Saturday, 13^th August, 2022

Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7-8

Memory Verse: Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

Rev Peace Toluwade wrote: Over a decade ago, when my two older sons were about the ages of 7, and 4, one day we were watching TV together, when the older one suddenly blurted out: “Daddy, buy XYZ milk (original names withheld) for us, we want XYZ milk.” “Yes Daddy, we want XYZ”, the younger echoed! You see, we were watching an educative programme that was sponsored by the makers of XYZ. At that time, they had an energetic, upbeat advert, with a very catchy sing-along song which also ended with a phrase: “our milk”. All of that was very appealing to children, their major target – ab initio.

We had been watching this TV programme weekly, and always had to watch/listen to this advert about three or four times during the 30 minutes slot. After a while, the boys usually sang along, and tapped to the beats. “Why are Daddy and Mummy depriving us of this good thing?” I responded to that request by saying: But you don’t need it, you already have a brand of milk of a better quality. I don’t think that you will prefer XYZ to what you have been taking from the first day you were born. “Yes, but we want it. We want XYZ, we want XYZ… ” I understood what was going on. They had not lacked milk since they were born, I mean good quality milk.

But they had been exposed again and again to the expert image making of another brand, and that had formed a REPUTATION in their subconscious mind of that brand of milk. I also knew that the way to cure them of that was to introduce them to the true CHARACTER of the said brand. How? By acquiescing to their demand! So, at the next opportunity, we bought them a few small sachets of the milk they had asked for (no need to buy in bulk, I knew where this was going). The next time they were going to have a meal that required milk, their mum graciously lavished it with a good dose of their XYZ milk. We both stood, and watched their reactions as they ate their XYZ laden cereal.

Lo! They had come face to face with reality! Their mum and I had a good time laughing, as they both begged us to revert to the original brand they’d been used to! Of course, they had to finish the quantity we had brought for them, before any restocking would take place. They had to lie on their bed the way they made it – just for a little while! They had learnt their lesson, and they learnt it well: TV advert is one thing, the real product on your table is another. Social media appearance is one thing, real life encounter is another. Reputation is one thing, character is another.

Quote: It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently – Warren Buffett.

Prophetic Decree:  Receive your deliverance from the social media deception of this century, in Jesus name.

Prayer Focus

1. I refuse to live a contradictory life, in Jesus name.

2. My Father, make me a man of strong character in Jesus name.

3. I refuse to have a good reputation but a bad character, in Jesus name.

4. I shall not live a double standard life, in Jesus name.

5. My Father, help me to always abide by your standards, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Jeremiah 23-25