if we will get to them.

Let me paint the picture for you... God had already said that the Land of Canaan was the Israelite's It was for them to trust God to get them to the land. Instead, they complained and doubted because of the many oppositions they had to endure. Then when they got to spy on the land they became scared of the who had already possessed the land. Forgetting that God had promised the land to them.

Abraham was promised to be a father of many nations. He at one point thought it was taking to long. So his wife Sarah offered her handmaiden to produce a child. Yeah well that wasn't God's plan at all. However Abraham choose to believe God would do what He said. And finally Sarah gave birth to Issac who gave birth to Jacob and so forth..... Abraham walked into His destiny

So again our destiny is established already by God. Rather or not we get to walk into it is our choice. Choose to hold on to every word God says concerning your future. It will not be an easy road, and we may wait years before it materialize. We may even fall into temptation but never stop trusting God. He is faithful to do just what He said He would...

Reputation vs. Character

Daily Wisdom: Your repuatation may get you in the door, but character is what you are going to need to keep you from being put out of it. ~Rofasho~

Thoughts for today: We can always lie our way in/out of things just as long as people don't mind a surface relationships with us. However, there will come a time when someone will genuinely want to know us below the surface. What exactly will they find? Will what they have heard, assumed of us and/or believed what we have said about ourselves line up with who we really are? Or will they be sadly disappointed to find out our reputation is a front and the "real" us is the total opposite?

Plan of Action: Work hard everyday to get to know our strengths and our weakness. Be honest with ourselves and others. There is only one carbon copy of us all. God fashioned us to be different for a reason! So enjoy your uniqueness, by allowing others to enjoy and beneifit from knowing who we really are. It doesn't make much sense to make people believe we are something that we really are not. More importantly, we have to stop lying to ourselves. If what we see in the mirror isn't to our liking; then its as simple as changing what we do not like. Put your best foot forward to being the best YOU that you can be. You will be glad you did, those around you will also. Live up to being YOU!

Grow in Grace & Blessing in your Sweet Experience of Growth and Change!

Rofasho

Character, Integrity, & Reputation

Today's blog is about three important words! At some point in our adult lives we should have a working understanding about. Those three words are  Character, Integrity and Reputation. The three words are very important and vital to each individual human being. However we need to know what is our responsibility on grooming and protecting the three.

Character- The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes on person, group, or thing from another

A person with character, has certain qualities that stand out to others. These qualities generally attribute to this person of being, reputable, trustworthy, responsible, loving, and law-abiding.  These attributes are things that a person has worked hard at obtaining. Therefore these things are in their control and no one else's. More than likely the person who has these attributes has been raise to respect and value character. The positive thing about having character, is that once you have obtained it can not be taken away. You can relinquish your character, but no one actually has the power to take it away.  

Integrity-  adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honest

Integrity is basically, meaning what you say and saying what you mean. A person is attributed integrity when their moral beliefs matches up with their daily activities and speech.  Again, this is in the control of the individual who wishes to obtain integrity. Much like character, integrity can not be taken away from a person unless the person relinquishes it. This is simply done by not keeping your word, speaking without intentions, doing the opposite of what you profess to believe is rights or having no moral values at all. 

Reputation-  the estimation in which a person or thing is held, especially by the community, or the public generally; repute

Reputation is important but not nearly as character and integrity. Character and integrity is worked on by the person who wishes to have it. However, reputation is the gathered image of what people think/feel about who you are. A reputation can be true or false! You can have a fantastic reputation and have no character at all. How is this possible? I am glad you ask! You could do something nice for one person and the one person tells everyone they know about what you did for them. Now everyone believes this is what you do all the time. Or you can have terrible reputation, and actually have great character. You could have made a bad decision once and the wrong person found out about; and exposed it. Ultimately, leading everyone to believe that the one bad decision is who you are and what you do all the time. 

Unfortunately, our society is reputation driven. Its so much easier and takes less time to just take the word of someone else about another person, rather than getting to know someone for ourselves. Learning some one's character is not an overnight process. The great thing about people with character, they have no problem with taking that time to find out the truth about a person. People with character will protect their character and integrity at all cost, so they do not immediately attach themselves to everyone. Again we live in a reputation driven society, so you don't see to many people with character and good reputations hanging around people with terrible reputations and no character at all. 

Although reputations is carried by others by word of mouth; character and integrity isn't. If you want character and integrity it comes with responsibility of your own actions.  As I have stated before we hear of people getting there character slandered and defamed; however, that isn't actually possible to be done. Yes people can lie on you, but a lie with out proof for a person with character and track record of doing the right thing doesn't really have chance to stand up in court. Your character and integrity can only be slandered and defamed if you yourself actually compromise it. What do I mean? I'm glad you asked. Bill Clinton for the most part had a great rapport with the United States until he compromised it with Monica Lewinsky. No one actually slandered President Clinton, he simply compromised his integrity and character for oral sex. The only thing that happen was someone exposed what he compromised to. As you can see that Bill Clinton was in control of being slandered or not, by simply taking a moment to think things through. Now his reputation is known for receiving oral sex while holding the presidential office. This doesn't take away from the fact that while holding office our economy was at its best that we have seen in a 20 year span.  However, because of one bad decision, his reputation is overshadowed by his character  and integrity as probably one of the best Presidents the United States has ever had. 

So if you are having an issue of people always "slandering" you, take look at what have you compromised and allowed someone to expose. There are times when people have nothing on you and simply just like to talk about you, however that isn't slandering, that's what I call negative admiration.  Protect your character and integrity ladies and gentlemen, by thinking about the effects of your actions before you execute them. In most cases you can prevent people from damaging your reputation by not giving them something to use against you. Remember just because you think no one knows doesn't mean that the truth will not get out. If you happen to make a mistake or a bad decision, maintain your integrity and admit that you were wrong or at fault.  Always be truthful when there is a breech in your moral beliefs and your daily activities. No matter what don't stop building character and integrity because no matter how people view you, God always knows who you really are and the condition of your heart. People will always have something to say if you make a bad decision, but remember even if they don't forgive you, God always does. Keep striving to make God pleased with you!

Be honest, Be respectful, Be caring, Be loving, Respect Authority, Mean what you say and say what you mean!

God Bless and Grow in Grace

Rofasho

The Power of Your Testimony

In my 30 years of living, I have learned that there is no escaping test and trials. They are going to come either from God or they may be brought on by ourselves. Whichever way they come,  God doesn't waste anything we go through. He will use it all for our growth (Romans 8:28). I have gone through quite a few hurtful & devastating things in my life, some out of my control and many that I could have prevented. At the time of the tests and trials I was in, I couldn't see the purpose for them. We almost never can! However days or years after surviving them, someone I'll come in contact with will have the same issues I had survived.  At that very moment it all makes sense!

We know that test and trials come to make us strong when they are from God. Sometimes they come for correction of erroneous thinking or to produce fruit of the Spirit. However we overlook, tests and trials come to give us power and authority to help change lives. As believers we are not our own. We are bought with a price. Nothing we do is for us per say, but the Glory of God. When we go through, its so that God can get the glory out of our lives: that we may be able to draw men unto Him. 

What good are we if we have been somewhere and we know the place is desolate. Yet we see our neighbor traveling towards a desolate land and we keep quiet. You have knowledge that you neighbor needs to know. It would be wise to advise your neighbor " Hey, you are headed to a place where its dry and no food, you may die there"! It would be selfish and unloving to keep the knowledge to yourself and allow your neighbor to journey to a place where you could have prevented hardship. 

Our testimonies are the same way. We ought not keep them to ourselves. We do not go through just for us, but we go through so that we can help others. In school we are taught that knowledge is power! The bible teaches us that we are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).  Most of our acquired knowledge is learned by what others have learned or gone through. 

Here is a couple of example to help you understand what I am trying to convey:

If I am a student in school and I am struggling in my class. My teacher/professor knows I am struggling, but never comes to me and let me know I'm failing. What good was my teacher to me? They have passed the necessary tests to make them a teacher. It's their job to assist me in excelling in the class, because they have the knowledge that I don't have. Now its up to me to apply what they give me. But its up to them to disburse the knowledge that they have.

If I am member at a church and I struggling living a saved life. My pastor and clergy men  knows it, but never says anything to me. What good are they to me? They have been commissioned to lead people into righteous living. They have knowledge that I either don't know or won't apply. In the book of Hebrews we are told that they watch over our souls, so its their job to help me where Im struggling rather I want help our not. 

As such the same for every believer with a testimony. Don't leave your neighbor in the same rut you left. You have been given power and authority to uproot and tear down erroneous thinking, because you have been somewhere. You have experience somethings.  We can't expect God to give us power to raise the dead and heal the sick, if we won't first use the power of something simple like a testimony. Sometimes what we have gone through is embarrassing but don't be selfish with your testimony. Don't keep it to yourself and go pray for them! This is your chance to be used by God! This is your chance to walk in power and authority. It's your chance to do something great with your life. This is the chance to make all the pain and hell you have gone through worth going through it.  Share it, so your neighbor doesn't have to go through what you did. Share it, so your neighbor will know that they can survive what they are in. Share it, so your neighbor will know that God hasn't left them! Share it, and give your neighbor power (knowledge) to change his/her environment.

You have power and it in your testimony. Please don't keep it to yourself! Be a blessing to the Body of Christ and people who may not believe in God! Help others, you are called to do that. Hebrews 13:6 says: Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such scarifices are pleasing to God.  Romans 15:1 says: We who are strong have an obligation bear with the failing of the weak and not to please ourselves. 

Everyone is not going to want to hear your testimony. People are more receptive to testimonies when they are in it the test and trial- its consoling! However, if you give your testimony as a warning to prevent the test and trial, most won't be receptive. This is not grounds to keep it to yourself. Plant the seed and God will do the rest. How many times have your mother told you, you were going in the wrong direction. You didn't wanna hear it but later down the line you wished you had listened. You can't force people to do apply anything, but you can at least plant the seed.  Be loving in everything you do and use the power God has given you - Your Testimony.

God Bless,
Rofasho