Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you; you have not forsaken your brethren these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. (Joshua 22:1-3 RSV)
Those who have been reading their Bible will understand that it was in the book of Numbers 32 that two tribes of the twelve tribes of Israel asked Moses to stay over the Jordan not cross over to Canaan due to the nature of their economy (Herdsmen).
However, Moses insisted that these tribes could be allowed to stay in the place of their preference on condition that they would still help the remaining tribes to conquer their land too. The Reubenites and Gadites (R&G) gladly accepted and what we see in the text above long after the Death of Moses are men who kept their word.
Let me ask you before I forget; are you a person of your word or you are one who has grown fat due to eating your words every now and then. Are this kind of person who has all this kind of right reasons not to do what you promised you will do. The R&G had all the right reasons not to keep their word. They had single-handedly fought for their land and none of the other tribes helped them.
They had a covenant with Moses who was now long dead, they were not to inherit any of the lands beyond the Jordan. It was too costly to lose soldiers in a battle or war that actually is not yours. But all these right reasons were not reasons enough not to keep their word.
Victorious people keep their word. They say what they will do and do what they said even when there are enough justifiable excuses not to. They don’t just keep their word at heart but implement it. these are people of integrity. They keep their promises and pledges even when the wedding is over victorious people will still send in their pledges.
Some years back I decided I won’t be taking Sodas anymore, I did, I have struggled with sugar for a long time, but on the 1st –June-2018 I decided to stop putting sugar in my tea/porridge, and am now celebrating a month. It hasn’t been easy especially when no one is seeing me, but I really want to know the kind of person I am.
The next time you say you are going to the Gym go, whether it rains or not, when you say I will be saving this amount of money, then do, even if it means going hungry for a night. Victorious people are not true and honest with other people, they are people who are honest and true to themselves.
Victorious people do things because of them and their resolutions not because of seasons and the public. You cannot be false to anyone else if you are always honest and true to yourself.
Self-reliability, honest to self and personal sincerity are steps towards public integrity.
There might be many values in you, but they will remain misunderstood and not appreciated without integrity. Your beauty, talent, and Title do matter as your integrity and the will and practice of keeping your word. The hard part of life is not making promises, all of us including the fools among us do, the real victors are distinguished by how well they keep their promises.
It is important that as a salesman you tell people what is original and what isn’t and therefore the reason for different costs. Mechanics should learn to tell people what they can and what they can’t. Taxi Operators should tell the passengers the right fare and the right stage. Keeping your word means sleeping in the dark once your power units expire even when you have the ability to manipulate the meter and get the power back on.
I wish I could continue but the R&G teach us the power in keeping your word in life. The quality of person you are is determined by how well you live up to the values that are most important to you. Integrity is the quality that locks in your values and causes you to live consistent with them.
God bless you, I invoke Truth, Reason and Faith
Pr WHITE
The Gospel Hawker
iTiS Well of Worship Ministries (John 4:24)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 