Working Hard ?

Hey everyone I hope this message meets you well. On this post I thought I'd do something a little different, if that's ok with you ( not that you have a choice really but my mother taught me manners :P)

The young man you see below is called Emmanuel Osungboun (Smiley), who happens to be one of the most gifted drummers out there in Dublin. To be honest I've known this guy for a little while and I've always known him to be more of a joker than anything up until today. So Smiley came to my college today briefly and wanted to leave so he could get some food. I was hungry too so I followed him. On the way to the food joint he started cracking jokes as he normally would and constantly kept mentioning how hungry he was and I'm there thinking "ah here bro chill" (turns out the dude had been fasting). So anyway we get to the place and we order some food and I find myself eating and texting on the phone, which he notices. To my surprise he mentions how much he doesn't like that and convinces me to drop it and so I do (bare in mind me and smiley barely ever talk so it could been awkward). Eventually we get talking and all I can say is wow!! So he starts off by giving me blog advice, which was really interesting. Then he asks me about the band I'm in and how far I'm going with singing at the moment. So I explain to him that basically the process is a little slow because we're not as productive as we should be, plus we're always busy and I'm basically giving every excuse I can in the book, as I normally do. He looks at me and says something like "Maybe when you start living off it you'll take it serious". At this point I wasn't saying much so he continued on speaking. He started explaining how he basically makes his income through drumming and teaching others how to drum. On top of that he was sharing his story about how he also has to contribute money at home every month from the money he makes from teaching students.

I loved how honest he was with everything. You see it wasn't always easy for him and it still isn't. His income was dependent on the students he was teaching. Sometimes he would charge them relatively low and sometimes his students would travel. In other words, he made little or nothing from his efforts. All this time he was talking I was thinking just how we normally take instrumentalists for granted. Sometimes we forget that the gifts they possess is a craft and wasn't easy to master. I'm not talking on the subject of whether paying them or not is right but one thing is for sure. The level of appreciation given to them doesn't always match the effort they put in. If you wont admit it I will. See I've always known this guy to be one of the best drummers out there but I never ever considered how hard working he is let alone how he lives off it and also how it has taught him to be so independent.

when I was reflecting on this today I realised a few things. First I realised that maybe I'm not working as hard as I think I am. I'm a slacker. I know this because there's a difference between me and him. His hard work is driven by determination, mine is driven by complaint. Secondly it made me realise just how much I don't take God seriously. When smiley said "Maybe when you start living off it you'll take it serious" it showed me that I'm not living off God as much as I should and that's why I don't take Him serious. That's why my productivity is covered by excuses. Some of us find it hard living off God because we love control and are crippled by the unknown when God is silent. Another thing Smiley said was "The greatest thing God can test is your patience".  This is were most of us fall and have unproductive lives. Some of us claim to be living off God but turn back to dilute our faith with plan B's, which also takes us nowhere. 

I really don't have much to say but I need you to ask yourself this. Do you really think you're working hard on your goals Are you living off God? Do you think you're working hard enough to trust God with your goals ? Does your hard work compliment your faith?

Wish I could share more but I have to stop here. Oh yes, did I mention he was 17 ??

"Maybe when you start living off it you'll take it serious"- Emmanuel Osungboun 

and that's not #Omni

God bless you for reading. 

Just Give Him a Break

In my moment of thinking out loud today I was wondering why I was writing this post and what message it possessed and this thought came to mind. "Everything in this world, both good and bad, happens so that we can understand God." I don't know if it makes sense to you.A couple weeks ago I was given a flashback concerning my getting to this country, studying here, getting my first acknowledgement of residency and a year after, getting my citizenship!! (Mama we made it haha).  Funny how these two and a quarter sentences basically summed up my  8-9 years of getting by in this country. Although, during this journey a lot has surely happened. Trust me, I've experienced great things that I never thought I would but it wouldn't be balanced if ignore the not so great things. I know I'm probably not meant to get way too personal in the things I write but I don't think anyone would relate if I left it out and this is definitely for someone. During my journey I've been exposed to what started off as two loving parents nurturing me and my siblings, transition to one mother without a stable job or papers that enable her to work as she would like. Those were the days of Jabez. My mother, being the prayer warrior that she is, managed to keep the house together and managed to keep us fed every day through ways I can't even believe. Words cannot simply describe how a mother with a wounded heart managed to keep on going, fighting and striving to get not just papers, but Irish passports for each and every single one of us ? In saying that, this isn't the testimony that God was trying to make me realise.

Through what I would call "the struggle" I realised that none of us in the family ever thought of giving up on our mother. I don't know, we just trusted that she had everything under control and we never ever thought of  blaming her for anything. It is that moment of realisation that showed me that we have no idea how much that probably meant to her. I didn't even think that perhaps she could have done with a little encouragement. To be honest, I don't remember really asking how she was most of the time. I just assumed we were both being affected by the same cause but never did I think to just talk to her and spend time with her. From her side I knew she understood. All she was doing was taking care of an angry son who didn't understand much about mum and dad's tragic argument that caused division. When I look back at that I think wow.... how selfish one can get when they are in trouble or in a struggle. Just like that I could almost feel God just saying "Son, how do you think I feel when my children don't believe in me?" Let's face it, we don't believe in God as much as we claim we do. Before you even argue that allegation please take a minute to think about how many times you have said the words "God why?", and now proceed with the argument. Doesn't make sense does it ?

I remember reading Numbers 11 where the Israelites were on their journey to the promised land and they started complaining about how hungry they were and why they were even taken out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness. This angered God and caused Him to promise to feed them meat for a whole month. At that even Moses doubted God because it seemed like an impossible task to just feed people out of nowhere. This really angered God to the point where He said “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” (verse 23). When you first read this you think "wow God gets angry so much that He always has to prove Himself no matter what". However, when you read it again you will see that God was hurt. He honestly just couldn't catch a break with them. Despite His efforts to take them out of the land from which they were enslaved, they still didn't trust in what He had to say. Instead they complained to Him and to Moses, Started thinking about the temporary goodness they had in Egypt and as if that wasn't bad enough, they replaced The almighty GOD!!! with a golden calf....... which they made.

This verse was brought to mind. It says "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12 KJV). Upon reading that I think of verses like "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28 KJV, and I just think to myself  "what kind of God is constantly fighting wars up UNTIL THIS DAY!! and still has time to listen to our troubles and cries".  Make no mistake I know God is Omnipresent and can do all things but all in all it yet strikes me concerning where we find the audacity to question Him. You know there are still people out there with the question " If God is great then why did He let my mother die and why are children starving in Africa??" Its sad that we don't see the bigger picture nor understand verses like "blessed are the poor".  I can imagine if I didn't believe in my mother and constantly doubted her and maybe even left her house. I probably wouldn't even have half the things I have now but would instead be enslaved in my Egyptian mind.

I guess the sad thing about all of this is we just assume that God is God and we take out the Human inside of Him. No one really Goes to God and says " How are you God, how are your battles going in our home I hope our enemy doesn't think he yet stands a chance?". Why? "how selfish one can get when they are in trouble or in a struggle".  We live in a world that is hell bent on proving God's existence, which is fine. What is NOT fine is that we also now live in a world where Children of GOD to through trials and tribulations and are also now helping in the race of "is God really real?"  Finally we also now live in a world that has convinced children of God that we belong here. It is because of that, that we just can't give God a break. Think about that. 

God loves you. He is real. He is perfect (the world isnt). He's going through things too. He's able. Sometimes you just have to believe in Him. He wants you to.  He can do it without you, but He needs you to be involved. You are a part of the kingdom. An attack on you is an attack on Him, and that should be vice versa..... But that's entirely up to you now. Will you give Him the benefit of the "No doubt" ?? 

"Everything in this world, both good and bad, happens so that we can understand God."- Innocent Matthew (Inspired by God)
And that's not Omni
God Bless you for reading.

The Christian Closet

 I have actually been sitting here for the past few minutes thinking of how I'm going to start this post. And just like that << I started it. Haha alright now for the fun "stuff". While I was actually in the middle of this post the story of  Jesus when He foresaw that at the time of Crucifixion Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed came to mind.

So it's been a couple of months now since the Irish "same-sex marriage" referendum came to pass and for those past few months I have sat under a few teachings in church where most people have recited the words "the referendum was the first time where Christians all over Ireland made a stand for God and came together", or something along those lines. During those days while I was also idly standing for God I had a series of thoughts in my head, one of which was the term "coming out of the closet" which is the term  given to homosexuals when they publicly proclaim who they really are. Before I continue this post I'd like to say I have no interest in debating whether homosexuality is good or bad. I know what the bible tells me and that's what I'm sticking with. One thing I truly admired about this referendum, although it might seem somehow, was the fact that so many people came out of their closets either in proclaiming who they were or in supporting the idea of it and left the closet with us, hence the title.

I was on Facebook the other day and I was preparing a status that I knew would somehow bless people and while I was in the middle of it I found myself just trying to be too careful about how I wrote it. I played the usual scenarios in my head prior to this and I could hear the words "Pastor Innocent", the joker's "Holy holy", the default "amen" and scrolling down to other things and the silent "ahh another God post" in our heads, and I felt really discouraged and thought to myself "what a shame". I found it a shame that so many young people out there that, with the right push, would be able to boldly share their faith in their social networks but just can't because standing out for what is true in this generation is somewhat frowned upon. It's even worse when you notice it's the people who know about God that help force each other into that closet.

The more I think about it I realize that  remaining in the closet has truly corrupted us into a state of confusion. In fact I am convinced that one of the main reasons that this referendum passed is because the people who were in it grew tired of remaining there. Not only that but it seems as if the more they stayed the hungrier they became to just come out and not only come out but to be legalized and be accepted. Needless to say, such movement is being noticed globally. When I look at us now, those who yet remain in the closet, I see comfort our new habitat. The desire to leave the closet is thin. Some us have become Bi- Christians whereby we find it alright to see the world and heaven  and try to swing both ways.

When I look at the life of Peter I can actually understand some things. Peter walked with Jesus as His disciple until The death and Resurrection and during those times he saw some serious miracles that Jesus did and till this very moment I wonder how someone would deny such a being? Seriously how, like you know what He is capable of what more clarity could you possibly need!!!!? Some of us would say that "well he was afraid to die" and while I somewhat agree with that I think it goes deeper. Not only did this happen to fulfill the prophecy and scripture of the certainty of God's word, but I believe that this Prophecy was so powerful that it still hangs in this generation. The only thing that has changed  since then is the advancement of technology but the same scenario still remains for some of us. People are out there doing doing the same thing like those witnesses did, saying things like "I saw your post on Facebook about God oh my gosh I never knew about this side of you" and we immediately get uncomfortable about the situation and although we don't deny him with our lips we do it in our hearts because we don't share how real He is to those who are curious. When we do this we actually hide Him in the closet all in the name of avoiding social isolation.

I have lived with this mindset for a while where before I even attempt to write a post I think of what my work colleagues and college mates will think of me and I've realized just how much I've diluted the concentrated word of God. Because of that I'm always reminded "are you afraid of people or the being that created them".  When bible records that Peter went out and cried bitterly and went out (Matt 26:75) before the the death of Christ, I am now being encouraged by this word after the Resurrection in John 21:17 "He saith unto him the third time, Simon (Peter), son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep", which in my understanding, was God's way of saying "Son I know you love me, I love you too but I don't love you in secret, If I did I wouldn't just put you into the world I would keep you for myself and keep on telling you that I love you. Son this is what you're doing, you not only love me in secret, but you're not even giving my other children the chance to love me as much as I love them, even more. Son, please come out, and let people know how you came out (feed my sheep). I love you".  

I refuse to stand idle because of opinions and more and it is because of that, that I felt this was needed and this is definitely for someone out there. Don't be afraid to stand out. Drop the occasional God is good on your posts and watch that status win battles for them that need it. #SOCIALEVANGELIST

"But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven"- Matthew 10:33
And that's not #Omni
God bless you for reading.

Just..... Let Go

It has  been quite a while but I trust you have all been doing well.

Recently I've been obsessing thoughts in my head and I realised that it has really messed me up big time. Through a small thought, I started over-thinking and it later led to over exaggerating situations that further led into something I couldn't even handle. Something that was all in my head came to manifest and it not only affected me but the people around me. Funny thing is we always think we have control over our thoughts but we don't. I wasn't seeking answers about my recent problem but funny enough I was reading God's word and a few things started making sense.

A few months Ago one of my sisters asked us about the difference between King Saul and King David. Why did God love David so much? We obviously concluded that David was labelled as a man after God's heart so that was one upper hand. But what about Saul?  Long story short The book of 1Samuel Talks about a young man named Samuel who is sent by God to anoint Saul as king because the people of Israel were desperate for one. However, a time comes when war breaks out between the Israelites and the Philistines, to which the Israelites prepared themselves for battle. Samuel specifically tells Saul to go ahead to the battle ground and to wait for him there for seven days so that he could come and give a burnt offering to God for the establishment of Saul's Kingdom. Saul, who's nation is now under attack, waits for Samuel for 7 days as agreed but sees no sign of Samuel and therefore proceeds with the burnt offering himself. Samuel comes moments later and finds Saul explaining that his people were under attack and were scattering and thus resorted to what he thought was best at that time, to which Samuel considers as disobedience to God. This action causes Samuel to remove the prosperity of Saul's kingdom through God, who had then sought another man to be King of Israel after His own heart (later known as none other... than...The might King David).

I pondered on this book for a while and thought to myself "Really?". I mean I understand it was disobedient but was it really worth stripping a man off his kingdom? I mean for all we know he was genuine with the offering. It could be that he thought something bad had happened to Samuel... maybe the Philistines had gotten to him or something I don't know but like come on!!! Considering the sins that David was yet to commit (Spoiler alert!!), this is not that bad!!!. Then it hit me.... Saul was worried. Saul did what any man would do. He panicked and thought "this is the end nahh I better do something quick where are my people it is not God's will that I lose or die like this" He was worried and the wait was just too much for him. Haha, funny thing is that in his thoughts he didn't even consider the fact that dying in obedience under God's watch would have been a divine guarantee into heaven. Unfortunately, like most of us... his battle was that of worldly grounds.

The thing about most of us is that we are facing so many responsibilities out there  and we have no clue on how to face them. So most of us resort to facing them on our own. the thoughts in our minds are killing our faith, destroying our relationships, make us emotionally sick and are contaminating the heart. Our thoughts bring about the heaviest burdens and instead of letting go we choose to hold them and bear with them till they exhaust us to our last breaths. did you know that your worries are striping you off your Kingdom? (think about that....but not too much)

This week I want us all to try out something new and see how it will affect our lives. If you enjoy the outcome I'd advise to apply it into your lives forever and see how happy you will be come.
I don't have much to say about the moral lesson in this piece it pretty much speaks for it self.
JUST LET... GO!!...... and be happy :)

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" Matthew 6:34

And that's not #Omni
God bless you for reading.

The Beauty Inside

There's something about clichés that I don't quite like sometimes. I find that they tend to be conversation fillers, especially when you're explaining your problem  to someone, only to hear something like "God is in control" or "Everything happens for a reason". That being said, there's a level of significance in them and I must say it hit me very well this week. Let's take a trip.

One of my brothers asked me to attend an evening mid week service in church which was the next day and I told him I would think about it (which was my way of saying "Nahhh Bruh"). Needless to say the next day I received some conviction in my heart that basically allowed me to realise that if I didn't go I would miss out (I'm sure he did too). So as I set out to go and get the train I contemplated wearing my bag to church. Instead I went out, carrying nothing but my bible (which is something that I never do). I kind of had one of them days that I should carry it with pride, and so I did.

On the way to the train station I was strolling and it started raining (God's way of saying "Hurry up"). As I got on the train I placed the bible on the table. Out of nowhere I started examining the cover and how "beat up it looked" The sides and edges were peeling off. I noticed that it looked bigger than when I first got it because it had soaked up some water when my water bottle decided to gush out in my bag. I recall that it had also undergone some rain in the past, suffice to say I haven't been taking care of it much either. Yet, I found that the word in it was still intact. No words were watered down and the message was still clear. Another thing was made clear for me; This same "beat up" book still contained the word of God. In it, there was still salvation, conviction and life changing words within this very word. This brought about "the beauty inside". Dare I say the cliché, "don't judge a book by its cover".

I know you know where I'm going with this but I'm going to say it anyway. There is beauty inside of every single being, yet things are starting to turn around for the worse. You know, much like the bible, its true that many people out there are starting to feel unwanted. It goes way deeper than that. Not a week goes by where I don't read quotes like "If people mean anything to you, they will make the effort to text or talk to you". The sad truth is that's how people feel out there, that people aren't available for them or that they aren't among the main priority. Some people out there can't even get into strong friendships, meaningful relationships or even engage in conversations because of the pain they've been through in the past. They've allowed their experience to create scars in their lives that diminish their value. Frankly I understand. But I am being constantly reminded that, that is exactly how I've been treating the bible; barely reading it but always placing it in my bag, only for it to be ruined by various things. sometimes I'd even lose it from time to time. As I speak right now it's not even anywhere near me. My point is, even though I've done so much to it, it still changes my life every time I read it. It yet remains intact and despite the physical and spiritual pain I have caused, it continues to heal me. Which brings me to my favourite verse (Isaiah 40:8, "the grass wither and flowers fade, but the word of God remains forever"). The reason I decided to carry my bible alone was because I received some kind of conviction as if to say "you know you don't need this bag and yet you would carry it because you want to place your bible in it, what are you hiding from people? Are you ashamed that people will ask about it if they see you, isn't that kind of the point? Wow!!! How could to word of God speak so loud and clear even when it's closed. When I don't read it, it speaks out to me.... surely you can do the same to people who treat you less than expected.

So what's the point?
Did you know that so much is expected of you despite your struggles?  Truth is we have all gone through some ugly situations in our lives that may lead us to believe that we ourselves are ugly and filthy both in and out. The real truth is you can use those situations as testimonies to edify so many people in similar situations. Oppression will always come to taint you but how many times are you willing to show oppression your inner beauty?  I recently heard a song where a guy said that he lives in possibly the worst neighbourhood ever but he refuses to leave because he's the only source of bible that the people in that neighbourhood know. This is probably the same guy that faces danger and physical pain nearly every single day... how is he able to do it ? Bible says " To whom much is given, much is expected" (Luke 12:48). So since we have been given the eternal word, how long will you refuse to see the beauty inside, which is, the beauty that gives eternity?

To conclude, we all carry beauty inside of us. The pains and scars are a part of us but they are responsible for the beautiful testimonies that come out of them. Much like the bible, we are often "Beat up", torn, gone through rain or even weighed down. Yet, the beauty inside is the word we contain, the stories we have and the ability to rise above and not give up. Embrace that beauty.

P.s everything does happen for a reason... I could have missed out on this revelation.

“The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.” ― P.C. Cast

And that's not #Omni
God bless you for reading

Photo Identity

Hello all trust you are well? I'm fantastic. Let's get to business. First of all I'd like to open with a confession that I haven't been doing much of the reading of the word recently which might explain my inconsistency from time to time (please stay rooted). However, God being God, still manages to use me and trust me I don't take that for granted one bit. For that reason alone I will not do much of the "bible bashing", so as not to lead anyone astray. May this message serve its purpose as you read. Amen.

A couple of months back I went to this youth ball that I never considered I'd learn anything from. Needless to say my initial reason for going there was mainly for the food, but God had other plans I guess. Through the music, food, smiles and dancing, came a time where one of the youth leaders was given a few minutes to talk on the theme of being part of the "Royal priesthood". He figured that as children of God it was good that we should know where we stand in this world. He spoke in length about us getting to know who we were and our true identity, most of which I can't really remember (sigh). There's one thing that he said that remains embedded in my brain till today and it was this: "Don't struggle trying to be someone else because no one else can be you, better than you". This was enough for me to be honest. If you're going to strive to be like someone else, who is going to live your own life with your own identity. This might sound so cliché but we do this all the time and it might sound so common now but the reason why it is so is because the problem is still there. Many of us follow the lifestyle of our role models and yet in that process we lose ourselves. That alone can explain the mass depression in our society. I have so much to say about that.

What I study centres around behaviour and the two common terms are conformity (complying with others for social acceptance) and social norms (socially accepted behaviour in our community). I bet my two cents (just in case I'm wrong) that we are all victims of this. Have you done something extreme for someone for the sake of belonging, even to the point that it hurts you ? To what end bro (and sis).
Let me be real with you real quick. Do you know it's possible that you've lost part of your identity so much that you've become really partial even with your race, let alone your identity in Christ (I'll focus on my race if that's cool) ? Have you been told that black people are too loud so much that you've even stopped even sitting at the back of the bus? Have you even found yourself saying "ahhh black people"?  Have you started praying and worshipping a certain way because you were told black people pray too loud, dance way too wreck-less and shout when they sing? Who told you that God doesn't love that part about you? I know I'm strange but I believe Heaven is a very big place and since it is so big surely it can contain so many personalities. That means it is quite possible that in one area of heaven, will lie men and women who will kneel and worship in silence. Some will speak very few words. Some will sing heart felt slow songs and by God's grace some will express themselves in the stereotypes you see in "sister act" and "Big Momma". Part of your identity means embracing who you are, even the craziest or loud nature that is in you. Your identity in Christ is about giving Him your all, in your own way. Why give Him what somebody else's is giving Him?

Now let me get personal. There was a time when my friends prevented me from drinking alcohol. They knew that wasn't me. I didn't understand how they could drink but didn't allow me to conform. Truth is God will work so hard to preserve your identity so much that He will use your friends against you. Haha I remember one of them said "your dad is a pastor, you want to send us straight to hell?" What I couldn't see then was that sometimes the world will reject you before you have to reject it, and that's because you're not a part of it.

I'll end at this. Just be yourself, and enjoy it. If you're old, be old, if you're young, embrace your youth and don't grow up too fast. Finally remember this, You might get away with a fake ID in this world. Heaven is a different club.

“Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity and power is a false identity- an illusion! Loudly and clearly he says: 'You are not what the world makes you; but you are children of God.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen,

And that's not #Omni
God bless you all for reading.

The work Experience: Christomer Service

If upon reading this message you learn nothing from what I'm about to write in this post today I pray you can take this with you; If you find that recently you haven't been feeling 100 % in your faith or for some reason you've been feeling kind of distant with God, now is not the time to pull back. In fact, this is the time when God sets out to test His true children. Stay just a little longer I can guarantee that God will use you to do great wonders. I believe that God was really starting to inspire me but in the process of trying to find myself I got too distracted. I for one am tired of starting something with my life and just abandoning it in the end. Aren't you ?

A couple of months ago at work we had what is called the "Mid-season sale"  which required a lot of preparation beforehand, a lot of head-wrecking from the manager, a lot of "doing the impossible" to drive sales and frankly a lot of grief taking from both colleagues and customers. It was epic. During the preparation beforehand I learnt something afterwards that I hadn't seen at that time. One particular morning we were introduced to a new way of driving sales and hitting daily targets (I'm talking making thousands of euros through products). They figured that the heart of it all was excellent "customer service". The store itself had been ranked as one of the top 5 in Ireland. On that ranking the store also received some feedback on how deal with customers. As workers, we were encouraged to greet customers during the time they'd enter the store. From time to time, it was up to us to make sure that we checked up on them in case they needed a size or if they needed a second opinion. Often times more than once we noticed that there were a lot of people that needed our assistance but it was just that they couldn't approach us for reasons unknown. This simple method allowed us to drive more sales and hit higher numbers within our given targets. And just like that, I was inspired to open my eyes and apply what I had learnt into something more purposeful with my life. I welcome you the end of the world "salvation sale". The heart of it all ?, "Christomer service"  (God bless my corniness).

It goes without say that "Christomer service is clearly made up, but the message behind it, I trust, will serve to be inspiring to both reader and creative writer alike. I cant remember where I heard this but I was once told that everyone, being unique and everything, have distinct destinies just to suit our needs and personalities given the fact that God has known us from the womb and knows exactly what we want in life (Cool right ?). However, we but share one thing in our destinies that not only benefits us all but also suits God's needs and personality; aiding in preaching the gospel and enlarging the the kingdom of heaven (stay with me). One of the ways in doing this is through service. Service is known as "the action of helping or doing work for someone". The bible encourages us to learn to serve one another before we even consider wanting to be served ourselves (Mark 10:35-45). I have seen the benefit of this at work so what more can it do in churches and out there in the rest of the world?

I remember explaining to someone that I didn't give my life to Christ because the Holy Spirit made me do the Harlem shake or anything like that. It was simply the love that people had for me at that time that made me feel like I was part of a race pursuing the same goal. Truth be said I received the best service ever because till today I attend church. Because they loved me even though they barely knew me, it made it so much easier for me to believe that God loves every sinner. That's how everyone out there wants to feel like. This is our part to play. Unfortunately we don't do this much often or as often as we should.

Reflection time:
A few blogs back I wrote that "retail may lose sales, but heaven may lose souls". I now have a better understanding of this. Going to work has allowed me to consider questions in my head like "Imagine living in a world where God gave us targets as to how many souls we were to win everyday?" Truth be told we would come short everyday and yet we aim to reach targets at work and we'd do everything in our strength to reach them. Think of the people you see everyday and ignore. Sometimes even saying "hi" is a problem. Even upon talking to them how many can say they have built up the courage to talk to them about God? Forget the outside world for a second and just look at the church you're in. How many christians in there are truly saved. I've come to realise that it is especially in the church that people have the deepest quesions about the lord they serve that go unanswered. Reason being is because we assume, just like the silent customers, that they dont need our help and therefore no edification is fulflied. People just wont approach you for reasons uknown but you have to make it your business to approach them with wisdom and do your work. It all starts with a "Hi how are you?" and watch the Spirit go to work.

I will end with this. You might have heard before that everyone out there is going through one situation or the other that no one knows about so becareful what you say. That to me sounds like an opportunity to rest one's burden. I believe in a world that truly seeks out to help one another to reach the same purpose. Silence has never done anything but helped a fool appear to be wise. Yet you that has wisdom, how are you using it ?

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”- Mahatma Gandhi

And thats not #Omni
God bless you for reading.

Take Out. Don't Give In

One thing that I always try to be extra careful about is not to lead anyone astray.  I pray that as you read this the Lord will give you the ability to discern the material very carefully. Without further rambling I will open with this verse from Matthew 23: 3 "So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach". In this particular verse, Jesus was talking to the multitude along with His disciples concerning the teachers of religious law who somewhat appeared to know the word really well but didn't live by it.  Now at this time, Jesus often used to refer to these people as hypocrites and blind guides. So why in the world would He allow us to listen to these certain types of people? This verse came to me after I was having a few thoughts about the things in the world that are exposed to us now a days. We have learned to be aware of the things that appear as bad or evil according to our views so much that we want nothing to do them and try our best to escape the situations. While that might be wise in terms "better safe than sorry", we actually limit ourselves in terms of acquiring the appropriate knowledge that is intended for us. This post "Take out. Don't give in" will focus on the level of influence that certain factors in the world (even the "unacceptable" ones) can have an impact on us in various ways. After all, how can you avoid being like a pharisee if you refuse to even hear what they have to say. 

I will ease us in first with the topic of friendship. You may have heard at some point your parent saying, "Watch who your friends are" or "be careful of who you associate with". This is wise. The truth is we all have that "bad" friend who is not really respective, loves to cause chaos and enjoys fighting. These "qualities" are not acceptable to your parents because they automatically convince themselves that your friend's actions will rub off on you, hence the verse "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20). The default solution here is to cut off your friends and move on, which to me doesn't always seem to be beneficial for anyone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these type of people tend to be actually loyal to their friends. Suppose there is someone who is out cause you harm for one reason or the other and you being the "passive" christian refuses to fight, who do you think is likely to step up on your behalf? I know the situation may be hard to take in, but one thing for sure is that there is something to take out, even from your friend who isn't at all acceptable to judgemental eyes. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John15:3). The key thing to take out here is to see that your friendship is important to them so much that they would fight for you. It is the things that aren't easily seen that hold the deepest meaning ( and you wonder why Jesus loved parables). The next thing here is for you not to give in to what your friends do,but to actually turn situations around and help them to learn from you. Unless it is God's will, Don't just cut them off. I have often said, if your friend can influence you to do bad things, why can't you influence them to do good things. It is your job to expose them to wisdom. You can imagine you, being a christian, leaving your friend for your own benefit. Who else is likely to direct them to the lord if you couldn't? Now for the fun stuff!

Television is one of the most highly influential factors in the world. You know some churches/ church members have seen this as a problem so much that they don't possess them at home. I can see where they are coming from, in terms of the content within TV shows etc. For example, there is a show called "Game of thrones" that my spirit absolutely does not agree with me watching it, not matter how hard I try to manage the content. There are quite a few shows that would highly be questionable in terms of whether they glorify God or not. Let's talk about "Vampire Diaries". You can imagine if your parent or even one of your church members sees you watching people sinking their teeth on another human being for the sake of feeding ( I'll tell you this, that would be a sermon you'll never forget). The truth is that, this is who we have allowed ourselves to be. We don't look at things in depth anymore. Would you believe that aside all the twisted and "bloody" experiences I've seen in the past 5 seasons of this show is a story of how no matter how many times this specific couple may fall apart, they will always end up together. In fact, for the purposes of the plot, it has been intended for years and years that this couple is destined to be together no matter what. Now tell me if that sounds familiar to God's agape love and the verse that says "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Mark 10:9 KJV). Yet this is what We can't take out because we focus on the evil that is blatant.

Harry potter is another show that would highly be unacceptable for obvious reasons; Witchcraft. I need not say more about this, the idea of witchcraft in itself is enough to turn your parents away from condoning this type of Movie. I myself did watch it at some point and to be honest I felt compelled to behave like Harry did in terms of wanting to do all the magic simply because it was "cool". This is how the devil tries to lure us in by the way; the idea of cool stuff. When I came to my senses I did take something out of it. In the first movie Harry is a new student in the school of witchcraft from which he has a lot to learn. As time goes on he realises that there is a specific villain that no one dares to address him by his name due to the norm of fear in that town. In fact they know him as "he who can't be named". So Harry, being Harry, doesn't care one bit about who he is as he calls his name however he pleases up to the point where he finally meets the villain several times and defeats him, several times. Harry realised that there wasn't any real significance in placing the fear in someone simply because everyone else was doing it. For some times I've realised that we seem to place a lot of fear in the devil more than we do in God. We barely mention his name because we are convinced of the evil he is able to cause. We tend to forget that we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus and that the devil has no power over us. The idea of evil has removed our ability to discern correctly, and that is why we can't take anything out of the things in front of us, both good and evil.

Blog moral-  Being able to "take out" allows you to pass less judgement on people. When you see someone, it allows you to automatically see the good in them. You'll find that several souls are lost forever because of the judgement we have placed on them. The day you first see the bad in them, you'll never be satisfied when they do good....because first impressions is your "motto". By doing this we have written them off and have placed them in the "hell" category, when we're not God. 

So that's it for the moment, I hope this was worth the read, otherwise please disregard it. I would definitely understand. Finally guys..... don't bite anyone's neck. 

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will"-  Roman 12: 2

And that's not #Omni 
God bless you for reading 

Spiritual Workout

One of the greatest tragedies in life is giving up.

For  those that may not really know me, I have what you call a fast metabolism. This means I will most likely remain thin unless I am willing to eat twice as much as the person with a much slower metabolism, and also work out to maintain that weight. I don't care what anyone says but this is one of the hardest things to do. Year after year I commit to a workout but at a later stage during the year I just... you know... I go back to being Innocent and allow myself to believe I'm happy with that. It has come to me that we tend to do that towards a lot of things. The evidence is on the incomplete new year's resolutions we set every single year. The evidence is on the things we say when we are completely motivated for those couple of minutes, only to see nothing come to manifest. The evidence is on the goals we set but don't score. Today we will look at the "Spiritual workout", because believe it or not, the evidence also lies on God's visions for us that don't come to pass, because of us.

So last night I set out to try working out at home again after I spoke to someone who told me they went to the gym. I was so psyched and started off with those inspirational videos on YouTube that normally speak some sense to me. While I was about my "business" I keyed in to one man who was speaking and one of the most interesting things he said was this : " A lot of people become comfortable, they stop growing, they stop wanting anything, they become satisfied". He later mentioned that "when you're not pursuing your goal, you are literally committing spiritual suicide" The funny thing was that it confirmed a conversation I had with one of my sisters earlier on about how she felt like her spiritual level had gone lower this year than it had last year, which is something I've also realised towards my own life. God has very funny way of revealing things. 

A few months ago I received this analogy that I'd hoped to share for quite some time so here it is. when you work out (Lets say lifting weights) you begin to see temporary results as you progress. You may also endure some pain since you are in the early stages. As time goes by you adapt to the pain and the only way to get bigger results is to add more reps or more weight. Time goes by where you stick to a certain schedule and follow up on work out plans and so on. However, if you're like me, you only work out for a little bit and see some sort of results and don't feel comfortable going through the pain to the point where that pain becomes quite discouraging. This my friends, is how we treat our spiritual lives. There is a time in our lives where we are what they say "on fire for God". This is also known as the "Honey moon" phase, where you're in good terms in with God; He speaks to you whenever you want, you read the bible to receive more knowledge about Him and He helps you understand every single thing. However, there comes a time of trials and tribulations where we mistake God's movement of refining us with fire for something much more tragic, to the point that we lose our sensitivity to Him. There comes a time where instead of giving in to trials, we give up.

Here's another thing we fail to realise. Working out is a lot like reading the word of God. You cant grow physically without increasing reps, in as much as you cant grow spiritually without increasing scriptural knowledge. You can't simply ignore your gym instructor or friend, or even your inner self shouting at you to do better, in as much as you shouldn't ignore the Holy Spirit  that screams in your conscience to endure pain, and yet we normally do. When we workout, we are to push it to 100% with determination, which is quite similar to us worshipping in truth and in spirit, that is, with all of our hearts. We actually fail to realise that whatever we sow brings about a harvest later on so instead, we wait in vain. We tend to allow distraction to be our companion and procrastination to dwell in our hearts without realising that they both work together to ruin our destinies. We fail to let prayer be our daily protein, only to starve and be weak.

To round it all up I leave us with these few lessons about Spiritual growth:

1. It is very hard- one of the other quotes I heard from the work out video stated that if "If it were easy, everybody would do it". Does this sound familiar to "For many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14) ? Spiritual growth is not easy. It takes a lot of obedience to acquire it and a lot of patience and trust in God.

2. If you ignore the growth process, It's harder when you come back- Make no mistake, God is faithful and forgiving even when we stray from the path. However, in as much as he sees our hearts, we have to earn that level of spiritual growth once more. One of my work colleagues told me that she previously worked in our company as a manager but had to leave. So when she came back now they put her as a normal sales associate under a temporary contract. We are in the same position. Things like that you have to earn back yourself, needless to say He will always help you.

3. You can endure- This is for whoever is out there trying to achieve their life-long dreams, spiritual growth, life-time goals etc. It will be hard, but you can endure. One of my teachers used to say "If you haven't experienced hardship or haven't been under attack from the enemy, you haven't started". Enduring hardship brings about your total strength and discipline for the future. That's why they call it survival of the fittest.

To anyone that isn't seeing any results right now in their spiritual life. To anyone that feels as if they have lost that drive or motivation to do better, or to anyone that feels that God isn't moving in their lives right now. The only encouragement I can offer is that you be patient because God's not finished with you yet. You're not dead and neither is He. To anyone that wants immediate results.... it's about time you put in some work. If you can't lift weights, surely you can lift a bible.

"Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead"- Morihei Ueshiba.

And That's not #Omni
God bless you for reading.

Speak Out!

I apologise in advance for this long post. However I'm sure you will laugh very well and hopefully this will impact you in endless ways.

Last week I highlighted the fact that it's safe to say that the lord has allowed me to go through certain things in life so that I could learn a thing or two from them. My job now is to receive inspiration on how to acquire that knowledge and apply it in real life situations for anyone that might have experienced the same or is going through one right now. That being said, today's topic will be based on "Bullying". I'm sure we've all been victims of this, quite serious and tormenting abuse before but just in case you say haven't, now is the time to stop lying and speak out. Let's take a trip down memory lane.

So I used to live in the city back in South Africa where the TV naturally became my best friend while my parents used to either work or travel most of the time. I'll tell you one thing, television is such a powerful and influential tool when you're young... but perhaps I'll write a blog post about it in many more to come (By God's grace). So at some point my parents couldn't have me alone at home any more so they sent me back to the village to live with my grandmother so I could attend school there and so on. Like any other child I made a few friends but as you know you can't make everyone like you. Ask God He'll tell you. This one time during assembly a guy came up to me and started threatening to hit me if I didn't move from where he was standing. A city boy like me? I started recalling all the "Karate" and  "kung fu" shows  I used to watch that I could use against him.... I was 7 years old don't judge me.  That being said as I tried to stand up for my self one of my friends gave me this pale face filled with so much fear almost as if to say "do you know who that is ? He will kill you don't mess with him". I have never seen a pale, black guy before but this fear was so great it shook me. Long story short, I had a bully.

From that day on, this guy was on my case in school so much that sometimes I wouldn't look up to going to school any more. You know them TV shows where the little guy gets his lunch money taken off him and gets random slaps after school ?  That was me. This went on for quite a while until my grandmother found out somehow. One afternoon after school as I walking with my bully receiving the usual, my older cousin and his friend came out of nowhere and chased after him and I'' tell you this, never have I seen a beating so bad that made a brother cry like that. You think I'd be happy right? Nope. I was shouting at my cousin saying "what are you hitting him for what's wrong with you leave him alone!!" Why ? Simple, tomorrow was another day and I was so scared that I was going to get a double portion of bullying like never before... my cousin wasn't always going to be there. After all that we went home and my grandmother found out what I did and she simply whooped me for my stupidity. Turns out she had a hand in planning the beating that afternoon. Oh and by the way, my bully never touched me ever again.

WE ARE ALL VICTIMS OF BULLYING!!
Now that I've grown up a little I see the same thing happening in our generation. Much like myself, bullying has evolved in several dimensions that we barely comprehend. Here's a side note... one of my friends said that it is better for them to be beaten by their parents than to be given out or shouted at. They expressed that if they get beaten, the pain will go away, but words? they could last quite a long time. Think about it, bullying has gone more verbal than violent... oh and it hurts. Can you believe that depression has now become a trend because of bullying. Still don't believe you're a victim ? let's read some more

We all have one bully in common; the devil. You know, at some point, someone came to tell you all about the devil and what he can do and they filled you with so much fear that they forgot to tell you all about Jesus. Think of the devil as the head bully who has seen the power of  verbal bullying or abuse. For example, when you wake up and you set out to do a task but then something in your mind tells you that you can't do it because you are weak or unable, that's the devil. But let's just say you shake it off anyway and you go out there and do your task but as you are struggling, a group of people come up to you and laugh exclaiming that you can't do it, guess who's using them to bully you? One more example ? Even Jesus was a victim of bullying (Matthew 4:1-11). Here you see the devil blatantly saying "Bro you're not the son of God because if you were, you would do this.." (excuse my paraphrase). Jesus shook it off anyway and just as He continued to do His task up to the point of crucifixion  we see it again in Luke 23:35 that people told Jesus that If He was the son of God then He should save Himself... sound familiar?

Moral of the story: We have all been bullied before but the greatest of these is the devil. Bullying has evolved from "give me your lunch money", to "give me your soul". Time and again you'll find out that we allow him to penetrate our minds and fill us with the most disgusting and vile thoughts that allow us to indulge in in the dirtiest of sins if any. On top of that we forget to ask for mercy. When we do this we are actually protecting and defending him and therefore God has no other option but to punish us for our silence just as my grand mother beat me up.

Here's the solution: Speak Out!! I dare you to tell God about your bully and see what He can do for you. Do what Jesus did, for was it not He that said "Get thee behind me Satan" ? and did Satan not flee ? don't fear the devil as if he will come back the next day with a louder bang. Think of him as a creepy crawly, he's more afraid of you than you are of him. Seriously guys, don't suffer in silence while the enemy takes joy over your life it doesn't make sense. Speak Out.

And that's not #Omni

God bless you for reading.

The Work Experience: Just Tell Him

I would like to thank God for this divine revelation I received a couple of weeks ago while praying with a few people. I pray you don't get lost in my gibberish :P

So today we get to look at the word "Omniscience" which means "all knowing " or "knowing everything" (thanks again Google). I have been working in retail for quite some time now but I hadn't done "stock taking" with them before till a couple of weeks ago. Stock taking is done to make a clear record of the products we have and products that could be missing or have been stolen etc but more to the point. Because I hadn't done this before I was ensured by one of my managers that it would be fairly easy but if it so happened that I made a mistake then I should make sure to quickly alert them so that they could fix the problem and carry on (hold that thought). On the day of stock taking we were each given scanners. Here's how the system works:

1. Each employee is given a scanner to count products and an ID number so that the scanner can be put under your name.

2. Because the shop is so big, each employee is given a certain location to count products.

3. For every counted product, information is passed on to the main system, which records the number of products along with the ID number of the person who made the count.

Because retail is driven by productivity and such, it is very important that these things are done on time so that there's no loss of sales etc. Likewise, when you make a mistake, speak up so they can fix it within time. The consequence of your silence could cost you a verbal warning, a written warning and the loss of a job. Thanks to the system, they will always know who made the mistake if they check the ID number (oh technology, thy knowledge is cunning)

Just my luck!! I had to go and make the mistake. Well I wasn't about to get fired so I went up to the manager and told her I had made a huge mistake and mixed up a couple of things, my heart racing and everything. She saw what I had done and managed to fix it up properly and assured me it was sorted. 

Just last week I was praying with a group and I was asked to bring up some prayer points. So I'm there speaking to them about asking for God's favour in the area of mercy. At this point I'm searching deep in my heart for verses I could think of to show that God is very merciful if we come to Him for forgiveness; verses like 1John1: 9 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." At that time I couldn't even remember the chapter or verse but I kept repeating that prayer point until He allowed me to remember my mistake at work.  Then it all made sense to me. God is omniscient; meaning that He knows when we sin against Him and yet He is very strong on this one request, just tell Him!!! tell Him because that is the only way He can help you before it is too late. The consequences are similar; failure to ask for forgiveness could cost you a verbal warning, a written warning (The Word), or you could be fired... literally. 

So what can we take from this:

1. God's omniscience is beyond understanding- Only He knows why I made that mistake. Chances are if I hadn't, I wouldn't be sharing this right now. 

2. What more can technology do that He can't ?- All I can say if you believe in the knowledge of technology then you best believe that God also has our ID numbers and has placed us in His own system that He checks daily to see if you have corrected the errors you have made because one thing is for sure; there will be errors.

3. Don't play with God's timing- have you ever sinned and said "I will pray for forgiveness later" God forbid but who told you you might see "later". Our biggest downfall is we tend to want to do things on our own time without acknowledging the consequences. Retail might lose sales.... but God might lose souls. Food for thought.

Finally!! we can Close at this, if you're ever overwhelmed by your fear so much that you can't go to God, just tell satan get the hell out of your way. No literally, you tell satan to take his hell away from your path because you are going to ask your father for forgiveness. sincerely guys... just tell Him :). 

 "O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you"

And that's not #Omni

God bless you for reading.

The Mentor

I'd like to start with an opening prayer. Lord I pray that you may have mercy on me if I mislead any reader in one way or the other. Please know that the aim of these blogs is to give people an open mind, real inspiration and most of all, to draw them closer to you. I pray that spiritual discernment should be used in order to understand this specific post. Finally lord, if I am judging anyone in this piece, please, please have mercy on me. In Jesus' name. Amen

Who is your mentor? A mentor is known to be "an experienced and trusted adviser" (thank you Google). However, since I'm quite a strange lad, I will try and give it deeper meaning so please forgive me if I stray from topic or for any contradictory statements. Now I don't know about you, but if you are a believer and you hear the word "mentor", it is likely that you automatically think "someone of high standards who is heavily filled by the Holy Spirit" (e.g musical ministers); "someone who can deeply impact me"; "someone in the scriptures who's life I can follow", which is fine. I myself am quite intrigued by the book of Daniel. The first time I read it I wanted to be like him so much; to do as he did. I wanted to experience the cool breeze of the burning furnace in God's presence, and the silence of the hungry lion staying right beside me, doing nothing. However, this just hasn't been enough for me. I've even tried picking more than one mentor (as you do) but have come to realise that no one has really come to give me that true and full understanding of who a mentor really is or what being a mentor is all about. Well, up until a few weeks ago.

So I came home late from church a few weeks ago and I saw my sisters and two of their friends, who are practically family. I'm sorry I have to get personal but I believe it is important enough so we can learn something. So one of my sisters and her mates were getting ready to go out to some party. As I came in I opened the sitting room, greeted them and rushed up stairs (my usual routine). While I was upstairs I could hear the noise they made while getting psyched for their night out, with alcohol involved. It wasn't long till after one of my sister's friends came in to my room and started speaking to me. Now at this point I was already laughing because she was already drunk and could barely walk (God forgive me but you know when drunk people speak, it's absolutely gas). She looked at me and asked how I was, to which I positively responded with laughter. Little did I know that small talk would quickly transcend to a "Pep talk", my goodness. I was humbled.

As I stood in front of her, she told me that I should keep doing what I'm doing, that I should keep going to church. That I shouldn't care what people think about me and what they would call me. The amazing thing was, not only did I not know that she knew I go to church quite often, but she mentioned exactly what I was going through. Then she just blew my mind explaining how she knows when she's under attack and how God has never let her down; how she always prays whenever she feels under attack; How God gives her rest through sleepless nights. I never even knew she was that deep!! I don't even know when I'm under attack. Her relationship with God was not for me to understand. She then told me that I had a bright future ahead of me and that God will see me through, to which I said "yeah hopefully, I pray so", to which she then exclaimed " don't say hopefully, You have bright future, I know it." She expressed discernment and faith in under 30 mins!! Why am I telling you this? a few days before this I would have kept seeing her as one of my sister's friends and nothing else. But after this, she had opened my eyes to new insights and behold, she became my personal mentor.

What do we learn:

1. It is really important to accurately pick your mentor. However in saying that, don't write anyone off because you never know who God can use to speak to you. Picking your mentor should not be based solely on judgements. I encourage you be sensitive to everything; don't just see anyone who appears righteous and make them your mentor and at the same time, don't go out and pick the biggest "gangster" and say God will use them to speak to me. Be sensitive.

2. You can have a lot of mentors, but sometimes your mentor isn't on any book, or any type of social media.Your mentor could be your friend, your closest neighbour, someone you have a relationship with. In these times you need someone real and someone who can be real with you. One of my brothers said that if God came to take him today and felt he wasn't finished yet, he would tell Him to wait just a little longer. Haha!! what ? That spoke levels to me. He said don't play the "holy holy card" and say "lord if it is your will". That made sense to me. God can see through you, why lie on your way to heaven? That's a real mentor!

3. You can mentor your mentor. Like yourself, your mentor has flaws. while they're teaching you, take the opportunity to mentor them. Guess what, YOU ARE A MENTOR!! Unless He is the Holy Spirit, your mentor is a sinner just like you. You guys can lean from each other, give each other "pep talks", pray for each other. I mentioned above that I never knew that she knew I went to church. Unconsciously I was advising her because I believe she saw something in me that made her approach me. Bible says "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). I'm believing in God that He will keep her always. Unconsciously she gave me hope and faith. I'll tell you one thing.... nothing says "mentor" to me more than broken individuals carrying each other in seeking the lord to be fixed. Oh by the way I have never understood this, but the party was cancelled that evening.

4.Above all these mentors is the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to read John 14, John 16 and Romans 8:26 to understand further. You can always rely on Him.

To close I leave with this. Whether today or tomorrow or whenever, take some time to reflect. How can you impact the world, who can you mentor, and as I said above, who is your mentor ? As for me I'm going to mentor my mentor. But I'm not going to stop there.

Don't die old, die empty- Dr Myles Munroe

And that's not #Omni

God bless you for reading.

The Work Experience

First and foremost I extend my apologies for such a  late post but I was sitting examinations and then laziness kicked in afterwards. I believe everything went well but now more to the point!!

I currently work in a retail shop that I can't mention for various reasons. While acknowledging the title, I've come to realize I'm not only in work for the sake of it but to actually learn from it. For me, work experience is about taking in what you learn and how to interpret what you've learned and how to benefit others and so on. I've come to notice that God always wants me to learn something.  As a matter of fact I'm starting to realize that I'm never in any situation out of coincidence. There is always a reason. Have you ever been somewhere and just wondered..... how did I even get here, or what am I doing here?

So this one time I was at work and one of my managers started giving me endless tasks to do all at the same time. Not that I was complaining, it's my job. So I realized that all he cared about was making sure that the work was done well and little care was emphasized as to how to carry it out. I already started making a few observations. I also started noticing that there is now no strong relationship required in the work place.....Just strictly business and a few conversations here and there. On the shop floor there is great communication and interaction but when we're at the back in the canteen, the casual 'hi and bye' (stay with me).

Here's what I learned. We are not far off from our employer!! See outside work we play the role of any employer and God plays the role of the employee. I say "we" because I've noticed my fault and hope more people can relate to what I'm saying. How many times do we pray for blessings but careless about how they manifest? How many can genuinely say they have checked up on God and find out how He is doing? One thing I've noticed is that we always assume that God is God and has no struggles and therefore make a conclusion that He is "ok"... but have we asked anyway? I once read Abraham Maslow's theory of  "Hierarchy of needs" where it explains how individuals will go at all lengths  to satisfy their physical needs with less care put into how they do it. You'll find that we tend to cry out to God mostly when we need something, which is fine. However, we need to use wisdom in making sure that we're not using or misusing Him. What's more is we do all this without trying to have a relationship with him...Just strictly business and a few conversations here and there.

So what do we learn from this experience:

1. Switch Roles-  Make Him your employer!! God inarguably holds the "Employer of the eternity award " and the proof is evident in His word. In the bible you'll find that God sent out a number of prophets and messengers to do work for Him but one thing was common in all of them; He never left them to do it on their own!! When He sent Abraham to leave his country and go to a foreign land He said " I will make your name great and you will be a blessing" (Gen 12:2). when He sent Moses to Pharaoh He said "I will be with you" (Exod 3:12). Like wise when He sent Joshua He said "as I was with Moses. I will be with you, I will never leave you nor forsake you"  (Josh 1:5). God!!. With God it is never strictly business. He sends you to do something that He could easily do and what's more is He helps you because He wants to be involved and He wants you to be involved in His vision.

2. Get to know Him-  God Has no problem helping us out so please don' t hesitate to cry out to Him or ask for blessings. But seek to have a relationship with Him first. It just makes sense to know Who's helping you. I remember last month during the Christmas period our youth group decided that we should take part in "Christ-kindle" where we all had to pick out a name that we had to buy a present for without them knowing who their "secret Santa" was. When I got my present I very much wanted to know that person because I wanted to personally thank them for such a thoughtful gift (I know who it is by the way.. thank you :P). The point is we should always try to know our maker because how else are we going to thank Him for the things He does for us if we barely even acknowledge Him.

So to wrap it up, I encourage you to look around whatever environment you're exposed to and see what you can learn for things around you or from any kind of experience. You'll find that God is involved in almost everything you do without us consciously knowing it.

“I worked harder than any, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” - 1 Corinthians 15:10

And that's not #Omni :P
God bless you for reading.