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There is a young lady who has prayed earnestly for years concerning her desire to get married. She is faithful, diligent, always committed to kingdom service, and genuinely desires to build a godly home when she gets married. Yet year after year, nothing changes. She watches others testify about God answering their prayers by sending a suitable partner their way, while her own heart quietly…

Depression is a word that seems to be commonly ascribed when individuals feel sad or go through a period of being unusually quiet. Can we conclude that someone is “going through depression” just because they are sad or moody? Well, NOT EXACTLY. While depression is characterized by feelings of sadness, being sad or moody is not by itself an indication of depression. Depression is a diagnosable…

What do you know about depression?

OVERVIEW Emotions are a part of our human nature and experience. They are a set of response patterns (felt or expressed in actions) which help us to deal with significant events or situations in our everyday life. Our natural physiological responses to stressful and/or pleasant situations are part of what makes us human. These emotional experiences are made evident in our facial expressions,…

THE GLORY OF BECOMING (Pt.1)

‘To be or not to be?’ That is not the question. What is the question? The question is not one of being, but of becoming. ‘To become more or not to become more/?’ This is the question faced by each intelligence in our universe.― Truman G. Madsen The pursuits of man are enveloped with many moments of hope and doubt. Who am I? Where am I going? What can I achieve in this life? etc., are questions…

THE GLORY OF BECOMING (Pt.1)

‘To be or not to be?’ That is not the question. What is the question? The question is not one of being, but of becoming. ‘To become more or not to become more/?’ This is the question faced by each intelligence in our universe.― Truman G. Madsen The pursuits of man are enveloped with many moments of hope and doubt. Who am I? Where am I going? What can I achieve in this life? etc., are questions…

In our previous article (Pt.1 of the theme “Gleaning from the Great”), we explored one outstanding characteristic of great men: their insatiable desire to learn from proven forbearers. The quest to learn more from men and women of value, is a key ingredient to improving upon one’s abilities. Really and truly, the man that chooses to stand on the shoulders of giants, will see far yonder/further…

“I have talked with great men, and I do not see how they differ from others.” (Abraham Lincoln)There are peculiar traits that are consistent with the dealings of all great men. Dotted in the history of such men of great value and influence, is a marked similarity in focus, self-belief and diligence even in their individual uniqueness. Their thinking patterns appear to be consistently coherent, as…

As I lay on my bed yesternight, I couldn’t help brush away the picture of a wretched looking hen laying over her eggs and brooding over them with so much hope in view. It sits on those eggs as a fulltime official, making a run out only for food and water. What’s she thinking I asked? Why would she spend averagely 21 days (3 weeks) sitting on these eggs and limiting her free running movements as a result? Why must it take so many days for those “little” oval shaped eggs to hatch? As these questions continued to race through my thoughts, I could feel the sense of unease that engulfs this hen when any external object draws near. It wastes no time in showing forth her “anger” anytime a hand draws near to her bed of brooding.  After spending days laying its eggs, the mother hen submits to the discomfort of literally staying on these eggs for 3 weeks until they hatch. Unfortunately, not all these may be hatched after the period of unease and isolation that it undergoes. However, what keeps this hen in her little corner, brooding over the eggs laid, is the promise it sees in them. In those eggs are beautiful chicks that will make her a proud mother soon. In those eggs, she sees POTENTIAL that must be protected and brooded over until it busts forth with life.

Every egg (whether of the hen or any other egg-laying creature), contains a great wonder that is waiting to come forth. It will die if the hen fails to appreciate it enough to spend time cooking it with her warmth of focus. When the hen sits on her eggs, she keeps them warm to about 100° F to 101° F of heat. She carefully turns the eggs on a regular basis by using her beak to scoop under the egg and roll it toward her in safety. The humidity required for the eggs “maturation” emanates from the environment and the hen’s body. Interestingly, the hen stops laying any more eggs during the 21 days of incubating the laid eggs. That is called focus; doing what should be done at the time it should be done.

Don’t belittle the eggs that you’ve laid over the years. That business or professional idea is an egg of promise. Others may have laid and hatched many more eggs than you could ever lay, but never be disappointed in the 3 eggs (potential) you have in your corner. Just focus on what God has hidden in you as potential.  In that potential are hidden businesses and dealings that will transform the lives of many. In that potential of leadership, is a unique and extraordinary level of leadership that will transform the lives of many cowards. One day, the poor shepherd boy called David, will become the slayer of giants and a distinguished King of Israel. Don’t go roaming anywhere and everywhere without focus and discipline. This is the time to stay put on your eggs until the 21 days of incubation are over. The miracle of a great hatch, is in your consistency and discipline in sitting on the eggs FULL TIME.

The ordeal of my imaginary hen is not strange to the human society. Captured in our own experience as humans, is the pain and unease that marks the 9-month period of a pregnant woman. For months, the hitherto lively and energetic woman, succumbs to the demands of the seed she carries within. As it were, the lifestyle of a pregnant woman becomes unusual during the period of pregnancy because the health of the baby is very paramount. These 9 months of limited activity and “enjoyment” is a necessary price that must be paid for the coming forth of a potential President, doctor etc. Covered in the womb of the woman, is a seed of greatness that is waiting to sprout forth from the earth called the womb. A careless lifestyle (alcoholism, binge eating, contact sports etc.) will mean a truncation of the promise that is covered therein.

Your potential will be well cooked and developed if only you will stay long enough on your God-given gifts and talents. Keep the food on the fire until it is cooked enough for men to find it worth eating. No one buys a sub-standard or poorly cooked food over time; you must be ready to stay through on the food until it becomes a meal rather than a collection of ingredients and foodstuff. Your attention to detail and the quality of your cooking skills, will ensure that the untapped potentials of the ingredients become evident. The bible makes an amazing statement concerning potential. It says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” William Purkey got also got it spot on when he posited “human potential, though not always apparent, is there waiting to be discovered and invited forth”. Joyce Meyer further adds “Potential is a priceless treasure, like gold. All of us have gold hidden within, but we have to dig to get it out”.

No matter how difficult and discouraging life could ever get, your potential always remains intact. You can still dig it out even through the discomfort of life and the chaos in society. All you need is a strong mental attitude that keeps you moving even through the seeming failures that may pop up the road. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed”. That is the mental attitude of a man that lived to the fullest of his potential on earth, as an Apostle of Jesus. He had the end in mind; the crown of glory that the Master had waiting for his arrival at the end of purpose. Your mental attitude is therefore very important if the eggs of promise you sit on, will stand the test of time. Even when the rains fall and the winds blow, the hen keeps sitting on her eggs to protect the potential hidden in them. Romans 12:2 says to continue being “transformed by the renewing of your mind”. That is why I so love the Word of God, the Bible. It transforms your mind with the thoughts of God your Creator and builds you up to the level where you operate effectively and efficiently as His grand product.

It is time to go back to the manual of our grand manufacturer, to direct our operation and set us on cause to fulfilling purpose. It’s time to get lost in the principles of the life-transforming Spirit-inspired manual God has given to us. I see you laying many eggs of promise. I see you sitting on your eggs with great focus, discipline and patience. I see you making time to work on your God-given talents and gifts. I see you redeeming your potential by working a little harder on your hidden abilities and on the areas of life where you find fulfilment. You have eggs of promise; brood over them until they hatch out those beautiful chicks hidden therein.

SQUEEZE IT OUT: THE ART OF “TAKING CHARGE”

In our previous post on the series “SQUEEZE IT OUT”, we paid particular attention to the impact of habitual, intentional and purpose-driven reading or learning, on the full expression of our potentials as individuals. Among other keys thoughts shared, we presented the argument that “How far we are willing to get ourselves stretched and pressed outin our journey towards greatness, will determine…

Many continue to question their potential to become great assets to self, society and their generation. Many times it appears men have trivialized our God-given potentials as individuals and in effect, crippled any hope we have of making tremendous strides of excellence in life. Individuals have failed to live up to their true billing in life, not necessarily because they lacked the ability and…

WALKING THE PATH OF GREATNESS…

Many people want to be acknowledged someday as “Great” men and women. Many want to enjoy life and check out of this world as individuals of great influence and extraordinary results. These are amazing goals that reveal man’s inherent propensity to attain unending heights of greatness. Really and truly, this is in line with God’s original design and intent for man; that every man produces…

Excellence as a virtue, has been defined severally and understood in many ways. For instance, an excellent student may be described as one who scores highly on tests/examinations and mostly refers to students who come tops in their classes. Excellence in academia is therefore usually connected to the quality of grades attained and the demonstration of mastery in course content, with a grade…

THE OUTCRY OF PURPOSE…

If there’s one thing our grand manufacturer gets saddened about, then it is our ignorance of who we are, what we have and the purpose for our existence. In Hosea 4:6, he gave a very noteworthy/instructive statement; “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge…”Really and truly, your destruction/failure may not be because you aren’t good enough. Your…