SURVIVAL AND POWER OF CHRISTIANS IN A CHALLENGED NATION

Just like individuals, nations go through challenges. It comes on and off and for us Nigerians; it has been coming in once in a while. Now, we as a nation are facing challenges.

The truth is that we are challenged. Our economy is challenged and has been telling on almost every are of our lives. The cost of transport has doubled.

How do we survive this challenge as individuals and nations? Can we do anything to remedy the situation?

To share my answers to these questions is what I want to share with this week on Scriptural Sense.

Pray Don’t Condemn

We are called upon to pray for our leaders and by extension not to condemn. What it means is that Christians are not to condemn their nations; no matter how bad or hopeless things appear on the surface.

‘Pray for those in authority’ Apostle Paul admonishes us.

They need wisdom to succeed; so we pray for them that wisdom be made available to them. We pray that God sends Josephs and Daniels into the king’s cabinet so that heavenly inspired counsel will not be lacking in the corridors of power.

Meanwhile, I like you to know that you need faith to pray effectively for Nigeria and those in authority. Don’t allow pessimists weaken your faith.

Some people don’t have an atom of faith for Nigeria and if you listen to them long enough, you will see only hopelessness in Nigeria. Either avoid them or don’t discuss Nigeria with them.

Again, you don’t pray in church and come out among your peers and say, ‘This country is finished’. You don’t pray that God bless your leader and say he is clueless. I am not saying you can’t vote for or against a sitting leader, I am only saying that while he is there, pray for him for success.

Survival Key in a challenged Nation

Our key to survival in an economically challenged nation is realizing that God is our shepherd. Yes, if He becomes our shepherd, He takes us to where there are green grasses or fetches the grass for us from distant lands.

In practical terms, he will send business across to you, open your eyes to business opportunities and direct your steps to places, people and activities that will meet your needs.

Many people panic in times of economic troubles because they have made human beings their shepherd; not God. They made their job their shepherd not God. They made their fathers, uncles and friends, their shepherd not God. Very importantly, they make their political leaders their shepherd; not God.

For me, I believe very strongly that “God is my shepherd; not President Buhari, that’s why I won’t lack.” Psa 23.

Let’s not forget the scriptures that say, “God shall supply my riches according to his riches , (not the exchange rte of Dollar or availability of petroleum product)in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Not according to the exchange rate of Dollar or the availability of petroleum products. And not according to the riches of your parents or relations. Not according to the job you do. It’s according His riches!

In the life of Elijah, he made riches available to him in the midst of famine according to his riches by sending food to him through a raven. He made supplies available to the Widow of Zaraphat according to His riches by sending Elijah to activate her supernatural supplies.

Manifest the Solution You Carry

Every human being is created with a solution to his world. It’s you and my responsibility to wake up and put a demand on the solution inside us until it manifests.

Take a look at the talent God has given you and package it as a solution to the problems besetting us a nation. For now, the highest the solution you have can reach may be your home town or state, use it there and when God finds you faithful, He will give you a bigger platform and expand that work you have perfected in your small locality.

Go and record that song. Start that blog. Register that business and start doing something with What God has deposited in you. No matter how small, start something.

‘I Am Too Small to Change Nigeria’

Sometimes, we say we are two small to make positive change in Nigeria but it’s not true.

You don’t have to be a preacher, columnist, civil right activist or broadcaster like me to make change Nigeria.

You just need to be you! The person God has created you to be. If you become that person and allow every personality in it to manifest, you will be making tremendous change in your world.

If you are teacher, be dutiful in the transfer of knowledge. Don’t mislead the students. If you are a policeman, maintain law and order; don’t break it. If you are a journalist, say the truth, don’t lie. If you are a garri manufacturer, do your manufacturing properly. If you are a political leader, lead your people don’t use your position to satisfy your selfish interest. If you are a pastor, don’t lie to your congregation to collect their money; teach them the complete truth of God. Whatever thing you do, do it the right way. If you do your own well and I do mine well, we will have heaven on this earth.

There are four practical, easy and cheap things you can do to make positive change in your world. I suggest that take time to read my post on the subject matter entitled, Your Key To Changing Our World.

Down the line is an except from the post.

Your Lifestyle

Your lifestyle is one of the most important key to changing your world from your immediate environment. We say that our world is corrupt and on the path of destruction because we have many people whose manner of life produces decay in the world. If you and I resolve not to join them in their manner of life, we reduce the amount of decay produced and daily send them a strong message to them to change. For instance if you and I decide not to cheat or customers by delivering the service/ product we agreed on, we are changing our world. If we decide to give people the promotion that is due them and pay serve people for the money they pay us, we are changing our world.

MAXIMIZE YOUR CONVERSATIONS

Another key to changing you world form your immediate environment is by maximizing your conversation.          In the course of your conversation, you don’t have to preach to people but they bring up issues that affect their lives and yours. At such point you can make change in your world without paying a dime.

YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

In our day and age, we live in a world that exists on our smart phones. In fact, many youths spend time on social media than that spends in real life. The question is what you do on your account. What do you write? Which picture do you put up there? What’s your comment on conversations? You have to maximize that platform. There are people that have built more following than pastors ob social media. Please ensure that whenever you have to write on your social media platform is pointing people to the right kind of life. There is so much abuse on that platform; but decide to ultilise yours platform to share truths.

MEET NEED IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Look out for needs in your environment which you can meet. We have been empowered with wisdom and insight from God to change our world. Allow those endowments to be manifest. Give it expression.

Many of the needs in your environment may not even require your having to buy anything. Put your skill and expertise to use to help your community/society get better. When you do this you are living out Christ’s mandate to you and I to ‘Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do”.

My friend, I want leave you with this: let’s step out this week to do our best to positively change our world. Let’s not contribute to the rot in our community and nation. Refuse to give or collect bribes. Don’t wait until someone gives you launch money before you do your job. The most important is to ensure that our lifestyle is a reflection of Christ’s life. Then, we can take steps to allow that lifestyle manifest wherever we find ourselves.

I agree with Paul Shene Pear who said, “As one person, I cannot change the world but I can change the world of one person.” If you change your world and I change mine, we will be changing our world. Like Mother Theresa, your action in your little world can be a stone caste on water that will produce ripple effect. Step out today and make effort to change your world.

My point? Nigeria is our country and we don’t have another one. Let’s put our hands to make it better. If we leave it from them, they will continue to steal and destroy Nigeria. Let’s join politics and play it well. Mount the pulpit and preach right. Do journalism and say the truth. Do business and trade on integrity. Whatever, you do, do it the right way and our right way will drown their evils.