Little is Much

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I believe little is much if Jesus is in it.

Jesus fed a minimum of 5,000 people with 5 loaves and two fish. This was really little but he made it more than enough. Many times we are caught on the obsession to get enough, to have what it takes, to be adequate before we offer ourselves or something to Jesus. Interestingly, Jesus wants us as we are, to bring to Him the little honest effort, resources etc so he can use it to do much. He wants us with our inadequacy to transform us and our communities in a big way. Peter was inadequate but look at what came out of his commitment to follow Jesus.

Instead of waiting for the best time, let’s go and give what we have as we are. That’s what Jesus wants. He makes the little much, if we surrender to him. If we were to be equal to the task before engaging, no one would have done anything. But we have to learn to start as we are and completely surrender to the possibility that Jesus can turn what we bring to him to something bigger than us. But this is only possible if there is a commitment to being faithful in the journey. We loosely use this statement, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.” As much as this is true,  what I believe counts much is staying faithful, consistent, committed to the journey -  Giving it all your best as if the success of the journey depends on you and at the same time surrendering to God as if the success of the journey depends on God. The balance here is what brings satisfaction and peace. Knowing that after I have done my best, there is that which only God can do and I let Him do it. 

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In modern times, we are all under pressure to belong, to fit in; we constantly compare ourselves with those around us. We are under the illusion that we have to earn our way into everything. It’s hard to find those who faithfully step up so they can learn, discover, grow in the process and do great things in complete surrender. We are not expected to admit that we don’t know or we need to yield to go up. It’s rare to find those who are secure, confident and humble enough to be used for major assignments.

Jesus says where two or three are gathered in his name, there He is in their midst. He further says, if two agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them. Two key things here are gathering and agreeing. The enemy to these two things can be the desire to always feel you are fit before you start. The illusion to always wait till the stars align until you have what it takes to belong. If you acknowledge what you have at the moment and gather with another who embrace who they are as little as that could be, then agree together without prejudice, and then ask for it, Jesus will make it much.

For those who have interacted with farmers, you understand the idea of planting a small seed that then brings forth something bigger, better and more beneficial. All of us have seeds of greatness. It could be in anything, your talent, passion, dream etc. When God plants a random idea in your head, it’s a seed that if you trust him for it, it will be bigger than you can imagine. Many times we get tiny, random thoughts, like birds flying over our heads. We sometimes sit down and imagine things, how we can do great things, how we can influence our lives or our generation, but we have these voices that come and tell us how much we can’t. We are not good enough; we are not the right ones for such things. Others are best qualified. So what do we do, we swiftly move on to do what the society expects of us. We maintain the status quo. But as the GiANT Worldwide asks, “WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T?”

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Of all the over 7 billion people in the universe, why are you the one entertaining that thought the way it's coming to you? It's not accidental that you have that thought in your mind. All you got to do is be intentional about it. Ask Jesus to guide you to the right people and if you can find someone who believes in you enough, walk the journey. You will be amazed at what can come out of random thoughts. That’s what in AYLF we are for, believing in people; young leaders, because this is what has made AYLF Kenya be where it is now.

God is in the business of inviting us to be involved in all the great work he is doing. The only way He does that is revealing to us in little glimpses what we could do by planting random thoughts in our minds. If you don't pick up on a thought God plants in your head at that time, you will be shocked how someone else will quickly say ‘Yes’ to that and the idea will come to reality. And the statement you will be left with will be like, “that was my idea.” It wasn’t really your idea, it was God’s idea, 

He gave you an opportunity to be part of it but since you were still full of your own self-inhibitions, He found someone who was ready - who was confident, secure and humble to trust him for the idea.

If this resonates with you, what seed is God planting in your head now or what is he reminding you after you have read this. Look for a small community of friends who you can 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 engaging with the ideas God plant in our minds.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a 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…

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By Gabriel Achayo. 

God Lifts the Humble

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I believe God lifts the humble

Genuine humility is hard to come by. Most of us think we are humble just because our circumstance has made it so. We feign humility towards others because we need favors from them, or they are our bosses.We live in a world where if you don't assert yourself, you seem to lose out. In order not to lose out, we do a number of things to prove our worth. We want to be noticed, we want big titles that people know and can recognize. We are scared that no one will notice us. A mentor I respect once told me that the only title I should be is me.

The question is, how do we stay humble and not lose out? We are told that Jesus knowing who he was, where he had come from and where he was going, he washed his disciples’ feet. Whatever he did, those facts were not going to change and he didn’t have to explain himself as he washed the feet of the twelve men who had been practically walking the whole time. Just as Jesus knew himself, his origin, and his destiny, true humility is only possible if we also have an idea of who we are, our origin and our destiny.

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The four issues humanity grapple with are origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. Our level of understanding of these issues affects how we view & treat those around us and in turn how we conduct ourselves around them. Humility is recognizing that which is true, God is God, and I am not God and that’s who I am and if he gave me a skill, he gave me a skill; if he didn’t, he didn’t. Humility isn’t thinking less about yourself but is thinking about yourself less. Not a lack of self-confidence. This I believe is possible if you are on a journey of discovering where you come from, who you are, and where you are going?

We have experienced people who go to greater lengths to prove to us that they are the ones in control, they are in charge, without them we are useless. They do a lot to smear it on our faces and to continuously remind us lest we forget that we cannot do without them. This is dangerous if the person is involved in some sort of a leadership position. If you find yourself as a leader always reminding people who you are, then there is a problem. The problem could be with the people you are leading or with you. In most of the experiences I have heard, the problem mostly is always with the so-called leader who is occupying a position. “Leadership is the mature use of power to enable self and others to achieve higher goals.” Leadership Development by Barr & Barr

I believe God is looking for the humble to lift them up. He is looking for the secure, confident and humble people; those who are using the power they have maturely to bring out something grander for others to see His glory. God called David a man after his heart because he had a heart of humility. David was the actual Giant when facing the oversized bodied Goliath. David knew where he came from, he understood what that moment needed and that there was a higher power at work in his life. It wasn’t about Goliath; it was about who David represented.

Many times in our efforts to prove ourselves to people, we build up walls that make it hard for God to work in our lives. It’s like my 3-year-old struggling to prove himself to me. As his earthly father, I believe I have been around longer than him and as such I know somethings better than he does. So it is ridiculous and stupid of him to keep working so hard to prove himself to me. Most times we are like that to God. He wants to lift us up but since we are not willing to let go who we believe we should be to embrace who we are, we fail to connect to what God is trying to do in our lives. We don’t allow ourselves to be seen as we are so we can move to the next level of influence; where God wants us to be. He wants us to go to him as we are, not as we should be. I like these three questions thanks to GiANT WORLDWIDE:

                                            i.            What are you afraid of losing?

                                          ii.            What are you trying to hide?

                                        iii.            What are you trying to prove? To whom?

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These are very sobering questions that if we continually ask, and attempt to answer, we may find ourselves in the journey of humility with God. I invite you to think of these questions whenever you are dealing with others or even when it comes to your walk with God.

If this resonates with you, seek humility. Look for a small community of friends who you can 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 walking humbly with God.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a 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…

By Gabriel Achayo. 

Micah 6:8

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I believe in Micah 6:8, My favorite verse of all time, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”

The sole purpose of a human being, after all is said and done is to love mercy, act justly and walk humbly with God. This is itself echoes the command Jesus gave us which is Love God and love your neighbor (Others)

This is easier said than done. Most cases we want to be seen to be the ideal lovers of God, so we religiously do things, offer our time, self, resources etc, but unless we live Micah 6:8, all these are just like filthy rags. All the religiously acceptable behaviors we put in place doesn't make us more righteous than what Micah 6:8 would.

The questions I keep asking myself are, Am I acting justly, in the family, how I treat my two boys, how I treat my wife. Is it just. As I discharge my responsibilities in AYLF, am I just. To be just is to be fair, rational, impartial, reasonable, open-minded, non-discriminatory. This is in itself what is said to love your neighbor as you love yourself. How would I feel if I was on the receiving end if I wear the other person's shoes, will I expect to be treated the same way? At the end of the day, did I act justly in all my duties? This is important to me and I live my life on that. 

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The other question is mercy… Am I merciful. To love mercy, is to love compassion, forgiveness, to be human, show care, be kind, be of concern. I look at it as making others experience something better than what they would ordinarily experience. To make their lives better. To add value to people. All these are not easy, but as a follower of Jesus am called upon to love mercy. To love my neighbour as I love my self. Even if my neighbour doesn’t look like they deserve it. I have spent my life working with young leaders who most of them are very difficult to handle. But I find it somehow in my heart to be there for them, be their confidant even if no one really cares what it is. I see and watch what they do out there, the mistakes they make but I still am able without judging them be their friend and let them know that am there for them. Sometimes I find it hard to do that because there is a part of me that wants to avoid them, let them be, have nothing to do with them. This to me is an effort, though with many failings to show them mercy. Let them realise that no matter what they do or how people view them, they can count on my friendship. I haven’t done it for all but I make effort to do it for the few I reach out to.

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The other question is, walking humbly with God. This is not easy. This to me is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength etc. I, in many occasions fall short in this. This to me is how I treat those God brings my way. How I continuously cultivate my understanding of His word, what he has called me to do, how I live my life at home, at work, how I drive on the roads, pay my bills on time, take care of my responsibilities, how I serve those who I interact with including my wife and children etc. This is very important. Do I spend time in prayer and God’s word? God’s will for our life is that we live a sanctified life. In my decisions, work, family, activities, etc how am I honouring this. What are the questions I ask myself every day I need to engage in something? I believe God has given us wisdom so we make choices that are good for us. But with the choices I make, am I living a sanctified life. Am I cultivating a relationship with God.

Walking humbly with our God also implies being a humble citizen of your country who obeys the laws of the land not because of police but because of your conscience.

If this resonates with you, reflect on why you interact with Micah 6:8. Look for a small community of friends who you can 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 thoughts on Micah 6:8. You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a 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…

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By Gabriel Achayo.

Character and Morals

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I believe our character, guided by our morals is a sum total of daily thoughts that lead into action.

We sow thoughts that in the long run yield a character in us. A consistent thought pattern leads into actions, then consistent actions into habits then to character. If you want to develop a particular character, you need to start being consistent in thought and do small actions about it. Slowly, you will end up with that character. I believe the converse is true.

Morals play a key role in our character formation. It’s like the foundation of our character. You may find someone who is not a thief but likes to gossip. His character might be great but his morals are questionable, this intern compromises his/her character. Hence a truly good admirable character is based on great morals passed down to us. These morals could be due to parenting, religious influence, nurturing etc.

We find ourselves in a society where things have become relative. There are no absolutes and our morals are questionable. It’s unfortunate that even in the family, we have no absolutes. We excuse way so many things and slowly we don’t have a clearly defined moral fabric in our society. We are no longer for Yes or No. Whenever you question a character flaw, you get responses like “it depends”. We no longer call a spade a spade. Many confuse this with the desire to try understand why someone did a particular thing or why someone has a given character.

We live in a very sophisticated era. We want instant gratification, we are materialistic, technology has brought everything close to us, information on anything is at our finger tips. You can have a very intelligent conversation on any topic without necessarily having to go to school for that topic. Our young people idolize what they see in the media and all around them. This in turn has fed into th

eir thought patterns. If you spend time seeing something too much, it registers in your subconscious mind and very soon you realize it becomes the center of your conversation and down the road, you are acting like it. So it’s very important we question what we are feeding our minds on. I love this quote, “Show me the heroes that the youth of your country look up to, and I will tell you the future of your country” by Idowu Koyenikan.

We might not change what you get exposed to. You may choose to walk blind so you don’t see all that is around you or block your ears so you don’t hear, but I wonder for how long. We may not stop the technology because it’s helpful on the other hand. We need it more to make it through all that we have to do. Unless we do something about our morals we are headed down the drain. We need a strong moral fiber more than ever. We need to teach our young ones a culture that overrides what they see or hear. We need to give them a clear operating system that will not be corrupted by whatever it might get exposed to. This is a daunting task and not many people have the patience for it. As parents, it upon us to question what culture we want our children to grow up in.

But how to you intentionally influence a culture of a society? This is not a one-day process or an instant process. You need time and you need to be committed to it. You need to have the right heart to do this. Your need to be willing to do more than just ticking a box to even attempt this. Culture/Morals are very key on how a society develops. You may have great plans to transform a society but unless you address the culture then you are likely to fail miserably.

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As a GiANT Worldwide Consultant, I’m a firm believer that to transform  a particular culture, you need to develop a vocabulary that people will identify with, you then need to make it visual, make it simple for everyone to really interact with it. You need to use it in an objective way. To inspire people to rise beyond their present culture and embrace something new or different. This will then transform the culture. You also need culture champions to push the kind of culture you want to build. If you have the right culture in place, your strategy will work because as they say, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”.

What culture are we building that will be able to safeguard the gains we have made? What are we exposing our young people to? Who are their role models? Who do they look up to? What kind of a generation do we want to leave behind? What are we doing in the family sphere to transform the culture we want our children to operate in.

If this resonates with you, seek to build a culture in your sphere of influence. Look for a small community of friends who you can 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 transforming our cultures.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a 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…

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 By Gabriel Achayo.

Genuine Appreciation

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I believe in a genuine appreciation

A little show of appreciation for a good effort, good work done, goes a long way in encouraging the recipient. Many times it's easy to see the negative, the not so good and we forget to appreciate the good and positive part. Some of us focus a lot on the 10% that is not good and forget the 90% that is great. I appreciate every effort that someone makes be it towards me, or towards anyone if I notice it.

Appreciation is good when it’s genuine, honest, and not a flatter. We could do it by word of mouth, slipping notes, sending cards, texts, gifts, or spending time. It’s all about how creative you can get and what it means to you. Most of us yearn for appreciation and whenever we don’t receive it, we get disappointed. Some have come up with ways of dealing consciously with the fact that they may never get appreciated and they let it go. Some also feel uncomfortable if they get openly appreciated. But these are in the minority.

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Showing a genuine appreciation and living a lifestyle of always showing appreciation is a great gift to humanity. It's about being someone who cares for others. It's showing compassion to others. It's a good way to show someone that you care so much about them to notice what they are doing and appreciate them for it. This boosts the morale of the person being appreciated. They feel they are worth something; they feel they belong. It helps people believe in themselves. It’s important to know that what you believe in about yourself is what you communicate or showcase to others. This has a huge impact on how we interact, how we do what we do and why we do what we do.

 A lot of people lack people who believe in them. People who see beyond their current status, struggles, misfits and can hold their hands to affirm them. We are so consumed with what they can't do and because of that, we write them off. They don’t fit in. As such, we have people who have given up cos no one sees anything good in them. Someone asked, can anything good come out of Nazareth. Jesus in his 3 years of work, spent a lot of his time with people we would ordinarily consider unqualified. But those are the people Jesus chose to work with. He chose to build a movement with these misfits. He spent time with people who the society would consider unfit. But being who He is, He saw beyond what we are quick to spot. He saw the heart and commitment of these misfits and He appreciated that.

I strongly believe that there is no dustbin for human beings and I have written about this in the past. Everyone has something they are uniquely wired for. If you can’t see it, maybe you are not the right person for them. We all know that before you see something it’s not easy to spot it, but the minute you see and notice something, you spot it everywhere. That’s how our brains work. So instead of declaring people to be good for nothing, you’d rather have an open mind when interacting with them. Genuinely appreciate them for who they are. If you can’t appreciate, don’t call them out. Don’t make them feel they are not worth anything.

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I challenge you to learn the art of "Calling People Up" as opposed to "Calling People Out". Calling people up is genuinely appreciating people even when you feel they don't deserve it. Calling people out leads to disempowerment, stifled growth, conflict, and drama. Calling people up, in other words, appreciating people, leads to empowerment, fulfilled potential, collaboration and liberation. Have you ever been called out? Have you ever called people out?

As a follower of Jesus, how do you call people up? How do you let people realize their worth even if you feel they don't deserve it? How do you appreciate the 10% if you are surrounded by the 90% that’s not right? How do you make people feel great about themselves? How do you show people that you believe in them? This is for all, no matter who you are, be it at home, work, friends, etc.

People always vaguely remember what you say, they may not remember the tools/materials you used but they will remember how you made them feel. All of us remember very well how we felt the last time we were appreciated, but we also remember how we felt when we were never appreciated.

If this resonates with you, seek to Call People Up as opposed to Calling People Out. 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 appreciating others with.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a 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…

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By Gabriel Achayo

Marriage

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I believe marriage is the most sacred and blessed institution by God.

This is for the married or those who would like to walk that path in the future.

God loves marriage. He shows favor to the married who choose to consistently honor Him. Through marriage, we become better people if we work on it. In order to love your spouse, you need to work on loving God more than anything else. This is an advice I give to anybody willing to listen. It’s so common to find that in marriage, we love with conditions. I can’t do this because you didn’t do that. We attach standards; we keep comparing with what we think we missed. We sometimes imagine what if we married someone else maybe we would have a better marriage. This is a futile exercise. On Monday 7^th May, we celebrated our 7th anniversary. It's been a journey worth going through. My wife has been the best friend I have. We are passionate about what is important to both of us. We work through things sometimes not so very well in areas we don’t agree but we are committed to working on them. This has made us – I believe better people. 7 years later, I appreciate a lot of things, I value people more, relationships more, treasure my relationship with God more. Our children have brought a whole lot of joyful experiences in our lives. Am a better man than I was 7 years ago because I'm married and every moment I desire to humbly walk with my God in my marriage. We have three other couples we are committed to meet with every other week to talk about our marriages. This is something I look forward to. As they say, iron sharpens iron.

God created the universe and the first institution He put in place was the one between Adam and Eve.  He who finds a wife finds a good thing and OBTAINS favor from God. God is in the business of blessing and showing favor to those who choose to honor this institution of marriage. He checks in and things change. Getting married is one thing but staying married is a whole lot of a different thing. It's also much different to stay in a marriage that liberates you. A marriage that you are fully supported and challenged to be the best you can be. A marriage where love is cultivated, where both spouses act in the long-term best interest of each other. A marriage that helps you heal; casts out things that limit you and raises you to be who God made you; to live out your full potential.

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We all come into marriage with our baggage, tendencies, nature, how we have been nurtured etc. We bring them in with us. This, in most cases, brings conflict. We have our own ideas of how things work or what to expect from your spouse. Our behavior is always as a result of our nature, nurture and choice. Of these three, the most important that liberates in the marriage is the ability to choose. To make your own choice of how you respond to anything that comes your way. Your choice ought to be guided by the principles and values that you have learned over time and you have come to appreciate. No one can take your power to choose from you. God has endowed us with unique abilities. Stephen Covey in his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People talks of these abilities; Self-Awareness, Creative Imagination, Conscience and independent will. These are gifts that should empower us to make choices that liberate us. That makes us influential in our marriages. It's pointless to be influential out there and not at home. The journey to being truly and sustainably influential, start with self, family (spouse & children), then out there. If you start from within, the ripple effect is clearly evident. Not the other way round. You can’t clean outside of the cup and leave the inside dirty. 

You cannot succeed in one department of life while cheating on another, life is an indivisible whole. By Mahatma Gandhi

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As a follower of Jesus, how does this affect your choices? How do you live a personal life that impacts your marriage positively? How do you feel about your marriage? Is there any choice you can make that will positively transform you and your marriage? For those who hope to join this path, what does this mean to you?

Marriage is a beautiful institution enjoyed by those who choose to honor it.

If this resonates with you, take time to evaluate your marriage. Look for a small community of friends who you can 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 journeys with.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a 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…

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Humility

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I believe in true humility.

Humility can be faked. I have been a victim of this either directly or indirectly. Pretense is so common since we want to get what we want. I can bow to you so long as you give me what I want. We have conditional humility. This can be confusing and a challenge in the relationship between the parties involved. True humility is exemplified by Jesus. He knew who He was, His purpose, His calling hence it didn’t matter what people thought of Him. He became man and dwelt in our midst.

False humility is a stumbling block to many of our life’s efforts. You can’t pretend to be humble all the time. It finally catches up with you and people get to know you for who you are.

On the other hand, some have thought that humility means that you have to be the last to get something. You become a doormat. You allow people to take advantage of you. You always think of yourself as having to wait for everyone else to have their way, and then yours will come later if there is any more opportunity. That is not humility. This could be low self-esteem issues or lack of self-confidence, which need to be addressed as soon as possible. It could be that you don’t have an understanding of who you are and whose you are.

A humble person is more interested in others than in themselves. He/she isn’t more about their ego. He/she is about the greater good rather than their own needs; recognizes that which is true, God is God, and I am not God and that’s who I am and if He gave me a skill, He gave me a skill. If He didn’t, He didn’t. Humility isn’t thinking less about you but it’s thinking about yourself less. Not a lack of self-confidence.

As a follower of Jesus, we are called upon to live a life worth our calling with humility and patience, bearing with one another in love. We are further encouraged to walk humbly with our God. This doesn’t mean that we have to see ourselves as people who don’t deserve the bigger and better opportunities that this life offers but that in pursuit of all these, we think of others more - the least of these. We think of the less fortunate, the disenfranchised, we truly serve those who God has brought our way. Service is not meant to specific people but whoever God brings your way, you ought to serve them in truth and with honesty. It could be your spouse, boss, subordinates, peers, colleagues, friends, community etc. You are called upon to serve with joy.

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. Gandhi

It also means that we embody a heart of gratitude. This is the most magnetic quality of people. All of us tend to like people who show gratitude when we do something to them. It’s not just saying thank you, but it’s living a life of gratitude to God and to those around you. We are always quick to say thank you but our lifestyle doesn’t express gratitude. We will do something over and over again to anyone who embodies gratitude in their lives. But to someone who we know don't show gratitude, we quickly shift our attention to someone or something else.

Image Credit: https://www.adoration.com

The other way of showing true humility is seeking a genuine apology. Saying "Am Sorry" is hard for most of us. We would rather correct the situation, which is good but never utter the word. Sometimes if we say it, we use many words or try to justify. I believe that if you mean to apologize, just apologize, don't use words that mean you are only apologizing in part. A broken and a contrite spirit the Lord doesn't despise. None of us is perfect; we are bound to make mistakes that hurt people. It’s important that we live a reconciled life with each other.

Offering forgiveness is also true humility. It’s acknowledging that I’m also human and hence I make mistakes. So if you make a mistake, I will forgive you. Most of us are good at giving people standards of apologies we want. Until you do this or that, I won't forgive you. We have been forgiven so we also ought to forgive each other. If you don't forgive you are the one who suffers most. You walk with a wounded heart. Holding grudges on all those who said or did something that upset or hurt you. As they say, it's like taking poison and hoping someone else dies. But this doesn't mean that we don't learn and take care of ourselves so we are not always getting hurt. God has given us the wisdom to live this life.

How do you think about yourself with reference to others around you? How do you serve the people around you? How do you engage with the opportunities you come across or the people you interact with? When was the last time you genuinely apologized for a something that you did or said that wasn't right or hurt someone else? Is it hard for you to forgive or do you give conditional forgiveness?

If this resonates with you, seek humility. Look for a small community of friends who you can 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 walking humbly with God.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a 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 Odhiambo Achayo.