A young minister got an internship with a ministry. After the interview, he was told to resume. But he never did. When the team called him, his excuse was, “I’m trying to raise money for suits and the right clothes.” The head of the ministry looked at him and said, “Son, in this work, substance comes before suits.”
Friend, choose essentials over accessories. People may notice your packaging, but they follow what you carry (1 Samuel 16:7). Outward things can get you a seat, but only inward strength will keep you there. If your pursuit is only appearance, you will expire when trends change. Build the man first, then build the look (Matthew 23:26).
Honour your season. In the beginning, you won’t have the suits, lights, or platforms you admire. That’s okay. That’s not failure. That’s formation (Zechariah 4:10). If you spend this season chasing what you don’t have, you will miss building what you need. Invest in skill, character, and wisdom now. The externals will catch up (Problems 24:3).
Don’t compare harvest to seed (Ecclesiastes 11:6). We often judge fathers by their now, not by their journey. We want their stage, brand, and systems without their years of hidden work. What you see today is fruit. Fruit takes time, soil, and watering. Don’t despise the process God is using to grow what you are praying for (Galatians 6:9).
Embrace process, not just products (2 Timothy 2:2). Some leaders speak from where they are, not where they are coming from. They pressure young people with aesthetics, lights, and ambience. But fathers are to show sons how they met God, stayed consistent, and endured. Lights are a by-product. The real power is formed in secret and proven in obedience (Psalm 1:3).
Pursue essentials before accessories. Accessories improve the essential, they don’t replace it. You can minister without the latest suit, but you cannot minister without the anointing (Luke 2:52). Stop chasing stage lights. Chase the light of the Word. That light will create more platforms than you can count. Go after substance, and the extras will follow (Matthew 6:33).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria