CHARACTER COUNTS

The way to have self-respect is to do the will of our father in heaven. James 1:22-But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
These are ways you can improve your standing in the eyes of others.
1 BAD HABITS

Sometimes when people are alone, I read that they may sometimes indulge in bad habits like picking their nose. If someone eg your husband sees you continually picking your nose in secret they could lose all respect for you.
What are bad habits?
A person may pick their nose very often. The people near you can become disgusted.
Another person may scratch their body very often and yet another person can pick their butt.
Be careful. People may be gossiping of your habit and they won’t tell you. Do you know that bad habits can make people not to hold you in high regard?
You may have a bad habit and keep trying to stop for years but you fail over and over again. Don’t give up. God word says-I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Bad habits are disgusting to those around us. It can even cause our friends, family and husband to disrespect us. And how can your husband remain in love with you if he cannot respect you?
No one who continues to do anything shameful or disgusting will enter heaven.
There can be only one person behind any bad habit-Satan. The bible says-Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Jesus resisted temptations from Satan with the word of God. The bible says in Ephesians 6:17-And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God is part of our battle armor.
We can resist Satan with the Word of God and prayer.
Satan tempts us to dirty our fingers and smell them- We say –Cleanliness is next to Godliness as soon as we are tempted and we pray against it as well.
Satan tempts us to touch inside our navel causing a smell-We resist –No one is to be mastered by anything and pray constantly as well.
Satan tempts us to always touching or cleaning your nails-We resist by washing our hands whenever they are dirty so we don’t over focus on them.
Use the practical advice of washing your hands regularly and keeping your body clean to resist bad habits. Tell yourself “Fighting” as encouragement as you fight against the unseen demons.
Let pray an agreement prayer for God to help us break any bad habits.
In Jesus name-
Heavenly Father, thank you for the grace you have given us. Please we ask and agree that you would help us break all our bad habits. Amen.






2 Weight gain
Everyone likes to eat. Bread, rice, chocolates. They are all gifts from God.
But some people tend to over-eat. They eat one helping of food, but are tempted by Satan to eat yet another helping. Then another helping. You need to know when to stop.
You are now over-weight and your body feels really uncomfortable. Is this really how we are going to live our life?
Philippians 4-Let your moderation be known unto all men.
Eating, watching television and sleeping must all be in moderation
One trick of Satan may be to get you to procrastinate your healthy diet. He can tell you (he might come to tell you every day)-Just take more food today, tomorrow you will start your diet. Resist him with-Procrastination is the killer of dreams.
Do you know why? Because your dream of becoming thin will die eventually if you procrastinate.
Someone offers you too much food, just nod your head no. Procrastinate eating until meal-time.
Also, being fat can also lead to disrespect. People would look at you as a person without self-control because you are fat. When people see a fat person holding a large bottle of coke and packets of chips, they think they are undisciplined.
Little drops of water make a mighty ocean. A little rice, a little meat-pie, a little wine each day all adds up to us being fat. Avoid liquid drinks like ribena and fried foods or pastries like donuts, meat-pies as they are especially fattening. Eat only small quantities of meat and keep your portions of food small. You can eat something fattening once a week to make the wait easier-as a treat.
Tell yourself before you eat-Little drops of water make a mighty ocean. Do this over and over to program your mind not to eat too much. Words have power.
Also, the guy you like may not be attracted to you if you are fat. And even your husband can lose interest in you if you are over- weight.
Jesus resisted temptation from Satan with the Word of God. Psalm 119:11-Thy Word had I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Satan is the one tempting us to eat too much. We can resist him with the Word of God and prayer. He will flee if you resist. The bible says-Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Satan tempts us to eat too much- We say-Everything in moderation as often as he tempts us. Pray anytime you feel tempted to eat too much that God will grant you the grace to eat moderately.
Being lean and healthy will help people to respect you.

3 Anger
Humans have intelligence, you know. Don’t think that you can win someone respect by shouting and beating them. Respect is earned.
We can earn someone’s respect by being of good character. A person of good character does God’s will like Jesus did-works hard, kept himself clean, eats moderately so he is not fat, and keeps his temper under control.
You can’t just get angry over every little thing. You can’t threaten or force people to respect you. There is this girl I know who is highly respected. A friend went to her room to test her but no matter how she was provoked, she didn’t lose her temper. She is much admired.
People are watching. Proverbs 22:1-Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver and gold. People will admire you if you are someone who controls their temper. It is an excellent trait.
But if you are someone who gets
provoked just because a conductor won’t give you your correct change?. You may not know it but rumors about you may spread and you would lose esteem in the eyes of people. Just image if the man of your dreams sees you fighting? He may lose interest in you that moment.
Do you want to be held in high esteem by others? Then resist all Satan temptations with the Word of God just like Jesus resisted Satan. Matthew 4:4- But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Satan tempts you to be angry -Resist him with- It is written in the Bible-Be Slow to anger.
.Ecclesiastes 7:9-Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
If Satan tempts someone to provoke you to fight-You resist him with-Even in your anger, do not sin.
Ephesians 4:26-Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Fight against the demons








4 Talking too much
There are people who talk, talk and talk all the time. Behind your back people will complain you talk too much and then you will have the reputation of being a talkative. People look down on talkatives and the love of your life may not want to date someone people look down upon so you lose him.
If you can’t control your tongue, you would lose respect in the sight of others. Don’t you want to be respected?
Apart from talking too much, there are those who insult others. Let’s be like Jesus. Even when he was beaten and crucified, he opened not his mouth.
Satan tempts you to talk all the time-Resist with-If I can tame my tongue, I can tame my whole body
James 3:2-For in many things we offend all.If any man offend not in word,the same is a perfect man,and able also to bridle the whole body.- For in many things we offend all.
Satan tempts you to curse another person-Resist with-God bless them.













5 Sluggard
Someone said -Showing up is half the job. Try to show up at your place of work whether it is at the office, in front of your computer or at the shopping mall to buy stuff for your kids.
You can do it. When you show up, you would most likely find yourself working. Just try it.
But if you just lie on your couch in front of the TV, nothing would happen.
There is always something gained in any hard work but just talking about working leads to lack of money. Proverbs 14:23-In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury
This means the work we do has reward whether it is washing clothes or driving our kids to school. You may not have a good job, but you can start from small-like just being a waitress- and God will bless the work of your hands. Do not despite the days of small beginnings.
Just do your best and leave the rest for God. Work slow but steady because slow and steady wins the race. Use your mind because the Bible says-Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with your might.
Satan is always tempting us to sin against God. He is behind all our troubles.However, Jesus knows all about our troubles.
Satan tempts us not to work hard-Resist with-He who shall not work shall not eat.
Satan tempts us to waste time in front of the television-Resist with-Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:Which having no guide,overseer,or ruler,Provideth her meat in the summer,and gathereth her food in the harvest.How long wilt thou sleep,O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep,a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to sleep So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth,and thy want as an armed man. Proverbs 6
Time waits for no one. Tell yourself each day-Tick Tick Tick Tick says the clock what you need to do, you better do it fast. This will help your mind to agree to work.




6 Smoking
Our God in heaven loves us very much and will give us eternal life. Romans 8:32-He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
3 John 1:2- Beloved,I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health,even as thy soul prospereth


God will for us to prosper and be in good health. But it is written on every pack of cigarettes that smokers are liable to die young? This is because smoking is dangerous to our health.
One good way to avoid being addicted to the nicotine in smoking is to not even try a cigarette at all. If you try cigarettes, you can become a slave to smoking.
Satan is the one tempting you to smoke as he tempts everyone even Adam and Eve.
Satan makes you feel like trying smoking-You resist with- God wants me to be in good health.
Second hand smoke can also hurt other people lungs. Smokers pollute the air around them causing harm to not only their lungs but the lungs of others around them. A server who works in a restaurant when the patrons are often smoking can die from the smoking she inhaled from others though she never smoked.
We are to take good care of the body that God has given us. When we die, all of us will give account of our life to him. Do you want to tell God that not only did you hasten your death by smoking but you also endangered other people life by smoking?
Satan, of course, is behind smoking. He must be resisted with the Word of God and prayer. The bible says- By strength shall no man prevail.
Satan tempts us with smoking- We resist with-Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost










7 Drinking
It looks bad when a person staggers about drunk. You look like someone without self-control. People don’t respect drunkards and they are not looked up to.
God word says that drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdom of heaven.
Also, do you know that drunk women can easily get raped?
I read of a man who would go and find drunk women (maybe near clubs) and rape them. Don’t let your grand down. There are wicked people around.
If you are drunk, you can become prey to evil men. It is like crime, you cannot stop armed robbery but everyone locks their doors to prevent it if you can. To avoid rape, you can do God will that we should not get drunk as well as other measures.
I myself don’t drink or smoke.
Satan can be resisted with the Word of God and prayer. The bible says-Sanctify them by the truth,thy word is truth.
God wants to clean us through his words.
Satan tempts us to get drunk-We resist with the Sword of the Spirit-A good reputation is better than riches.









8 True love
Finding true love is a gift from God. Of course you have to be of good character to please the one you love. How can you be of good character-By doing the complete will of God-you work hard, have only clean habits, keep your body healthy and slim, don’t get angry easily and do everything in moderation eg talking.
The most important thing to want in a Christian partner is a kind heart that fears God. However, your suitor can pretend to be very kind in the relationship but when you marry, he could turn cruel and quarrelsome.
So, how do you find his true character before marriage? Well people say you can know a person true character from how he treats those below him. Is he harsh to the waiter? Does she treat her maid with respect?
Watch how he treats everyone, even his elders. And also, when dating, we might be blind to the fault of our suitor so it is good to find out the opinion of other people –about his character and whether he really loves us- as the bible says in a
multitude of counsellers there is safety. It is commonly said that a person who ask questions never misses his way.











9 Sexual immorality
People really look down on women who are sexually immoral. Most men would not want to date a woman who is loose. Being a virgin who has never even been touched can help you have an excellent reputation which would help you when choosing a husband because men want to marry a woman they hold in high esteem.
However a woman who sleeps around is treated with disdain. Nobody respects her .Men can talk behind her back and say “You just buy her a cup of coffee and she will sleep with you”
Even the men who would have really loved you would want nothing to do with you when they hear this from the other guys. Though some may come who just want to use you.
But of course, if you have been promiscuous, you can repent and remain chaste and your reputation can improve as people see the changes in your character.
Don’t be deceived by the lies people say. Become chaste and get your self-respect back. If a guy really loves you, he will not want you to sleep with him before marriage. Instead he will treat you like a princess. This is how you know your true love.
Also, show integrity by not chasing a man who keeps rejecting you. They say-If you love him let him go, if he doesn’t come back, he was never yours. People will really respect you when they see you kindly let the one you love free to be with whoever he wants. After all, if you truly love someone you would want them to be happy-with or without you.
The one who truly loves you can later come after you let this one go

10 Integrity
What is integrity? It is generally a personal choice to hold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards . It means not to comprise your valves. Having integrity can cause people to admire you.
Is your boyfriend asking you for sex? Say no and break up with him. This will show you have integrity and will even make him respect you . He might choose to leave or could even fall madly in love with you though you must not take him back unless he repents because you are a Christian.
Is your boss trying to get you to sign a false document? Refusing would seem very difficult but if you refuse -politely, of course- your boss and co-workers may sack you but they would respect you more for it and God has said he would provide for you.
Satan is the one making us to compromise our values. Resist the devil with the Word of God and prayer and he will flee from you.

Satan tempts people to make us do something wrong-We resist with the Word of God-Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego were told to worship the golden image but they refused and said God is able to deliver them but if not, they would still not serve the golden image. We would follow their example.
We also pray for God to help those pushing us to sin because the bible says love your enemies.
Even if we are beaten and killed like Jesus was, we should be happy because the bible says-Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven