Intellectual Follower of Jesus

https://www.cru.org/us/en/blog/spiritual-growth/devotionals-quiet-times/how-your-personality-connects-you-with-god.html

I believe being an intellectual follower of Jesus is more significant and rewarding.

I’ve met followers of Jesus who tend to ignore much education. I wonder whether it’s due to laziness or a belief that once we have Jesus, we don't need knowledge.

Paul was a great scholar and became a very influential follower of Jesus. I’d like to follow Jesus with my whole being; my heart, mind, and strength. Following Jesus with the heart is great, but without clear reasoning from the mind, we may miss the point. 

We are called upon to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Nothing is left behind. A balanced love of God is more influential than a biased one. Most of the influential people I know, those who have changed their world were not biased on their following Jesus. They intentionally balanced their desire to love Jesus, and also share the love of Jesus to those around them. They did what it took to let their light shine and also be salt & light. If salt remained inside the salt shaker, we wouldn’t feel its impact.

A lot is going on around us, and we can't ignore and stay naïve. We can't hope and pray that things will change. We have to find our seat at the table and let all experience our love for Jesus. Instead of waiting for and hoping that things one day will miraculously get better, we who know and love Jesus, need to occupy the driving seat and be used to bring hope and love to those around us.

http://dioscg.org/index.php/re-program-your-brain-for-lent/

God gave us brains for a reason. He didn’t give us brains to waste it waiting and hoping that situations will magically change. Most of us tend to claim we are waiting for the will of God before we act or do anything. We sit and pray for God to come and show us what to do. I’m sorry this way you might wait till your last day in this world. If God wanted us not to use our brains, he wouldn't have given them to us. We would have been made as robots, which can be programmed and directed to execute but can't think or decide what to do. We need to be wise and strategic so we also don’t just keep doing things. Not everything that is good is necessarily meant for us to do. But by and large, whatever pleases God, whatever is noble, praiseworthy, and honors God, we are encouraged to do. Paul talks of the fact that something could be good and permissible but not necessarily beneficial.

As a follower of Jesus, how do you use your brain to know that which is beneficial to you and those around you? Talking time to reflect on what you can do that would be beneficial is very important as you figure out how to intellectually follow Jesus. Gaining a deeper understanding of how you are uniquely wired, how you respond to situations, what issues have mostly bothered you, what things have you done so well that people have given you affirmation on, how your past experiences have shaped you, what have been the circumstances beyond your control and many more. Looking at these issues will give you an indication of what God is guiding you to focus on. What the will of God is for you. Unfortunately, just sitting and praying for God to show you His will for your life might be a futile effort.

http://blog.fhfbc.org/2013/07/the-mystery-of-gods-will.html

Once you get an indication of what it is God is laying in your heart as his will for you, you need to dig deep into it, so you become the best at it. You become good at it. You go out of your way to make sure you equip yourself in the area so your light can shine in that area. Sometimes, we are tempted to be so wide, but shallow on so many things. I believe in obedience in a single direction as that in itself brings meaning and satisfaction to life. Once you lock into the direction, dig into it and become an oasis in that direction. Let people know you and trust you for that. Be consistent enough that people will know who to turn to when they need you.

If this resonates with you, seek to follow Jesus intellectually. Look for a small community of friends who you can learn to do this together with. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It's about building a community of friends to share each others' in following Jesus with their hearts, soul, mind, and strength. You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.

Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you.

http://www.walkingwithgiants.net/church/small-groups/how-to-kill-a-small-group-discussion/

By Gabriel Odhiambo Achayo

Senior Consultant, GiANT Worldwide (www.giantworldwide.com)

GiANT.TV/gabrielachayo

Nature, Nurture and Choice

   www.giantworldwide.com

I believe our behavior is as a result of a combination of nature, nurture, and choice. Every time we interact with someone or see a particular behavior, we are interacting with a combination of nature, nurture, and choice in different proportions. The question we have to ask ourselves is what of the three do we give power over us, nature, nurture or choice.

Nature is the personality type, the person we are, the person God has created us. We are either extroverted or introverted; we are either thinkers or feelers, Sensors or Intuitors. We are either judgers or perceiver. We have particular preferences which come easily to us due to who we are. We are uniquely gifted in particular ways. Personally, I am Introverted, Sensor, Feeler, and Judger. This makes me interact, take in information, process information and live my life in a particular way different from someone who has a different personality type. This speaks a lot to my preference. It doesn’t mean I can’t be the others; I can be, but it's a lot of effort for me. My preferred style comes naturally to me, but I have to be intentional on my least preferred style. It's got something to do with where I was born when I was born, and all these things that I might have no control over but in essence affect me a lot. They play a role in my life. Personality type doesn't dictate behavior, but it sure does influence. 

Nurture has got to do with how I was raised. Who have been my mentors, role models, spiritual guides? What are my dreams, my education, my faith, my parenting? Did I have strong intentional parenting and vice versa? What have I exposed myself to? What are the key lessons I have picked along the way? Who have been my friends, who have been those people that I have allowed to speak into my life? These have shaped my life and have given me a new paradigm, a different perspective, a different way of thinking and life. I see things differently because of my nurturing. I might have the same nature as someone, but due to my nurturing, I might have a different experience and life pattern. My desire to be a follower of Jesus and to nurture leaders who will commit to following Jesus have predisposed me to a different way of living. If I reflect back to the teenager me and the 37-year-old me, a lot has changed in my life, and all this is due to nurture.

www.giantworldwide.com

Most people have significantly used choice. Some people have misused it, others have taken advantage of it to achieve amazing results. There are two schools of thoughts; one is that we always have choices in every circumstance while another is our choices are not really choices but are limited by something beyond our control. Whatever school of thought you have, we can't ignore the role of choice in our lives. The choices we make help us override both nature and nurture. We may have two people with the same nature and nurture but how they respond to a particular situation will most probably be different. There are cases where our nature and nurture might limit the possibilities of choices we have. When I was getting married, I had to make hard choices on how the whole journey from negotiation to the actual wedding and finally how to bring up my family was going to be done. This was dictated much by my nature and nurture. My situation gave me different scenarios that I had to deal with compared to others 29-year-olds who were getting married seven years ago. So my ability to choose was within my prevailing circumstances brought about as a result of my nature and nurture.

An understanding of this is critical so that in your dealing with people and also living your life, you can understand what is really driving your behavior. To what level are you choosing or letting your nature and nurture drive your behavior.

www.giantworldwide.com

Are you aware of your tendencies that are as a result of a combination of nature, nurture, and choice? How are those tendencies influencing your actions, which is leading to some consequences and in turn has led to a particular reality you find yourself in now?

As a leader, who is intentional in following Jesus, how are nature, nurture, and choice affecting your behavior? How many times do you find yourself blaming your nature and nurture for your faults? How has following Jesus affected your nurturing and choices over the years? Are you intentional or accidental?

If this resonates with you, take time to reflect on your nature, nurture and choice. Look for a small community of friends who you can learn to do this together with. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It's about building a community of friends to share each other's journey of living an intentional life for better leadership behavior.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.

Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you…

Image Credits: http://www.businessmalawi.com

By Gabriel Odhiambo Achayo

Senior Consultant, GiANT Worldwide (www.giantworldwide.com)

GiANT.TV/gabrielachayo

INTEGRITY AND AYLF

In a society where greed and self-preservation have been sanitized and raised on a high platform, good values to live by become an ever-elusive mirage and the people slump even lower to a point of total desperation. Rules and regulations can only go so far in attempting to correct the situation. In essence, they serve as the hardware of which, without the proper software, they will only be left to gather dust and become a memorial of the good intentions a people once had.

Africa Youth Leadership Forum seeks to bring together a group of young people who share the same values and in the process become a living testimony that we as a people can change and hopefully form societal catalysts for character growth. One of the most critical values that we work around is integrity. For a long time in our country Kenya and Africa at large, we have painfully watched as our leaders use their positions to enrich themselves, ever so often displaying a callous dereliction of their God-given duties. 
Integrity has become so rare in our systems that our children are growing up in a world where the word only exists in a dictionary. They have watched as the few citizens who have tried to live honestly have been ruthlessly punished by a system that seeks to sustain itself by silencing any sane voice that dares to rear its head. Most of us are hardly familiar with the story of one David Munyakei. He did our country great good by whistleblowing on the infamous Goldenberg Scandal. According to the Daily Nation, Saturday, July 25, 2009, he lost his job and would eventually die of pneumonia, largely due to lack of drugs. With all the integrity he had displayed, this man ought to have been treated as a hero. It seemed though that his life got so miserable that he worked very hard to run away from the effects of what he had exposed, including relocating and changing his religion. Such can be the cost of integrity.

Sitting through some of our court sessions, one can’t help but feel like integrity is the main defendant who seems to be losing hard. I appeared in court twice in one week on January 2014 following some traffic violations and at the end of those two sessions, I was convinced that a greater percentage of those in court, especially for the traffic cases, was because they couldn’t bribe.  In some instances, integrity has proved to be a quicker route to prison than criminal activities.

With this backdrop, AYLF works hard to help keep the candle of integrity burning for as long as we can, or until such a time when integrity will be able to stand on its own. We seek to have conversations around this topic, using live examples of how and when we had to bear the brunt of honest living. At the same time, we offer our members a platform to share moments that they failed to uphold the same without being shamed. We have chosen to be our brother’s keepers so to speak.

We agree that even in the darkest moments, a light, however dim, more often than not does exist. There are Kenyans who have espoused a life of integrity for the greater part of their existence. AYLF has connected itself to these people and created a relationship that seeks to have the youth both challenged and encouraged to adopt this kind of living. We have senior friends who have become a valued library of good morals and character development. These friends have become mentors who have chosen to walk with the youth as they pour their golden selves into the ever-growing minds of the youth.

The need for integrity can never be underestimated. Lack of it affects all sectors of our economy. A member of parliament who has been entrusted with distributing education funds through the CDF dishonestly decides to divert the cash to other illegitimate uses. As a result, a student misses their education, they result in crime to cater for their needs, end up in jail where the government has to feed and take care of them. A contractor uses under the table means to win a road construction tender. They have to spend over 60% of the money on paying off their godfathers. They either never finish their work or do so to a substandard level and this leads to accidents, traffic jams, not to mention perennial repairs. I could go on but it is clear that without integrity, we are all stuck in a hamster wheel of poor standards of living for the majority of our people.

As we nurture the new breed of leaders, we hope that they shall be the ones to change the tide for good and make our country and continent the envy of the whole world as it should be.

By Allan Mwangi. 

A BETTER ME FOR A BETTER WORLD

                           

By Robert Nyagah.

Student and AYLF small group member at Multimedia University - Kenya

The first time I heard the theme, it sounded strikingly similar to the lyrics of Michael Jackson’s hit song “Heal the World.” Oddly enough, the message wasn’t too far away from the legend’s inspirational jam. As we went through the whole theme, it broke my heart to pieces, and sewed it back together, tighter and stronger than ever before.

As a result of fully understanding the theme, it has immensely impacted me in all spheres of life; intellectually, socially, emotionally and spiritually in a profound way. Becoming a better me has taught me how to cultivate qualities that build and empower me, ultimately having a net effect on the world around me. Service beyond self, humility and unconditional love are some truly important qualities that we so often bypass, but are inherently important to constantly practice and behold.

A simple prayer that has made me a better man is to ultimately ask the Almighty Father what my purpose is in life and in this world. It is liberating to know that ultimately, I will do what He wants me to do, go where He wants me to go, and be what He wants me to be. He knows what he wants from us and it is not all about us. It is about Him and His glory. Through this prayer, our purpose manifests, and we realize our greater destiny.

One lesson that transformed my thinking was also the teachings and insights on character. Character is the foundation on which our actions and habits are exercised. It is like our muscles, which need to be strengthened to be powerful and functional in our lives. The only person you could change is yourself, to change the world, and thusly, character is one factor that transforms your life in order to overcome numerous hurdles and obstacles that are bound to happen in life.

In our small discussion groups, we also talked about numerous issues that are affecting us which could be resolved by making ourselves better. A friend from Uganda gave us a fantastic quote that summed it all up, in reference to the lack of courage to stand for what we believe in and fight for it always. “If you are bought for being stupid, then intelligence ceases to matter”. It taught me a crucial lesson in bettering myself. You can never trade what you believe for money or anything else. Your beliefs and values are the blueprint of your life and all challenges can be overcome by the positive force of good.

There are things and people I have had to give up in order to better myself in the process. It is hard to develop and grow if the people you hang around don’t shape your values and mission. I have since made friends with brilliant young men and women and shared experiences that have left me enriched and grateful that I learned this when I needed it the most. This has provided a platform for positive interactions and opportunities, something that we cherish as members of AYLF.

One challenging area in my life that has become lighter is the knowledge that to become a better you, reconciliation with the areas of conflict around you is paramount. Time and again, I held up bitterness and anger that ate me up inside and it was extremely self-destructive. By reconciling my differences with myself, family members and friends I now feel greater peace and I am in a better position to handle disputes in a mature and progressive way.

A better you also require boldness, fearlessness, and determination. To become a better you, always remember that a comfort zone is a good place to be, but nothing grows there. Have you ever seen a beautiful, lush garden with blooming flowers that are captivating and sweet smelling? A lot of work goes into making it that way – weeding, pruning the leaves and constantly watering them so that they may flourish. Your life is like a garden of flowers, you have to weed and prune out the things that derail you, and water yourself with experiences, activities, and people that move you forward.

Jesus is an exemplary leader. He is the centerpiece of our teachings in AYLF. To become a better you and a leader in your life it is crucial that we understand that love is the greatest virtue of all. If you love others, you will be a servant and a friend, just like he exemplified in his life.

Finally, the lessons I learned from this theme will forever be written across my heart they will be a lantern in my journey to the future. Do you want to see a better world? Simple, just be a better you.

FAMILY OF FRIENDS-COMMITMENT TO LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS

“Family isn’t always about the people in your life who are blood relations. It’s about the people in your life who want you to be in theirs. It’s about the people in your life who accept you for who you are, Support you in the things you choose to do and no matter what, are there for you. It’s the people in your life who love you, respect you and who you can depend on. Now that’s family!”

And what else does AYLF offer you than a family of friends? People who care about you, support you and respect you. This is my story:

I joined AYLF in 2014. This was through a friend I had made in High School-Millicent Orondo. I attended the Tuesday meetings then at YMCA and I soon became a small group coordinator for the KU Chapter. This is where all the fun started. We would meet on Thursday evenings at a food outlet where we would share biscuits and soda. We started off less than 5, with a standard deviation of 2(I am sorry my statistics had to come in (lol)We had no agenda but just to know how the week was and get to know each other better. The number soon grew and by the time I was leaving, we were quite a good number, a consistent of 15 members.

How does the family come in? You may wonder. In 2015, I went to Rwanda for 2 months. As a good family member would do, Joshua AKA Josh on hearing this was concerned and introduced me to Jackie Mbabazi an AYLF member from Rwanda. We met in Kigali and this kick-started a friendship which has stood to date. Jackie always called to check on how I was doing. She is definitely one of the sweetest persons you can ever meet and I am glad to call her family. This is just one instance that I can point.

AYLF is that place you can be your real self with no fear of judgment. This safe spot allows you to make friendships that are not just for convenience but are long-term.

We have celebrated marriages between AYLF members.H ow beautiful it is to know that AYLF is that place where one can trust to get the love of their life. That one can trust to be vulnerable and make a deep life-long commitment like marriage. Not only that, AYLF has created an avenue of friends across countries which has bridged the gap, especially Kenya and Uganda, has a special connection I could say.

AYLF even has an investment group. A thought that just started as a joke during one of the Tuesday meetings has now blossomed to serious investment and shareholding. We are all so cautious about our money but friendship melts the fears and this has been the backbone of a successful investment group.

AYLF members will celebrate your birthday with you, attend your graduation, surprise you on your Engagement, be at your bridal shower, come to visit when you get a baby and the list goes on and on. Who else can be that present apart from family?

I can bet each person who has been in AYLF can point out more than one instance that AYLF has played the role of family in their lives. What is your story?

By Mercy Karumba. 

AYLF - A COMMUNITY OF COMPASSION

Most people do not know this but, the very first time I heard of AYLF, I had a lot of doubts about it. You know, when it's your first day in Campus with a mom like mine, she did not have to warn me, because I had an idea of what happens here and so I had promised myself to be extremely cautious with what I got myself into.

Anyway, of course, later on, I did finally say yes. What attracted me first was the traveling part because I am a sucker for a good trip with great people. But more than that, what attracted me more was the aspect of Jesus. At that time, I was struggling with what I believed in but in as much as I was a leader and the fact that AYLF was offering a platform for me to grow, I felt, this was the place for me to regain that relationship, that hope that God was still there for me.

It was not easy because I still made mistakes and many more mistakes but the difference is I had friends who I knew I could count on. Apart from my small group back at Pan Africa Christian University, I enjoy being in the Tuesday small group. Every Tuesday I get to see and meet these amazing people who display nothing but Love. Sometimes I tend to look around when people are busy focusing on the one talking and I smile because as much as they may not see it, these are people who actually care about each other.

We have been told so many times before of how Jesus is Love. In fact, He is the basic definition of Love. And AYLF centers everything around this stand. A friend of mine says, working in the best interest of the other person. And what are relationships, friendships without Love? Without working in the best interest of others?

At a certain point, I remember I was going through some snippet of depression. I was pulling out of all my circles, pretending that I was okay when I actually was not. I started focusing my energy on solving people’s problems when in reality I had a lot of my own that needed to be dealt with. I started getting too busy with everything yet all I was actually doing was running away from my then bitter reality. I was devastated and most of all I hated who I had become and did not think that anyone would want to be associated with me.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for me, I had met this amazing lady at AYLF. So far, she has been like a mother to me, and I say this with utmost sincerity and admiration. She walked with me, reminded me of the greatness and beauty I had within me. Not only her, others too played a great role in my redemption process and I am so privileged to have them in my life.

It made me realize that I had a community of friends who loved me and who were looking out for me. I learned to forgive myself and live in the realization that love truly does cover a multitude of sins, and AYLF was there to remind me of the same. What more could I ask for?

This means that now I too can share the same love and compassion with those around me. That I listen more and give more. Love is definitely also more about calling out our friends when they do something wrong. It proves hard to do sometimes, but if everything we are supposed to do was easy then I think we would all be endeavoring to the values we hold most dear. I have also learned that well, we are not perfect, but with a little love, that is all we need to soldier on. The thing about love is that you do not have to necessarily walk up to someone and tell them you love them; your actions are what will actually scream loudest. That when people see you, they will associate you with someone who is full of Love. Just like Jesus.

By Sharon Chebaibai. 

Communication and Media Student at PAC University. 

MY AYLF STORY by Allan Mwangi

Arch. Allan Mwangi.

I am a split personality kind of a guy. At least that much I have learnt in the few years I have known me. I can thrive in a crowd and have fun in such but I also enjoy my own company. The scales are tilted towards enjoying my own company though. Good music, internet, and a good laptop are enough to keep me holed up in my bedroom for days on end. This fact is one of the many reasons as to why I’m so glad that I’m a member of the Africa Youth Leadership Forum (AYLF).

My involvement in AYLF started from the very birth of the same in Kenya. I am part of a group of eight that sat down one evening to discuss the status of our country soon after the infamous post-election violence and to work on forging a way forward as regards living with each other peaceably and shunning tribalism. In this meeting, the AYLF idea was introduced by my very best friend Gabriel Achayo, who happened to have visited Uganda and managed to attend the launching of the same.

This means that I have seen the growth of AYLF from those eight people on the first meeting to sixteen people on the second meeting in Ufungamano and the eventual explosion to what we are currently experiencing. All through the process, I had no doubt that we are heading somewhere and the fact that we were all friends trying to be even better friends made it easier for me to engage.

AYLF has grown to be one of the important pillars of my life in line with career, service to God, studies and family in no particular order. It fulfills a need in me that most of the other pillars cannot. The kind of mentorship that we have managed to experience both in receiving and giving is incomparable. Mentorship to me basically means walking with someone in their day to day life and helping them avoid mistakes you probably have already made or know about and being a shoulder to lean on when necessary. There is a lot of potential out there that goes to waste simply because someone did not get a hand to hold them and simply listen to them.

I have not taken up mentees specifically but am happy to see what AYLF has been to my two cousins; Monicah and Monique. I believe that campus life offers us opportunities to carve out a niche for ourselves in life. I know that being in AYLF has made it easier for these two lovely ladies to enjoy life positively and make new friends, friends that ultimately have nothing but good intentions. I see the joy in them and I confirm in a very personal way, that this idea was a noble one.

On the larger scale, the presence of AYLF in the many campuses and the engagement we have with student leaders have been very fruitful. The things we teach them and the values we instill are quite helpful especially due to the fact that most of the students are quite young. I believe that servant leadership and leadership by example - two of the major principles that we extol coupled with following the person of Jesus gives us great chances of affecting leadership in this country, positively so.

My initial commitment to AYLF was as simple as I make every other commitment. I planned to be there. 10 years down the line I can hardly imagine the heights we have climbed. And my commitment remains. I plan to be there.

Africa Youth Leadership Forum (AYLF) …nurturing a new breed of leaders in Africa.

AYLF Uganda gathering 2016

For the past ten years, AYLF continues to whisper in the souls of young leaders in Universities across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, DR Congo and South Sudan on being better individuals and leaders. We have seen a lot of young people passionate about leadership and making a difference pass through AYLF. We have experienced a lot of growth. Looking back to the first day this journey started, our hearts are filled with gratitude.

As we prepare for this year's End Year Dinner crowning our 10^th Anniversary celebration, we will talk more about this movement. In the next few blogs, you'll be interacting with what makes AYLF what it is. The secret sauce and what has been the AYLF journey.

For starters, AYLF is a collaborative initiative that brings together University Student leaders, students and young professionals across the country; both public and private Universities, for mentorship, training, networking, and capacity building. Our focus is on the Principles and leadership example of Jesus of Nazareth

The AYLF work is done simply in the name of Jesus under the auspices of a national leadership drawn from business, industry, politics, academia, and religion. It's not done under the name of any particular organization or religious group. It relates to all people regardless of their religious affiliation - Christian, Muslim, Hindus, and others. It is anchored in the Values, Principles, Precepts and the Person of Jesus. AYLF flows out of and is based on, long-term committed relationships among those involved.

University Student Leaders training - Kenya

At the heart of AYLF, is the dream that emerging African Leaders would know how to speak the truth without being sectarian or religiously divisive, see people without labels or stereotypes - loving each other and those they lead - while serving with integrity. We aim to be a movement of friends to nurture a new breed of African leaders, based on the leadership qualities, values, and principles of Jesus of Nazareth as exemplified by some of the history's greatest statesmen and women. We seek to appeal to the human spirit to rise and embrace values that enhance a high quality of life to the least of these. Our goal is that Young Leaders embody the values and principles of Jesus.

We desire to see young leaders who commit to the following: high levels of stewardship, high levels of accountability, high levels of productivity, leaders willing to serve others, high levels of collaboration, justice in the community and harmonious living & co-existence.

The values we believe in and keep pushing among those we interact with are Integrity/Honesty, Friendships/Relationships, Reconciliation, Community of compassion, and Faithfulness/Loyalty.

Three main pillars that you experience through our conversations and/or work are Jesus, Leadership, and Friendship. We seek to find common ground in these three as we believe that's the secret of a successful life and leadership. It’s at the point that personal transformation that leads to impact happens.

At AYLF, we believe leadership is being self-aware, having the ability to identify and meet community needs for transformation while inspiring them to exploit their gifts and potential. This is through a commitment to Integrity, Reconciliation, Unconditional, long-term relationships, Service, and having an Impact.

We have seen a lot of the young people who have been part of us rise to positions of influence in political, government, business, media, and religious leadership. This has been a huge motivation in AYLF to continue planting the seeds and engaging the young leaders. As they say, you can only twist a reed when it’s still young. We meet the students at a point when they are looking to count for something, to be part of something bigger than them. AYLF’s role is to plant the seeds, help the young leaders dream, and occasionally help them nurture their dreams and passions. We believe in the philosophy of a better me for a better world. If we focus on helping you become a better person, it’s our belief that you will make the world around you a better place.

AYLF Uganda Gathering 2017

By Gabriel Achayo. 

CARING ABOUT WHAT GOD CARES ABOUT

Image Credit: https://pixshark.com/mother-teresa-quotes-on-humanity.htm

I believe if you care about what God cares about, He will take care of what you care about.

This is quite an easy statement to say but a hard one to live by. We are told seek first the kingdom of God, and all its righteousness and all these things will be added to you. This is as true and plain as it is. No magic around it, no grey areas, no hidden meaning. If you focus on Kingdom business and give it your time, resources and all you got, God will watch out for you. He’ll cover your back. I’d rather have God cover my back than have my own crafted plans be the only cover I have.

Occasionally we get nudges telling us to engage in a Kingdom related issues, but the cares of this world distract us from it. We want to be assured of next meal, a roof over our head, how to take care of our future needs, etc. All these are great and necessary for living a happy life in this world. But if it’s all done at the expense of the kingdom of God, then it’s a waste of time - Like chasing after the wind. If we would choose to focus on Kingdom matters all the things we want, "ALL," will be added to us without any reservation. I have heard of stories of people who gave themselves to advancing the kingdom of God and God took care of the things that they cared about.

Image Credits: http://www.christiantruthcenter.com/focus-on-the-heavenly-the-earthly-will-be-added-unto-you/

What does it mean to focus on the Kingdom of God; to care about what God cares about? It’s about love for humanity. It’s about loving God with all your heart, soul and mind, loving your neighbor as you love yourself. God cares about the poor, the disenfranchised, people who are considered not to belong. God cares for the wellbeing of humanity. 

A story is told of a Good Samaritan who was considered a good neighbor. He demonstrated what it means to love your neighbor as you love yourself. While the others we more concerned with getting to where they really thought they needed to be, the Good Samaritan cared about a fellow human being. He stopped to love on another person whom he didn't know, but he recognized the need at that point. Sometimes all it calls for is to stop and be there for others. Forget about what tomorrow could be and live on the moment, love on the people around you. Start where you find yourself.

As human beings we want to do great things, live a legacy to be remembered. Do something that counts. This sometimes makes us forget the most essential things in life; we ignore the value of humanity as we seek to do great things. We rush over matters that mean a lot to others because we are very much occupied with a faint idea of who we want to be or should be. Is it possible to do great things that show love on humanity?

In everything we find ourselves to do, it’s possible to care about what God cares about. I spent eight years of my life mentoring young men in the slums of Kawangware Gatina. This was something I did with all my heart. My wife can attest to the fact that there were days I would literally break my back to make sure these young men got what they needed. This project which was closed in 2016 also used to make paper gift bags. The young men at no given point saw the connection between the bags they were making and loving their clients. Most cases, they didn't even know these clients so how were they to love them. One thing I kept challenging them is to make the bags as if they were to present them to themselves. Now, this was a challenge because most of them had no much regard for themselves. We could have conversations around dignity, self-worth, loving self, respect for self, holding self in high esteem. We made some progress in this as it became clear to them that at any given point if the bags were not made with love for the client, they would be brought back, and they had to do double work. Either way, they appreciated that they had to make the client happy and they will also be happy. That's another way of showing love to someone else, so you experience love in your heart.

Image Credits: www.agapelovedesigns.com/2013/01/do-small-things-with-great-love.html

Whatever the case, if these young men could relate making bags with loving clients, I believe no one is excluded. No one has an excuse that in their engagement there is no way to love the neighbor. It’s not only limited to your money, though this is also important, it’s also in everything you do. In every occupation, it’s possible to care about what God cares about.

If this resonates with you, seek to care about what God cares about. Look for a small community of friends who you can learn to do this together with. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s efforts to focus on Kingdom related issues. You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.

Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you…  

  Image Credits: http://www.businessmalawi.com

 By Gabriel Achayo. 

Making a Life

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I believe you make a living by what you receive and a life by what you give.

Many times we are trapped in this life to make a living. We do what we can do to get by, to survive another day, another week, another month and so forth. We look for more money; we want to receive what we feel we deserve when we want so we can make a living. We are all focused on what can I get here that will change my living standards or make me better.

All this is right, but in order to make a life, we have to give. We have to give off ourselves, resources, time, etc. We don't have just to receive and receive, but we have to give and keep giving. A freshwater lake is that which has an inlet and an outlet. It's not about what you got but what you give that counts. How you touch and invest in others’ lives. What contribution are you making or willing to make? What value or impact do you have on someone life?

Our significance is not so much on who we are or what we have but on what we give or contribute to design or make a life. Our contribution to make the world around us better is what gives significance. It’s in how we pay it forward, how we impact the lives of those who we come across. A friend of mine gave a story of how he pays it forward. If he helps someone get a deal or a job, instead of receiving the appreciation which most people would like to give a cash appreciation, he asks them to find someone who needs help and give that money to. If all of us did that, some of the problems we face would disappear in a matter of weeks. If we all had this paradigm and chose not to keep receiving but invested in others, we would have a better world for everyone.

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Our desire to keep receiving has made us very corrupt. We want to accumulate at the expense of anything. We don't care about others. We have no regard for how people view us so long as we have what we need. A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. You don’t get a good name by receiving and taking everything. I believe you get a good name by giving, investing in others, impacting others, paying it forward as you may call.

I have heard stories of people who worked to greater length to acquire everything they needed. After their death, their children wasted everything they left behind, or there is no peace. This indeed doesn't bring hope to anyone. No one who really cares wants to know that all their life’s effort was wiped out immediately they died or left their family in more conflict. I believe we want a legacy for ourselves and our families. We want our generation and the generation after us to be grateful for what we did and left them with. This is not by greedily acquiring everything but by being generous and impacting the lives of many. It’s also in giving that our family can receive. I have come across people who have succeeded in building a name that works for them and for sure will work for their families. Anyone who mentions that name is treated with great respect because of what the name means to the people who know it. This is what I want. I may not have all the money, silver and gold to give my family and sons the first-class life, but I would instead build a name that will work for them to access and earn all they would want in this life. I'd rather have a son who will be proud to associate with my name and who I am; rather than one that will go to greater length to avoid anything to do with me.

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How are you involved in making a living? Are you just occupied in making a living or do you give room for making a living? This is not about material possessions but also on giving yourself. The whole teachings of Jesus can be summarised into a call upon us to give ourselves to something bigger than us, the people around us, and the world. This is the essence of love. For God so loved the world that He gave, not took! He gave the most precious gift of all.

If you were to give something now, what would that be? How would you go about it? Who would you give to? Start where you are. Be a follower of Jesus by giving to an individual, your family, your team, your organization and your community.

If this resonates with you, seek to make a life rather than making a living. Look for a small community of friends who you can learn to do this together with. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s journey of impacting lives.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.

Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you.

Image Credits: http://www.businessmalawi.com

By Gabriel Achayo

"Secret Service Believers"

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I believe the ultimate expression of pride is any declaration that we might know who is and who is not in the Kingdom of God.

Occasionally due to our religious background, we are fond of thinking others don't belong to the Kingdom as we do. We imagine our works, way of doing things, religious rituals earn us a place in the kingdom and those who don't do it our way don't belong to the kingdom.

All that is expected of us is to believe. It’s not easy to tell by looking at who is believing more than the other. I believe there are a lot of “secret service believers.” We will get shocked that some people made it to heaven and others didn’t. Let’s leave the decision on who is and who is not to God. Our work is to believe. 

When it comes to matters of faith and belief, especially in reference to others, we are clueless. I might see how someone is walking their journey and be tempted to think; they are not as spiritual as I am. They don't read scripture, pray, attend worship, go on a mission or evangelize as I do. So they don't deserve to experience God's blessings and the kingdom as I deserve. The feeling might get into our head that since we practically live within the worship place and have facilitated more people getting to know God, then we are better than others. All these are good, but when we start seeing that we are better than others because we do them, then pride takes control. We are told to be careful when we think we are standing because we may fall. This is a warning on pride. When you think you have it all figured out, be careful. I have listened to a lot of kingdom-minded stories and experiences from people who I may think are not spiritual enough. This is not an excuse for not living out our faith boldly, but it's about the attitude with which we live out this faith.  

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Some of us want to prove to others that our faith or way of worship is better than yours. It's never about that. It's about love. If your way of worship and belief doesn't lead to more love, then it's all your doing. We are told that if I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but does not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As we know love is not only a public affair but it's more blessed if kept in the context of humility. Not showing off how you are the greatest lover of all. It's in the actions, and no one wants to hear that your loving actions to them have become a public debate, or is doing rounds on social media. Or that you have compiled a dossier of your loving deeds, and thoughts to them. We for sure don’t know who is sharing the love of God or who is loving better than the other. We can talk about their actions, but at the end of the day, God looks at the heart.

Image Credits: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211106301261152291/

So when it comes to deciding who belongs to the kingdom and who doesn't, I suggest we leave it in the hands of God who sees beyond what we can see. Let's continue building and practicing our faith and leave the rest to God. Let’s do our work which is to believe in the one He sent.

If this resonates with you, seek humility. Look for a small community of friends who you can be "Secret Service Believers," with clarity on letting the decision on who is in and who is not in the hands of God. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s journey.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.

Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you.

Image Credits: http://www.wca-sa.org

By Gabriel Achayo