Conquest and Character
Throughout Israel’s early history God had made covenants of blessing with them but they were always conditional. Blatant disobedience would mean that the pleasurable aspects of blessing would be replaced by punishment. The fulfillment of the promise could always skip a few generations of disobedient Israelites.
We find here in this portion of scripture that Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things that she once possessed. God had given His people so many possessions and for centuries they had enjoyed the conquest of the promise land. But now here they are in our text and have lost everything because they had sinned gravely and had become vile.
Great Conquests must be supported by Great Character. Whatever gains we make we can lose in a flash, unless we simultaneously develop character to support those gains. We all have watched over the years many leaders fall morally…in the church and in secular society. Mainly, because their charisma (gifts) exceeded their character (moral infrastructure)…their gift grew bigger than them.
It has been said, “nothing is so hard to gain, and so easy to lose, as a good reputation.” In fact the bible teaches us in Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches…” fame and popularity is fleeting. What is a lifetime and what we should give ourselves to is the constructing of our character. Only then we keep the gains of conquest that God provides.
- Most people see the talents and gifts but equally important is the solid character and integrity.
- Most recognize the product but equally important is the process that develops along the way.
- Most recognize excellence in performance but equally important is the excellence in discipline.
- Most recognize external appearances but equally important is the internal stability and obedience.
Character is what happens daily not in a day. It’s never enough to just enter the land and have conquest but its God will for us to occupy what we conquer.
Chuck Pelham
Sources:
Maxwell J, Thoughts on Leadership
Hayford J. W., “Spirit Filled Life Bible”
