A Life Worth Living Is Life Lived To Serve

The choir led us to sing the song during the Praise and Worship session. We sang with all our hearts. The song reverberated through the hall. The Pastor requested that we take the song again when he addressed the church. It was as we sang again that the last line of the chorus caught my attention. It caught fire in my spirit. The line wrapped itself tightly around my heart. It re-echoed in my mind for days afterwards.

“I live to serve Your majesty.”

The lyrics called out to me, urging an account of my life;

“Am I living my life to serve my King?”

“Am I living a life of service to His Majesty, the Most High God, the King of all Kings?”

I pondered on these questions for many days. It is amazing how just one line of a song can weave itself into our subconscious, becoming a part of our thoughts as we wake up in the morning, as we doze off to sleep at night and several times in between. That has been the case with me with this one line in the chorus of the song; “King of Kings, Majesty” written by Jarrod Cooper.

What Kind of Life Are We Living:

Self-focussed?

Philippians 2: 3-4 says “Do not be selfish;” Admonishing us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. It also admonishes us not to be concerned only for or look only to our own interest but to be concerned for the interest of others. The worst thing we can do with our lives is to live only for ourselves—focussing only on our needs, wants and gains.

The litmus test of living a selfish life as a Christian is the content of our prayers. Is your prayer more about you, yourself and everything you want God to do for you? God did not put us on earth to live for ourselves.

The next pertinent question we need to ask ourselves is about the motive for what we are doing under the canopy of service to God. Is it to call attention or bring glory to us? Whose interest is being served by our service?

When we do not with humility consider others, we are exhibiting pride and a preoccupation with self. Humility before God and man is a virtue every child of God need to strive constantly for. Our humility in service to God is demonstrated when we are concerned about the interest of others especially those in the household of faith.

Jesus demonstrated humility and selfless concern for others. We are called as believers to have the same mind as is Christ. To have the same mindset as Jesus Christ is to be others focussed.

We also need to note that Jesus did not serve others out of convenience. It cost Him something—it cost Him His life. We are self-oriented if we are serving out of convenience.

Others-focussed?

The bottom-line here is that Jesus did not come to be served but to serve. We have been called to be like Jesus in every way—to selflessly serve others. We become more like Jesus as we live a life of service. A life well lived is a life lived in service of God through service to humanity.

God has given each of us gifts, talents and abilities. We are to be generous with these different gifts God gave us—using them to serve and bless others—as faithful stewards of God’s manifold grace (1Peter 4:10). So that at the end of it all, God gets all the glory, praise and adoration. The service that you perform does not only supply the needs of the Lord's people, but it is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

I attended the oldest girls’ school in Lagos, Nigeria—Methodist Girls High School, Yaba, Lagos. The Motto of my Alma mater is In Love Serve One Another. I learnt about serving others in love from this school.

“The best use of your life is to invest your life in something that will outlast it” – Rick Warren

I truly concur with Rick Warren. The best way to live life is to live such that the echo of the impact of the life lived will continue to resonate long after that life is over. That is the way I want to live my life, in such a way that I will leave a lasting legacy that will continue cause an overflow of praise to God.

Serving The King:

I am serving my King when the things that I do, the services I render, brings glory and honour to Majestic King of Kings. I am serving my King when it is all about Him, about pleasing Him and doing His will. I am indeed serving my King when my act of service is out of submission and obedience to God and not out of convenience.

In everything Jesus did and said, He perfectly reflected the heart of the God. We are chosen by God as His instruments to do His work, to speak out for Him and to show others the goodness of God, that is, serving at the pleasure of our King.

We are serving the King when our act of service reveals God’s attribute of goodness, kindness and generosity to others.

How can we serve our King?

I found a motion song and study for God’s little ones at the hymnary.org titled “Serving The King” written in 1887 by John Hood, which detailed just how every part of our bodies can be used to serve the King of Kings irrespective of how little or insignificant we may think ourselves to be.

“Only a pair of dimpled hands

How can they serve our King?

Some ways of helping others find,

And little love-gifts bring.”

When I live to serve His Majesty, I don’t need self-efforts. I don’t need strive on my own. I only need to surrender every part of my being to the work of the Holy Spirit in me. For it is the Holy Spirit at work in us who points us in the direction of where the needs we can best serve are.

Here and now, I recommit myself to serve at the pleasure of my King. I must live each day of my life to serve His Majesty, the King of Glory, who loves me so much that He gave His only begotten Son for me and kept me by His might hands.

Dear Friends, what about you? What does it mean to you to live to serve His Majesty? How would you commit yourself to live a life worth living, a life that lives behind a lasting legacy?

Honestly, a life worth living is life lived to serve. A life lived just for self or for this moment alone is a wasted life.

Join me to raise 360 gifts items to bring about a 360-degree turnaround for good in the lives of two women. One is an amputee. The other is a wheelchair-bound widow. These gift items will be sold at a Christmas Charity Bazaar in Geneva. Proceeds from the sales of donated gift items will be used to support these two women through the provision of prosthesis, wheelchair and income generating activities.

A Compelling Purpose.

"The compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose."- Oswald Chambers.

There is an irrefutable, well-reasoned, overwhelming plausible, powerful, potent and irresistible purpose of God behind every event of our lives. There are no chance events in the life of a Believer. Whatever God permits or allows in our lives has a compelling purpose. God’s words and actions are never purposeless.

"The things that happen do not happen by chance—they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.

God’s will, purpose and plan for His children, does not exclude pain and suffering, even for those He love so much. Jesus is His Beloved Son in Whom He was well pleased. But part of His pleasure is ensuring that His eternal purpose is fulfilled, and that included allowing His Beloved Son to be crushed, beaten and humiliated. It was so that the Kingdom agenda may prosper through Jesus’ pain, suffering and death. How else would you and I have been adopted into God’s family? How else would we have experienced salvation and deliverance? How else would we have had the hope of eternal life with Him in His glory?

 The compelling purpose of God behind Jesus’ suffering was so that the price for sin is paid in full by being the final sacrifice for sin. Because Jesus submitted to God’s sovereign will and purpose, He provided for every human access into the very presence of God. This is the reason you and I have a hope in glory.

Therefore, a Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God to accomplish His compelling purpose for his life in every situation, and not in his abilities. Even when he does not understand it or grasp the significance of the situation or the purpose for it. Christians are those who know that God directs their footsteps and delights in every detail of their life no matter what season of life they may be in or how dark that season may be.

“Each day is held in the hands of a caring Father. Every moment, it is kept by a loving God.” – Roy Lessin

The tagline on my email and my favourite quote is “Kept by the Hands of God, day by day, come what may.” This is informed by the knowledge that my life is kept in the hands of God. It is an assurance that if God holds my life in His hands, nothing can happen to me without His prior knowledge. If God does allow an event in my life, it is for a well-reasoned and overwhelming plausible reason and to fulfil a purpose in His Kingdom agenda.

It, therefore, behoves us as Christians to find purpose in our pain, afflictions and adversity. When we do, we will see blessings in areas where humanly speaking we should be bitter. Being fully persuaded that in all things God is working for our good. Every act of God is suffused with grace.

There are no exceptions to the ALL things. When God says ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His good purpose, He certainly means ALL things. This is applicable to everyone who loves God and to everyone who is called according to His good purpose.

I love God, with all my heart. I know God has called me for His purpose. I know my calling is to fulfil God's Kingdom agenda. So I can go to the bank on the validity of this promise knowing that God Whose word and promises are infallible is faithful to do just as He has promised.

Therefore, there is a compelling good purpose of God behind my twenty years of living with a chronic respiratory disease and a debilitating neuro-muscular disease. There's a powerful and potent purpose of God behind the amputation of my legs and every other challenging situation I have had to go through.

My pains and afflictions are not purposeless. Now, I see only in part. I am yet to grasp the full significance of all of the events of my life. But, I can definitely testify that God is not only working it together for my good, He is also using the story He is writing of my life to touch lives for good.

You see, my dear friends, God’s thoughts and ways are supremely higher than our thoughts and ways. His thoughts are composed of His eternal purpose, which we cannot fully comprehend on this side of the divide. That is why we cannot presume to know all that God is doing in us in our diverse seasons. Faith compels us to trust in His omniscience, knowing that He has complete and unlimited knowledge and awareness of all things

Many times we want to shield ourselves from some of the things God brings around us. But we need to understand that it is God who engineers our circumstances. Since Jesus’ life dwells in us, every attack on us by the enemy is an attack on the life of Jesus in us. That’s what the devil seek to do. Jesus Christ’s honour is at stake in our bodily lives. Therefore, we need to remain faithful to the Son of God in everything that attacks His life in us.

The compelling purpose of God determines that we walk in a certain path God in His infinite wisdom has assigned to us. Sometimes that path may pass through Gethsemane. In there, grace compels us to, in absolute submission to God like Jesus say, "Not my will but thy will be done." The path may take us through fierce storms where the billows rage and the waves unfurl its fury at us. There also, grace compels us to look to Jesus, sleeping peacefully in the midst of the storm and find peace resting in Him. The path may take us through the fiery furnace of trials and affliction. Grace compels to look to Jesus, Who is our Companion in the troubled and challenging times, and assures us He will never abandon us or leave us alone.

In every season, each of us is in a unique time in life, in a unique place with unique talents and gifts to play our assigned part in God’s story. I believe that God has put me in a unique position in life to fulfil my unique role in God’s story. This unique role will require me to be shaped and fitted for the role. The storms, afflictions, pains and trials I pass through prepare me for that unique role in God’s eternal purpose. This is the compelling purpose for my life at every moment and season of my life.

God has a unique place for you in His story and as part of His eternal purpose. This is the compelling reason for every season of your life. When you submit to His will in each season, soon you will see how the seasons align to lead you to fulfilling your God-ordained destiny. Be assured that the grace of God is available to sustain you through the seasons of your life. Don’t give up in the season even when you don’t understand what it is all about. Rest and trust in God’s omniscience.

Feet Of Grace 2015 Charity Walk_Hit The Street For Their Feet:

Over the past three weeks, I have had to spend many days and several hours with my prosthetist. My prosthesis, the Feet of Grace, made just last year had become very tight and painful to walk in. I have gained back some of the 30kg I lost during the last 10years of my affliction. This experience was a shocking reminder of the situation of amputees in developing countries who have no access to prosthetists and for whom the cost of prosthetic limbs is prohibitive.

The prosthetists, our partners in Nigeria, the Irede Foundation is working with, are located in Enugu. This means that the amputees have to travel to Enugu twice. First time to have the measurements and moulding of stumps done. The prosthetic limbs are then fabricated and customized to fit the amputee. The second time is for fitting and learning how to walk with their new limbs, which requires a two-week stay in a city where they don’t know anybody. Caring for the amputee and one family member who is required to travel with them is included in the cost.

It was at this time; it dawned on me again how blessed I am. The cost of changing just the cup of my Feet of Grace is more that the cost of providing prosthetic limbs to two amputees. I live in Geneva, one of the most expensive cities in the world. God has my back, and He has been taking care of how my Feet of Grace is paid for. Secondly, it takes me 30-40 minutes to get to my prosthetist. I am blessed with a loving husband and great friends who take me for these often very long visits and stay with me without complaining. Lastly, I have a physiotherapist working with me on a weekly basis, helping me to become accustomed to walking with my Feet of Grace on all terrains, climbing slopes and staircases. That’s why I can contemplate a 5k Charity Walk in less than two years after amputation.

Chidi and Olivet do not have such privileges or opportunities. Without your support, they cannot regain their autonomy. But you and I have been positioned at this unique time to help these amputees to fulfil their unique roles in God’s story. Indeed, we have been blessed to bless. They are counting on our support.

Happy Easter from my family to yours. May the resurrection power be at work in your life through this season and beyond.

Lessons They Taught Me On Generous Liberal Giving_Part 3

It was the second day of shopping. My first son was driving. The previous day, we did two shops in a record time. My son is a shoot the bull’s eye shopper—go in, pick the stuff on your list and head to the cashier. Typical shopping tactics of most men. It was the same on this day. It took the joy out of shopping for me but I dared not complain, my son was becoming support-fatigued.

The last one month had been packed with several back-to-back events, and I was directly involved in organizing them. The next one was in two days. I depend heavily on my family to support me in executing every activity I commit myself to and they know I don’t do half-measures.

We picked up my second son from school on the way home. And that began a discussion between the boys on how much Mum takes on. At the end of the last event I organised, they had asked me why I had to take the lead in every event that needs to be organized. My mother responded while I was still thinking of an appropriate answer, “When God gives you a gift, you have to use it to bless others.”

“Hmm! But why does it have to be Mum all the time?” he asked his grandma.

I responded this time, emphasising that we are expected to use the gifts, skills and talents God gave us to serve others (1Peter 4:10). But I heard him loud and clear. Each time I commit myself to something, I commit my entire family, sometimes over-committing them and requiring some sacrifice on their part. So on this occasion I knew where the discussion was going, or so I thought.

As we discussed the plans for the coming days and what I would require of them, they did not ask the same question again, they simply stated, “Mum is involved in so many things.”

“I am a Proverbs 31 woman,” I chipped in. That’s who I aspire to be.

“And we are compelled to be Proverbs 31 children without a choice.”

Whoops! I caught my breath. I thought carefully before going further. “Well, whatever we do, we must do as unto God. God loves a cheerful giver, so I really pray that you will also be cheerful Proverbs 31 children. God doesn't owe any man, He will surely reward your labour of love.”

My children were learning another hard lesson on sacrificial giving of self in the service of others, this time not of their own volition, but imposed on them by their mother’s passion to go the extra mile to be a blessing to others.

As I write the concluding part of Lessons They Taught me on Liberal Generous Giving today, my sons are uppermost on my mind. Noting that as we relentlessly pursue the goal of liberal generous giving, it will come at a cost. Not only for us but also for the significant people in our lives. Therefore, they need to be on board with us so that it does not become a drudgery for them. They also need to know that the seed of the righteous shall be blessed.

Giving, cheerfully and generously with a willing heart, has to be a way of life for the Christian who understands the grace of God. The person, who understands like David, that everything we have comes from God and that his life does not consist of what he has, will be a liberal giver. We are merely giving back what He first gave us. We know that for us to dwell in the full dimension of grace, where God causes all grace to abound to us, we must be willing to abound in good works as well, which requires generous, liberal, and often sacrificial giving.

David:

Before became King over Israel and while he was still running from Saul, David exhibited the ability to be a generous and considerate giver. In 1Sam 30, we observe that David recognized that it was God, Who gave him victory and the ability to recover all he lost without fail and with interest, he was therefore willingly to graciously share of the plunder (vs. 25). He also remembered those who ministered to his needs during his season of wandering. This is the dictate of a grateful heart—to remember your helpers.

David affirmed in 1Chronicles 29:14, that all things come from God. He and his people considered that they, who were once slaves in Egypt and in poverty, had attained such affluence that they had liberal hearts and willing spirits to give in such a noteworthy manner, because all they have was given to them by God. They acknowledged God as the Fountain of goodness. David then prayed that God will keep this generous spirit alive forever in his people with their hearts firmly set on God (vs19).

It is my earnest prayer that God will keep alive a generous, liberal and willing spirit in us and our children always.

Barzillai:

When David, in his bid to escape from Absalom, came to Manahaim. Three chieftains took care of him and his men. Barzallai was one of them. They said, “The people have become hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert… (2Sam 17:27-29). And they provided them with beddings, pottery and diverse kinds of food. They recognised a need and responded to it.

Another point to note is that Barzallai was an infirmed and very old man with great wealth. He considered it an honour to be of service to the King at his time of need. I learnt from him that old age or infirmities are no barriers to generous and liberal giving.

He proved that no one is too old to give, just as the young boy who willing gave his lunch of five loaves of bread and two fishes in John 6:9, proved that no one is too young to give sacrificially. This young boy gave his lunch for five thousand men to be fed with left over. I imagine that he must be one of those who went home with one of the twelve baskets left over.

The Wealthy Shunamite Woman:

She had a lifestyle of giving and hospitality. She willingly opened her door to the Prophet of God and displayed sensitivity to his needs. She went the extra mile to provide for his comfort.

She taught me to be on the lookout for those who might be in need of my support.

The Queen of Sheba:

Another wealthy woman. She blessed Solomon in his abundance. She sowed liberally the seeds of abundance into his life. And she did not return home empty-handed.

She taught me that I can be a blessing, not only to those in need but also to those who have abundance, in a way that will impact their lives.

“Those who consider God as the Giver of their abundance will dispose of it with fairness and liberality.”

The Proverbs 31 Woman:

She is very generous. She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her filled hands to the needy. She works very hard to have enough to give to others.

This is the woman I want to be. She is a woman after my heart.

Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, how blessed is the woman, who fear God, who cherish and relish His commandments. Their children shall be robust (successful) on earth. And the homes of the upright shall be blessed. Their houses brim with wealth. And a generosity that never runs dry (Ps 112. The Message paraphrased). There is a blessing and reward awaiting liberal generous givers and their children after them.

All for God’s glory:

God must receive the all the glory for all the gifts He blessed us with, including the ability to be liberal and generous, the grace to be a giver. Everything we have and everything we give, we have received from God’s generous hands, these we must give back cheerfully and with a willing heart

Dear Friends, it has been illuminating for me to share with you these lessons I am learning on generous and liberal giving. I have been given a second chance at life. By the grace of God, I want this precious gift of life to make a resounding impact on lives to the glory of God.

My charge to you:

“Make your gift of a life count by deliberately choosing to live an extraordinary life, such that the world resonates with the echo of your impact.”

(From 2014 Return of the Helper’s Conference Facebook page)

I encourage you to live an extraordinary life of generous and liberal giving that never runs dry but keeps going on and on. It is a lasting legacy that will last forever, setting up your children for God's blessings.

This piece is dedicated to my two sons who selflessly and sacrificially give their energy and time to support me to fulfil my calling and live my dreams.

Ose and Ehi, your sterling and solid qualities shall impact lives for good always, in Jesus name.

I Celebrate You

Last weekend was about celebrating our loved ones, the significant people in our lives.

I am taking it a notch further this week. I had a period of reflection as I laid on my bed after arousing from sleep on Wednesday morning, and my mind went to some relationships I have had the opportunity to forge over the past years and recently too. I took special note of some in particular.

The more I pondered on these relationships, the more praise overflowed from my heart until songs of praise burst from my lips. I felt truly loved by God Who in His infinite wisdom connected my life with different groups of people who have become tremendous blessings to me. Here are two of them:

1. Long-term old friends. These are friends that I have known for many decades but have not seen for many years. Yet, at a phone call they are ready and willing to give a helping hand. I will cite some examples later.

2. Friends I made over the internet or through other friends who I have not had the opportunity to meet face-to-face, yet they have impacted me in a remarkable way.

Let me share some of the stories:

I was connected with AH through a long-term couple-friends of mine. My friend had raised a prayer request on my behalf in her prayer group in Seattle. One of the ladies eventually moved to Europe and my friend connected us. We kept in touch by email. She and her family later relocated back to US. A couple of years ago when my son was going to college, I emailed her and told her my husband and son were coming to US. I could not travel with them, to settle my son in college because of my medical situation. Not only did she accommodate my family during that period, she helped them with all the college shopping and transferred my son’s stuff to the campus. My son has a place to stay in her home whenever he is transiting between school and home. I am yet to meet her. I thank God for blessing me with such a generous friend.

I have seen my Chief Bridesmaid only twice since 1992. But we have maintained our friendship via phone calls, emails and over the internet. She has been a tremendous help and blessing to me. At a phone call, she will make herself available to me to help sort out one thing or the other, and this has happened more times than I could list or write about here. She is one of the many great friends I have abroad who have positioned themselves to be a helper and a blessing to my family and me. They offer their homes to my children and my husband during many travels. My children indeed have lost count of the number of non-biological aunties and uncles they have spread all over the world.

My husband and my friend who I had not seen since 2006 pulled a shocking surprise on me last Sunday, when she appeared besides me in church. My jaws literally dropped. I spoke with her the day before, she did not let on at all. Through her, I became connected with another lady who put herself at my mother’s disposal to be of great assistance to her. The lady left a lasting impression on my mother. The network of generous helpers just keep expanding.

I have yet another friend whom I have never met. The only contact I have with her is over the internet. I still cannot remember how I stumbled on her blog where she share creatively crafted poems, haikus and short stories. But she has become a source of inspiration and encouragement to me. She visits my blog regularly and leaves a comment. Each time I read her comment, I simply bless God. Writing can be a lonely experience at times, you spend a lot of time on your own staring at the screen. As a Christian writer, you pour hours into your writing driven by the desire to reach the world with messages that reflect the light of God’s glory and touch lives for good. Each time, I post a blog or share a piece of my writing, it is with a prayer that God would use the words He gave me to touch at least one life.

When friends write back or tell me that the message was timely, they gained from it or they were touched by it, my heart sings for joy. Why? Because it confirms to me that I heard God right on that one. Secondly, it is an affirmation that God hears my prayer that the words I have written will minister to someone at precisely the time in their lives when they need it. Thirdly, it is a honor to be used by God to fulfill His purpose and a joy to know you are fulfilling your calling. It is particularly touching when such messages come from people I have never met or seen before. God is truly awesome.

I share my story here on the blog. God has given me special blessings, trials and challenges unique to me. It will never cease to amaze me how these resonate with those who read what I share here. To the extent that I can joyfully thank God that my pains are not in vain. It is for the gain of others. Because God comforts us in our trials and tribulations, so that we may be able to comfort others in their troubles with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted (2Cor. 1: 3-5).

I have made numerous friends through the Writers’ groups and websites I subscribe to, through a foodie group I belong to on Facebook (So You Think You Can Cook), and Bead Jewelry makers whose creative work inspires me. I got connected with most of them through the internet and many have gone out of their way to share very useful tips, suggestions and “insider” information. They willing pointed me in the right direction at no personal benefit. I salute them for their generosity.

It is a privilege and honor to be blessed with such dear friends I can call at a time of need, who would respond positively and rise up to be my helper and friend in deed. Many times, I know that it is not out of convenience that the help is offered and given, it is often at a sacrifice. It is only God Who can reward them with the good measures, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

There are those wonderful friends who pray for me, pray with me and simply take it upon themselves to hold on to the hands of God on my behalf.  You are precious gems of God’s glory. I bless God for you.

After I spent time thanking and praising God for all these numerous relationships He graced my life with, I was truly awed at God’s awesome goodness.

Today, I celebrate all my friends and all those my life have been linked with for one purpose or the other as designed by God. Each of you in your unique ways made me more and more appreciative of God working in mysterious ways His wonders to perform in our lives.

A study of Jonathan’s love for David is illuminating (1Sam 18-20). It is a great example of selfless and heroic love. I cannot begin to write about the selfless and sacrificial love my friends have shown towards me. 

Today, I want to celebrate every one of you, I am honored to call friend.

What did I learn from these reflections?

It is that one of the ways to keep friendships strong is to actively nurture them. Friendships require nurturing by the parties involved in it. It simply doesn't just happen. Here are some of the ways you can nurture your relationship:

- Pray for one another

- Be present in the relationship. Even when you are separated by thousands of kilometers, with a little effort you can stay in touch with each other.

- Be the best you can be for each other. 

-  Act in their best interest.

To you, my dear friend, especially those I have not met yet or seen in a long time, I say, I look forward to seeing you someday soon if the Lord wills. If not, I hope to see you before the throne of grace. Be sure to be present there.

In what ways are you nurturing your relationships? Share with us in the comment box below and bless someone.

“Dear Heavenly Father, 
let the words that I write today reach one person with Your love and grace.” 
-  Deb Kastner (31 Devotions For Writers).

The Incredible Potentials of a Seed

Today's blog post takes its leap from the blog I posted last week:  Connecting Lives Beyond Imagination (click on the link to follow). I was overwhelmed by the way God used one man’s act of obedience to set in motion a series of reactions, interactions and connections which is providing opportunities for open doors for many, and enabling us to pursue our dreams and the fulfillment of our destinies.

Through these series of connections and linkages, I am coming to a deeper understanding that God sees and knows the great potentials of our ordinariness or the things we consider to be ordinary.

A Seed:

Mustard Seed

The black mustard seed, which was the smallest seed grown by the first century farmer in Ancient Israel, is known to grow to the heights of 3.7 meters (12 feet). The seeds of the orchid flower are like minute dust particles, so tiny that it cannot be seen by unaided human eyes, yet it grows into the beautiful orchid plants which blossoms in the forest, in our gardens and homes.

Seeds have great potentials and when nurtured, they produce abundance, greatness and significance. Seeds multiply. Every seed sown by the sower has the potentials to produce many more seeds. One little tiny seed has the potential to multiply itself up to 10000%. Each time I hold a cob of corn in my hands, I attempt to count the number of the grains as I nibble them off the rows. I am simply amazed that all of them came from just one seed of corn. And each stalk of corn has multiple cobs on it. The multiplication is simply exponential. Every farmer knows this truth.

Seeds carry the power of continuity because each grain of corn on the cob is a potential seed with the potential for multiplication and to continue the spread of the corn beyond the point where it was first planted.

No seed is ordinary no matter how tiny or invisible to human eyes as it may be. Every seed is a seed of destiny because it has the capacity to influence destiny. Every seed is a seed of significance because it has the potential to make a difference. Every seed is a seed of promise, because it carries a promise to bring about a bountiful harvest.

Something of great and immense significance has been infused by God into the DNA of a small tiny seed.

You are a Seed:

In Genesis 9, God pronounced on Noah and his sons a blessing, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” One man and his three sons are to multiply until the whole earth is filled. Awesome! What a great potential for multiplication and fruitfulness this is?

God also promised to make Abraham exceedingly fruitful and to multiply him greatly, and make him father of many nations (Gen. 17: 2). He had placed in Abraham a seed that will bring forth many nations, though for almost a hundred years the seed laid dormant. One man, but in him lives the seed from which many people and many nations would arise.

Our God is a God of exponential increase. He made a great and mighty nation of one man. Kings were birthed from him because God said of Sarah that Kings of people shall come from her.

We also, the seed of Abraham, and like seeds, we have stored in us the potentials for greatness and significance. God has placed in us the seed of greatness and the seed of significance. For the moment, that potential may be dormant. And we may not know what exactly this potential stored up in us is or what we have been called to do. Nonetheless, it is worth waiting patiently for it to be revealed and for us to discover it. Be assured that you have the potential for significance hidden within you. There is something unique and only-you-can-do that God has gifted and equipped you for. You can depend on the help of the Holy Spirit to find it and to act upon it.

The Seeds We Sow:

We as the children of Abraham are blessed to be a blessing and an inexhaustible dispenser of good to others. We can indeed be the conduits of God’s answer to someone’s prayer.

When we sow seeds of mercy and kindness into the lives of those God bring along our way, and this seed is nurtured by the grace of God, it affects and changes the hearts and lives of the receiver, bringing forth a spiritual harvest of eternal value.

We can sow the seed of words of encouragement, our time, our energy, and our resources into the lives of others. We can be the ones God can use to open doors of opportunities to others. It only requires our willingness to listen and to obey the leading of God, and a desire to make a difference in every sphere of influence God has given us. We sow seeds into the lives of people when we make the effort to invest in them.

The seed we sow into the lives of people God brings across our path may seem unimportant and inconsequential. As long as we are following the leading of the Holy Spirit, the God of exponential multiplication and great harvest, will multiply that seed beyond our wildest imagination to the glory and honour of His Holy name.

Do not despise, scorn or make light the days of small beginnings or the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10) in your life and in the lives of those around you. God often uses the weak and unlikely instruments to bring about great things. It is an act of unbelief and ingratitude to scorn humble beginnings. It is an evidence of pride to despise the days of small beginnings in the lives of other people.

Little deeds of kindness can snowball to touch lives of many for good and become a spring board to launch others into living in their God-ordained destiny. You never can imagine how far God can use one act of kindness. Little seeds of mercy sown into lives can grow to reach many more lives across many continents.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” – Luke 16:10. Can God trust you and me to sow these tiny little seeds of kindness, mercy and compassion into the lives of His precious ones?

Often, a seed has to wait for many months before it gets the opportunity and the right environment to begin to germinate. It may appear that the seeds we have sown have remained dormant. Be patient. At the right time and at the right place with the right set of conditions, your seed will begin to multiply as it is meant to and it will bring forth bounteous harvest to the glory of God.

As we approach the end of the year and with the festive season in the offing, it is a great opportunity for us to consider how we can be used of God to be a blessing to many far and near. There is something God has placed in your hands, a seed, which you can sow into lives this season. I encourage you to prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide, lead and show you how you can and what you can sow into the lives He will lead you to.

There is great joy and reward in being a blessing. It is an act of gratitude and obedience, a wonderful way to express our appreciation to God for His marvelous works in our lives.

You are blessed exceedingly beyond your imagination. Believe it, dear friend!

Not Static. Not Stagnant. Next Steps

Not Static. Not Stagnant. Next Steps.

Today's blog post takes its leap from my last post - Blog Post 100: Not Static. Not Stagnant

I noted in the previous post that at one time or the other, we are visited with seasons of darkness and vicissitudes, which forms dark bands across the landscape of our lives . Seasons of pains, hurts, disappointments, rejection and grief. Seasons when the fulfilment of our dreams and desires look bleak. Seasons when we appear to be rooted to the same spot or going around the same mountain for so long and our breakthrough seems not forthcoming.

I concluded that at such times, like David did in 1Sam 30, we need to seek God's face and take God-oriented actions.

In today's post, I will share with you some of these God-oriented actions we may take to move forward and away from the spot where we have been sitting on the track.

A Call for Consultation, Collaboration and Partnership:

Right from the beginning, God demonstrated to us the importance of consultation, collaboration and partnerships. After creating all living and moving creatures and calling into existence the firmaments, when it came to the creation of man, there was a difference in God's approach. He did not say, "Let there be man" nor did He say, "Let me create man" but God said, "Let us create man in our image…"  A consultation was held in the formation of man. "Let us" was spoken by God to the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three persons of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Ghost consulted and concurred in the creation of man. There was a partnership and inclusiveness of these Three in the creation of man.

Man was created different from all the other creatures and living beings. He is the fusion of the flesh, soul and spirit.

Too many times, we try to go it on own and do things by ourselves—solve the problem in our own way and isolate ourselves from others in our dark seasons and how we deal with the issues of moving forward. This isolation almost always lead to a fall.

But what we need to do is to first consult with God and with the Holy Spirit for leading and direction. And there are times we need to consult with godly, matured, tried and tested Christians, God brings into our lives. It is amazing how God can connect us with such people if we listen to His voice and follow His leading.

The Bible says that there is a great gain in the multitude of counsel. Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but there is safety in an abundance of counsellors (Prov. 11:14). The way of a fool is right in his own sight but a wise man listens to counsel (Prov. 12:15). Without counsel, plans fail but with many advisers they succeed (Prov. 15:22). There many more of such verses in the Bible, urging and encouraging us to seek wise counsel as we seek to move away from status quo and move forward in fulfilling God's plans for our lives.

I learnt a lot from Bidemi Mark-Mordi's book - Sistapower, about the power of collaboration and the importance of partnerships. From the Bible, we learn that "a three-fold cord cannot be easily broken." My Sista said in her book that "what this means is that every venture takes more than one person's input and once we have enough people making their input, the impact will be a lot more effective."

We will need to form God-directed partnerships in order fulfil our assignment, our calling and our dreams. The Bible is replete with many examples of people who consulted with each other, formed partnerships and alliances, and collaborated to achieve a common goal and purpose. Some were for good and some were for evil.

The Shunamite woman of 2Kings 4 consulted with her husband and proposed to him that they extend hospitality to the man of God, Elisha. It was not a small task that she proposed but they agreed to build an extension to their home to provide accommodation for Elisha and also to furnish the "apartment." This proposal is obviously a product of careful deliberation in addition to the display of kindness, thoughtfulness and appreciation of the man of God. But the final decision was in agreement. Read the rest of the story and see how this decision eventually affected their lives for good.

Marriage is an important relationship where husbands and wives must consult together and work in partnership, agreement and unity of purpose in every decision making and in fulfilling their God-given purpose.  Consultation and agreement are critical for a thriving relationship and beyond that, "There is usually a ripple effect when a man is connected with a woman that compliments him, (and it affects) all other relationships the man may be involved in, especially at work and in business" (Sistapower, p.29).

Collaboration and partnerships in other spheres of our lives also have rippling effects. "Let us" as the starting point of consultation and partnership provides us with the opportunity to advise, exhort, stir up and encourage one another to the work proposed. It gives us the chance to tap into the skills and resources that God has invested in others, which they bring to the relationship, and which God is poised to use to enhance our skills and resources.

When you are one in agreement and one in spirit and purpose with your partner, collaborator and assigned helper, there is no limit to what you can accomplish together especially when it is God-directed and pursued to fulfil God's purpose for your lives. In Genesis 11:1-9, the people were united and in agreement, and they were going to do the never-done and never-seen-before but unfortunately, their goal was in conflict with God's purpose.

The effect of partnering with the right person is like throwing a stone into calm waters and watching it ripple all the way to the shore. The impart is felt far beyond the original starting point. When we trust God to form the right partnerships, it catapults us beyond the spot where we have been rooted and in the process it touches many more lives that we could ever have imagined.

In taking the next steps forward and away for the status quo you have been at, I encourage you to wait in the presence of God and seek His instructions as to where to seek counsel and with whom you should collaborate or seek partnership. I pray that your ears will be sensitive to His voice as He leads you in the way to go.

Have you been a recipient of wise counsel or perhaps you have entered into partnerships which have taken you far beyond your wildest imagination, share your story and encourage someone today.

Speak To My Heart

In the last 2-3 weeks, I have been following a discussion on a Sista's blog (Uniquely Woman) in response to the question she posed, "What is the difference between your will and God's will? How do you know God's plan for your life."

There has been a lot of very interesting and illuminating responses to these questions. I have also spent time ruminating on the question. It reminded me of a statement I heard in a movie I watched several years ago.

Last Flight Out was presented by Billy Graham and World Wide Pictures. It was truly inspiring and a delight to watch. I highly recommend it. Dr. Mateo Barrero, a dentist missionary, said as he was dying: "There is no better place to be than in the center of God's will, except in His presence." It is a profound statement worthy of consideration, and it has stayed with me since then.

I am endeared to medical missionary work and would certainly love to be a part of one. This movie portrayed the dedication and commitment of those who are called to serve in this vein in remote villages, and the joy and hope they bring to many even in the face of life-threatening challenges. I will come back to this later on in this post.

In my post last week (I Am Chosen), I stated that "You are carrying a calling of God upon your life whether you realize it or not." Every Christian has a calling of God upon his/her life. We are given a set of gifts and talents, and taken through diverse experiences to prepare us stand in the place wherein we are called to fulfill a God-ordained assignment.

The question therefore, is how do we know the will of God for our lives and how do we know what we have been called to do?

God nudges us from within in the direction of His will and we are able to pick the nudging by the Spirit of God dwelling in us if we are sensitive to Him. This nudging can be so strong that you can not ignore it. The Bible says in Philippians 2:13; "for it is God Who works in us both to will and to do of good pleasure." It is so wonderful to know that the Spirit of God working powerfully in us causes to will, (to desire to do) the will and the pleasure of God. He also empowers us to do it, when we submit to His plans, will and calling for us.

God has equipped each of us with special gifts and skills we need to occupy the position He has appointed for us in His plan and for us to fulfill His calling upon our lives. He also goes to a great length to prepare us for our calling. We will experience the greatest blessings of our lives if we take steps to walk in our calling.

Therefore, it is of great necessity that each of us must earnestly desire to be in the center of God's will for our lives. I have heard many ask, how do I know His will and calling for me?

The short answer is, it is by dwelling in the Presence of God and seeking His face to know His plans for your life. And by listening to His voice speaking into your heart (Is. 30:21).

That is my earnest heart desire and the crux of today's message:

Speak into my heart, Lord God,

Let me hear Your voice calling out to me:

This is the way, walk in it.

Are we taking time to listen to His voice speak into our hearts? It takes conscious and deliberate effort to be quiet and to listen to God speaking. The only way we can walk in the fullness of His will and purpose for our lives is by taking directions from Him and that can only happen if we take time to listen to His voice.

Ps. 62:11 says "Once has God spoken, twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God." This is attentive listening. God is always speaking but are we listening, are we paying attention to His Voice?

"My son, pay attentions to my words, incline your ears to my saying" (Prov. 4:20). He speaks into our heart through the voice of His Holy Spirit, through His Word and through the counsel of God-fearing and matured Christians. We are assured of the truth of His Word. It makes assurance doubly sure when His word is confirmed in our hearts.

We can trust God to guide us into His will when we are in doubt and to strengthen us to do every good work He has called us to do. There is a song I learnt many years ago back in the University. I have not been able to retrieve the full lyrics but I do remember these lines.

I want to be in Your will, Lord

Doing only the things You want me to do

I got to set myself aside

And let Jesus guide.

Our will always will conflict with God's will except we submit it to God. Since His thoughts for us are always thoughts for good, to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future, we will do very well for ourselves to stay in the center of His will.

I am in that phase now, where I am waiting on God to unfold His plans for the next stage of my life. I am waiting on Him to speak into my heart and guide me in the way to go. I am waiting on Him to teach me what to do. I am waiting on Him to open the doors to me to walk in the fullness of His calling upon my life.

My prayer for you is that you will know the center of His will for your life and you will walk in it. being fully assured that He Who has called you is able to complete and perfect all that concerns you.

Back to the subject of medical missions and missionaries. There are many missionaries out there in remote places who are not only taking the gospel of truth to the people but they are also providing access to basic health services and to basic education. Perhaps, God is also calling you to go or may be to support those who working out there.

Operation Blessings International, the 8^th Mile Project in Nigeria are just some of those  doing fantastic jobs out there. If you can't go, you can support them through prayers and in tangible terms. Ask the Lord to speak to your heart about this and to show you how to go about it if this is His will for you.

I do pray that God will make a way for me to participate in such a mission someday; taking the Word of God to the people as well as assisting to provide services that will add value to their lives. It will be a dream come true.

You will make a difference to the lives of many people if you walk in the center of God's will and there also you will experience the greatest blessings of your life. Dear Friend, don't miss it. Stay in the presence of God and pay attention to His voice speaking into your heart. It is the best place to be.

Speak To My Heart By Donnie McClurkin

Right Where You Are

I have always loved to write.

I scribbled stuff here and there when I was a teenager. I wrote scientific reports, speeches and presentations as a professional. I wrote notes of events happening in my life. I kept a journal. My friends encouraged me to write my story into a book. I started without a clear direction of how to present it.

Turning Point

In all of these, I did not see writing as a gift.  Until two years ago, in response to my desperate cry, God opened my eyes to see the gift He blessed me with and revealed to me how to use it creatively for His glory. I wrote about this in Sitting On a Gold Mine. Click to read.

That was when I became a full-time writer and I took definite steps to hone my craft. I started to write articles, essays, short stories and fiction novels to convey the truth of God's word—to enrich lives and inspire hope.

After three months of writing, in June 2011, I began to share a weekly Enriching Lives. Inspiring Hope. Newsletter by email with friends and family members. And in November of the same year, it evolved into this blog.

That mailing list has grown incredibly. The page views on the blog grew exponentially especially in the last three months. I could never travel to the 80+ countries from where visitors come to the blog. The reach of the message is gone beyond my wildest imagination like the silver branching of a lightning bolt flashing in the sky.

A couple of friends drew my attention to the chain of reaction which is taking the message to the uttermost parts of the world. Another writer led an appreciation of creative writing as a gift from God. I sat back and reflected on my small beginning. I marveled at God's faithfulness to do exceedingly more abundantly that I could ever ask, think or imagine.

My wildest imagination paled at God's ability to do limitless possibilities.

Home-bound, I write from the corner of my broken glass-styled dining table top, and right where I am, from my little corner, God is doing amazing things with the gift He blessed me with, in such a way that not even I could share in His glory

In that corner, I spent many hours writing, researching and studying. In between, I glance out through the window into the sky with a twiggy dry tree standing in my line of vision. I watched this tree changed with the  changing seasons, yet reflecting God's unchanging faithfulness in keeping me through my seasons.

It can be lonely alone at this little corner but it gives me utmost joy to know what God is doing with message He gives me the grace to write from here.

In your little way, in the little corner where you are, God can boast about you when you give back to Him to use for His own glory and honor what He has given to you. You can make a difference of eternal value right where you are.

Something in Your Hands

There is something in your hands that you can give to the world around you which will make the message of the cross come alive in their lives. You always have something to give. God has not left you empty handed.

I once read the story of a woman in a Chicken Soup Stories for the Soul^©. Unemployed, she was filled with self-pity, despite being jobless she searched for ways to give. Feeling worthless because she thought she had nothing to give, she glanced out of her window at her garden and found flowers blooming. She ran into the garden, picked, arranged and shared them with her neighbors  One of them turned out to be a desperate woman, with an alcoholic husband, a diabetic mother and two children she could hardly support. The flower delivery evolved into praying together for each other, until despair gave way to hope, until she found a job and the alcoholic husband quit drinking.

The boy with the five loads of bread and 2 pieces of fish was willing to share what he had. God multiplied it exponentially, it fed 5000 men, women and children not counted and there were leftovers (Luke 9:13-17). Talk about superabundant multiplication.

The widow at Zarephath gave all she had left - a handful of flour and a little oil to make bread for Elijah, and her jug of oil never failed until God gave rains back to the land (1Kings 17: 11-16).

What these witnesses and many others like them did, still stand as a memorial and a testimony today, encouraging us that we always have something in our hands to give, which God can multiply beyond our wildest imagination, and with rippling effect.

Who would have thought the gift of a bunch of flowers would have such a rippling effect? There is always something in your hands to give - your skills, talents, gifts, time, money, to name a few, and you can be creative with it.

Something You Can Do

There is something you can do right now, right where you are, which can impact lives for eternal significance, not by the magnitude of what you are doing but by the intensity of love, commitment and passion underlying it. There is something you can contribute that will advance the gospel of salvation.

Do the good you know to do. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. Whoever knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4:17). Cotton Mather noted "that the ability to do good in any case imposes an obligation to do it."

You can deliberately seek opportunities to do good to people around you if you pay attention to them and to their needs.

It may be the way you respond in time of great adversity and affliction that will speak volumes about your relationship with God, and show Him as the source of your hope and confidence. When you patiently endure persecution, you show forth a God-given inner strength and peace that many will long and ask for.

Be Persistent, Consistent and Diligent

We must be faithful and diligent to identify and passionately pursue the assignment God has for us. For most of us, the impact of our assignment may not be visible or quantifiable now, and it need not be.

My husband shared the story of someone who sowed some seeds in her garden, nurtured, watered and tended the plant. It grew over her fence but appeared not to be blossoming. All she seem to see was the green plant but she kept at it until her neighbor exclaimed at the beauty of the plant—it was blooming on the other side of the fence.

God is able to make the seed you sow into people's lives to blossom in a way you could never have imagine. Don’t give up even when you don’t see results.

A Gift And A Blessing

Creative writing is both a gift and a blessing to me. I am amazed at the way God is using this gift to open doors to me and to bless me. It does even much more:

• It holds me accountable —I am compelled to practice what I preach.
• I am motivated to stay connected to the source of power and inspiration. I frequently have to ask the Holy Spirit for inspiration when I share a message.
• Often, I go back to read again previous posts and I receive encouragement when most needed. I get a fresh revelation and insight at that moment that it is sometimes difficult to believe that I wrote the piece.

Everyone has a calling and a God-given assignment. It may be to your family, community or to the nations. Whatever your assignment may be—right where you are, in the workplace, marketplace, school, via internet or social media—you can impact the world.

What perfect example we have in Jesus. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend. But while we were yet sinners, Jesus came and died for us. In the short time Jesus spent walking here on earth, He left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone who came in contact with Him!

Let this Easter be reminder of the precious gift of life Jesus died to purchase for us, let us be encouraged to reach out with this message of love from where we are. I pray that this will be a special time of celebrating God's miracle of life and amazing love for you and your loved ones. Happy Easter.