The character of the soul is ultimately what determines the character a person exhibits or assumes in life. A man cannot truly change what he or she exhibits on the outside, unless, he or she changes what goes on in the inside – in the soul of that person. Those who try to change on the outside without first and foremost changing what is going on in their inside end up coming back to square one. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25-28 on the importance of changing their inner outlook before their outer outlook can look acceptable. The Bible says:

 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. ²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 

True character transformation begins from the inside of man and not from the outside. No amount of therapy sessions can change a man on the outside if he does not change what is going on in the inside. Romans 12:1-2 says:

 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 

The challenge we have today is that we have more believers who are conforming than we have believers who are truly being transformed.

 

1) Through Fasting

 

Fasting impacts our soul more than it impacts our bodies. Even though our bodies feel the impact of the fasting in that it is weak and without strength, but our souls ultimately get the transformation that is required from it.

 

The traditional notion of fasting is not basically to receive things from God. There are many people who fast today just for all the wrong reasons – people fast in order for their enemies to die, people fast in order to buy houses and cars, people fast in order to get promoted at work, et cetera. While all these things may be good, this actually isn’t the chief reason we fast. The main reason why we fast, is actually to chastise the soul. The reason why we fast are so that we can humble our soul before the Lord God, and when our soul becomes humbled, the character of that soul changes.

 

Ezra 8:21-23 says:

 

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. ²² For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” ²³ So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.”

 

If you read Psalm 69:10, David said: “when I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that became my reproach.” When change happens on the inside of man, that change is bound to be evidenced for all to see on the outside. Lasting change don’t begin from the outside of man, but from within the man.

 

2) Through the Word of God

 

James 1:21 says: “Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” The word of God is another important tool that can transform the character of the soul. The word of God are not ordinary words, they are Holy Spirit inspired to: Transform our lives, shape our purpose and destinies in God. As we give ourselves daily to the word of God, it transforms the desires and intents of our souls thereby reflecting on the inside.

 

Hebrews 4:11-12 says:

 

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

• The word of God changes our thinking pattern: if a man’s thinking can change, then his life can change as well. Proverbs 23:7 says: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

 

• The word of God changes our disposition to life: when a man’s disposition to life can change through the word of God, then that man’s life will change for the better.

 

• The word of God influences how we see things: when you allow the word of God to shape how you see things, then it means your life will change.

 

• The word of God influences how we carry ourselves: how we behave in certain situation and conditions.

 

3) Through Unconditional Love for God

 

When your soul loves God unconditionally, that soul would receive the needed transformation that it definitely requires. When our soul is preoccupied with the love of GOD, that love in turns, transforms the soul. Matthew 22:37-38: Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. Don’t let hate be found in your soul. Hate will drive your soul to replicate what is there on the outside – you will just discover you have for no reason. But when your soul loves God, from the abundance of that love, you love on the outside.

 

4) By Speaking to Your Soul

 

One of the ways through which we transform the character our soul is by speaking to it, but we must be careful about what we speak to our soul because whatever you communicate to your soul, it assumes the character of that thing.

 

Luke 12:19-20 says: “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’”

 

You can say to your soul:

 

• My soul, you are humbled, you are not arrogant

 

• My soul, you choose love over hatred

 

• My soul, you choose life over death

 

• My soul, you chose God over Satan

 

• My soul, you choose health over sickness

 

• My soul, you choose abundance over scarcity

 

• My soul, you choose success over failure

 

Whatever reality you want on the outside, you can communicate it to your soul and your soul would make it happen.

 

5) Through Keeping God’s Testimonies

 

Psalm 119:167 says: “My soul keeps your testimonies ad I love them exceedingly.” When the testimonies of God are constantly the preoccupation of our soul, those testimonies end up shaping our realities on the inside. All that the children of Israel needed to go through their wilderness experience were the testimonies of God. Those who couldn’t come to terms with those testimonies didn’t make it to the promised land. But as for many of them that kept that testimony, they made it to the promised land. When you keep God’s testimonies, it shapes how your outlook on the outside.

 

6) Through Quietness

 

Quietness is a vital ingredient of soul transformation. When our soul chooses to quiet itself before God, it changes our outlook on the outside. We allow many things to run through our soul at times that it finds it difficult to settle down and quiet itself before God. Quietness in this context does not mean soul-travel.

 

Psalm 131:1-3 says:

 

Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.

² Surely, I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³ O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

 

Quietness means not allowing the cares and anxieties of this world to rob your soul of its dependence on God. Quietness means allowing your soul to meditate on God’s goodness. Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

 

7) Through Rest

 

When your soul is restless, your outlook in life will also be restless. When your soul chooses to rest on God alone, it transforms the character of that soul and then shapes what everyone can see on the outside. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 

The character of the soul is the character and personality of our lives. There is no one who cannot change. No matter your current status, you can change. But that change must first begin from the inside and then manifests on the outside.

Thanks for the gift of your time, We are Obayomi Abiola Benjamin and Gboyega ADEDEJI!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!