I was finna make this like a “Sunday Sermon” or whatever, but you know what? Let’s skip all the theology lessons and me trying to be all erudite and whatnot and speak plainly about it.

When you belong to God, your character–not your gifts, talents, charisma, or even Godly favor–determine your elevation AND how long you stay elevated. Some of you have gotten your best laid plans together all your lives, struggling and straining and striving to get to a seat at the table (whatever that table is for you), and God is sitting on the throne in Heaven like, “But fam. Did you NOT just quote my word that said I prepare the table? Soooo, you just gone disregard all that part about chastening, huh? Or ME building the house, right? Oh. Okay then.“

Some of you…I swear. You got the charisma to get everywhere but don’t have the character to stay anywhere.

You charm and connive and hustle your way to the top of the heap, then folks begin to have to deal with you on the regular and they see WHO YOU ARE when ain’t nobody around, when you not “turned on”. And you slip right back down that rough side of the mountain you was coming up two months ago.

There is a reason for trials, for tribulations: Adversity exposes your level of INTEGRITY. Lemme show you…

When things get hard, do you:

• Run? Like move from place to place, relationship to relationship, church to church, looking for external solutions to an internal problem…

• Fight? I’m talking going for the jugular with your words and your hands, tearing people and things up in a rage about things no one can control but you…

• Withdraw? I mean like shut down and not say a word to anyone, not even to God because you’ve straight given up and lost all the hope…

• Complain? Never ever have a good thing to say, nothing good has ever happened to you, nobody loves you, life is vanity, everybody suck, you never get any help, God has forsaken you…

• Disintegrate? You fall apart, a big fat puddle, bemoaning your fate, fearful of what lies ahead, unbelieving in God’s plan, wondering if you oughta just cuss God and die…

When things are well with you–great even–do you find yourself:

• Proud? Giving yourself credit for all the blessings you’ve received, touting your ability and strength and foresight…

• Judgmental? You the savedest, holiest, most righteous thang in these Jesus streets, everybody really oughta get like you, you da wave, everybody around you got MAD PROBLEMS…

• Haughty? You stay looking down on people and their situations, you don’t have a lick of compassion in your heart because they shoulda known better, you really not tryna be around them cuz they not classy or educated or happy enough…

• Self-centered? they bringing down your vibe, you don’t understand why they killing your vibe, they need too much, you tryna do some thangs, it’s YOUR season…

• Inconsiderate? Ain’t nobody got time for alladat, you got moves to make, if they offended OH WELL, they prolly shouldn’t be so sensitive, you not that sensitive…

• Manipulative? You always got a “plan”, your conversations are never the same, one minute you smiling and the next you dogging folks, your yay ain’t never yay nor is your nay, you keep people isolated for your nefarious purposes…

• Controlling? You always gotta be in charge, your way is always better, you always making moves cuz you just cannot wait…

This is just a small snippet of the character flaws that can pop up in good times and bad. How the heart deceives you by having you think you poppin when things is nice–or how your mind drives you when things are not nice. None of them denote true trust in God–and every single one of them will cause a delay in your destiny.

You gotta understand: Every. Good. And. Perfect. Gift. Comes. From. God. Cuz God’s plan for you is for you to prosper; your prosper makes the Kingdom enticing to others (very few people stay saved off the fear of hell–Issa delayed consequence, ya know). But in order for it to be enticing, it has to be lasting. And if your character is trash? The good and perfect won’t last. Nobody-I do mean NOBODY-wants to follow someone who never holds on to any blessing ever. You always getting knocked down because you never humblingyourself and making the changes needed for your fruit to remain.

Anyway, that is my rant. If you want me to tag the scriptures to go along with this, I absolutely will. But I needed you to hear what I am saying first. Character. God is concerned with your character. You can praise all day long–dance, sing, cry, faint, be slain, tongue speak…whatever. If you never do NONE OF THAT: God looks at your heart. Do your INSIDES reflect your OUTSIDE? Are you an integrated human being—the same no matter what the circumstance? That is what the fruit of the spirit brings: WHOLENESS. The same today, yesterday, and forever. Thassit. That’s yo goal.

Amen? Amen.

Appended: Note that I NEVER say perfect. There is none GOOD but God, and no perfect human except Jesus—and He not here no more in the flesh. No, none of the people in the Bible whose stories are recorded for our instruction were perfect. Chile, they had some struggles—as do we all. And yet, maturity in Christ is still the path we must trod. We must endure the process of the purging of flesh and self will. We cannot expect blessings that we cannot maintain. Failure to get the blessing isn’t hardest thing; maintaining the blessing is. And the maintenance comes from the cutting of our flesh to the increase of Christ’s character in us.