The Visibility of Character

The Visibility of Character

By Apostle Felix

10  The character of God is a tower of strength, for the lovers of God delight to run into his heart and be exalted on high.

Proverbs 18: 10

Character is like a tower visible from afar. It is so powerful that the Bible compares a godly reputation to a tower of strength. As the King James Version states, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Ultimately, there is no safer refuge than a godly character.

Furthermore, the name a person carries is far more than just a common label like John or Mary. Two individuals can bear the exact same name yet be treated completely differently based on their actions. It is character that gives true meaning to a name, not the other way around. While it is a common practice in the church to adopt biblical names—such as Blessing or Favour—changing a name means very little if an individual’s character remains ungodly. After all, Jesus never commanded us to change our names; He commanded us to change our hearts.

45  People are known in this same way. Out of the virtue stored in their hearts, good and upright people will produce good fruit. But out of the evil hidden in their hearts, evil ones will produce what is evil. For the overflow of what has been stored in your heart will be seen by your fruit and will be heard in your words.

Luke 6: 45

The abundance of your heart defines the character of your life. It is your inner condition, not the name given to you by your parents, that truly matters. For instance, a person can bear the name ‘Wisdom’ and yet behave quite foolishly. Because the heart is far more powerful than any name given at birth, our primary focus and attention must be on cultivating character and attending to our inner lives. As the Book of Proverbs puts it: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

23  So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4: 23

The ultimate driver of who you are is the affection of your heart. For too long, the church has misdirected believers’ attention toward things that matter very little. Many spend entire nights praying and trying to break curses supposedly tied to their names, while completely disregarding the true condition of their hearts. My brothers and sisters, it is not the name ‘Marjorie’ that is causing havoc in your life; it is your inner character. Change the contents of your heart, and your entire life will transform.