If you live in south west Nigeria you probably must have heard the Yoruba adage “Efi ni wa” before. Meaning: Behaviour/character is like smoke, and no matter how much you try to contain it-it will get out! Something happened between some friends and myself recently and another friend who was not in our cycle of friends was like, “How come Yemi was able to influence Ayo like that?”
“I wonder myself too o,” I answered. But I argued when she added, “I don’t think we should blame Yemi at all for Ayo’s behaviour. All I can see is that Ayo had personal character problem before; she was only able to manifest when Yemi came.”
Later, Ayo did some things that made me confirm that my other friend was right after all Should I say thanks or No thanks to Yemi? But really it was like what was written in James 1:14, “… every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).” (AMPLIFIED)
For one reason or the other, Ayo was just beginning to show us who she really is, though the motivation came because of the availability of a like mind. I’ve never condemned her and I will not (I guess you will understand with me that to rebuke somebody for a wrong doing does not mean you condemned the person?) Now, much as I may advice anybody to be himself/herself, I’d say we can only get worse when we do something wrong and we refuse to change despite corrective measures our loved one take towards us. Such was the character Ayo displayed and it resulted in some consequences I may not be able to state here. It reminded me of King Rehoboam in the Bible (1 Kings 12:1-16). Much as we may say it was the king’s youthful friends that advised him wrongly, that character he displayed, which eventually made other tribes to secede from his ruler ship, was already in him before he realized it. So, like James 1:14 said it was his own innate character that was at work and not the idea of his friends; though his friends may only help him to bring out his innate character. Even if the friends convinced him to be mean, he wouldn’t do it if he has a better character!
Perhaps, if he had gotten rid of that character before that faithful day, his story would have been different. So many of you (reading this article right now) may have one dangerous character or the other that could serve as a great deal of disadvantage for you tomorrow, especially when you encounter the kind of catalyst that will bring it out; you may either know it now or not; but all I’m here to tell you is that it’s high time you searched within your spirit and deal with every negative character before they deal with you. After all, and as a matter of fact, nobody is perfect!
Shalom!
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