Life of Faith

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/faith/

I believe faith in God is making the first step in the moment of uncertainty.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, things not yet seen. It’s a risk that we take to move on when every sign and circumstance around us suggest otherwise. It’s the opposite of doubt and fear of the unknown future. Making the first step might, in many occasions look ridiculous, and careless. It might show a lack of wisdom. But I believe living by faith is the wisest thing or choice you can ever make. It launches you into a world of possibilities. It makes God work for you. God comes in if you make the first step by faith. A life driven by faith is worth living. It's beautiful, full of joy, satisfaction, and significance. On the other hand, a faithless life is terrible, full of frustration, and nothing to celebrate. 

We are told that without faith, it's impossible to please God. This is true. We all live our lives by faith, whether we acknowledge it or not. You sleep with no certainty that you will wake up, but you make plans to wake up. No one sleeps, hoping not to wake up. We invest our resources; be it time and money with the hope that we will get better outcomes. Nothing is always certain for a parent that their young ones will turn out great, but they hope they do. As a parent, you give your best hoping that your best will work out for the best. Think of everything you do, as simple as walking in a restaurant to ask for a glass of water. You hope the water will quench your thirst and give you the strength to move on. You don’t start ascertaining where the water came from, what’s the content of the water, questioning its ability to do what it will do. But you faithfully drink it with the hope that it will refresh you. Our body organs; a clear example of faith. Your heart beats, the kidney does what it does, the liver does its role, and all the others do. You breathe air in and out with no care, whether it will end up in the wrong place. No one sees or cares to confirm if the organs missed performing its duty. All these to make you move so you can be whole and live your life. I acknowledge that there are those who are struggling with their body organs, but it in all these we still hope that it will be well and for such, we wake up and do what we can to make things right. Our life is driven by faith, whether it's directly or indirectly. Whether we embrace it or not.

https://dfaison.org/faison-family-of-faith

The beauty and joy of life is in acknowledging this faith. It's in letting your life be directly driven by faith. In embracing faith and living a life of faith. A life full of miracles. Our life without faith is meaningless. The waking up and going to bed without faith is all in vain. Faith gives you the intangible benefit that is eternal. That is beyond the world's comprehension. It gives purpose to everything you do.

If someone told me when I was a teenager that I would be involved in the things I'm involved in now, that would be living the life I live now; I would laugh at them and quickly dismiss them. I look back to me when I finished my form four having gotten (A-) grade, something I really prayed to God for, all I wanted was to be a Mechanical engineer. I had my plans on how that journey was going to be. But God had a different idea for my simple life. I don't have everything I wish I could, but I believe I'm much better. I believe the intangible journey and blessings God has led me through is worth more than anything this world could have offered me. This is not easy. However, I continue to acknowledge that my life without faith is in vain. So I need to continuously ask God to increase my faith in Him. I don’t know about you.

If this resonates with you, how’s your faith journey like? Look for a small community of friends who you can think through this together with. Being accountable to a few and practising with a few. It's about building a community of friends to share each other's journey of living a life of faith.  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 as 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

A Submitted Life is Foundational for Kingdom People to work in Agreement

Paul wrote, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” 

The subject of mutual submission only makes sense when it is considered in the context of how Jesus wants us to live our lives.  He was very clear that we are called to respond to his love and to love each other unconditionally.   Also, even as I try to communicate what this teaching has meant in my life I am reminded of one of Doug Coe’s statements, “Following Jesus is not an exact science.”  Thus, these thoughts are things that have helped Kay and me on our journey.  They are not the way in which submission is done.

The most important thing I have learned as I have sought to live in obedience to this command is that I am to be a submitted person to Jesus and to other followers of his.  This is transformational in my life as it is a way of experiencing love for God and love for others—which is the basis for all Kingdom work.

Because of the way the word “submit” has been used to control and abuse people in Christian circles it often rings in our ears with a negative tone.  If we can mute that tone we might discover this is an important subject for serious followers of Jesus Christ.

Consider the help that practising submission could be to improve our lives and our care for others.  What if we viewed the process in the way we think about submitting a manuscript to an editor.  We do the very best work we can, withholding nothing, and present it to the editor for correction and insights.  It is done to improve our work, not to diminish it.  In the same way, we submit our best thoughts, our dreams and visions to those we trust so we can more clearly discern the things that are from God. And knowing we are going to submit our ideas to others bring clarity to our thinking even before we submit them.  In this process of submission we not only have a clearer sense of the mind of Christ but we also come to know each other better and to love each other more.  It is empowering!

Other things learned about submission on this journey

• The Trinity models mutual submission for us.  As we begin to understand and experience God we see that God is a living Fellowship who creates through submission.  The more we walk with Jesus the more our hearts are directed towards this kind of love for each other.

• Biblical agreement and biblical submission are inseparable.  In Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus teaches us the importance of keeping our relationships reconciled because we all need a small group with whom we walk in agreement.  The presence of Jesus in each of our small groups helps us come to an agreement with the Lord and with each other so that the things we pray for are the things God wants in our lives and in the lives of those we love and pray for.

·         Then the objective becomes one of walking in agreement in thought and action in the work of the Kingdom.  Humility is basic to this process.  We are commanded to humble ourselves and unless we do this we will never submit our ideas and our lives to others.  Thus we will continue to be doing the work of the kingdom as individualistic, self-centred, unteachable persons.  Out of humble submission agreement comes and agreement empowers with the power of God. Without the humility to submit to others, we can never work in agreement.  We can get the pseudo agreement—which is really capitulation—but  we will never have the agreement Paul advocates.

• Submission as part of the process leading to the agreement is natural, not imposed.  As mentioned earlier the Greek word hupotasso means a sweet reasonableness and a willingness to accept less than what may be due.  It is the opposite of self-assertion, the opposite of an independent, autocratic spirit.  It is not the end-all or a stand-alone concept but is the process that means we are better able to hear from God and from others to move forward with power and discernment. 
• Often this process of submitting ourselves and our ideas will not be perfect because we are not perfect.  But regardless of the outcome, we can trust Jesus who is over-seeing and active in the process.
• Being submitted to God makes submission to others possible.  However, how can we say we are submitted to God who we can’t see if we refuse to be submitted to our sisters and brothers who we can see.  Too often saying we are submitted to God rather than our companions slides into doing whatever we want to do and calling it “God’s will.”

·         The implication of the “one to another” is that submission is to be mutual and that is what allows us to walk together.  In my relationships, some companions submit more things to me than I do to them and often I submit more concerns to others than they do to me but the submission is mutual even if the number of things submitted is not equal. 

·         None of us is able to process all the issues of all our friends so it seems like God connects us with the people we need to move forward in agreement in each part of our lives.  I don’t want to be an unsubmitted and lacking agreement in any of the places where I believe God has me caring for others.  In each of my involvements: Africa, Church, Fellows, Young Life, etc. I have, and need, at least one person to whom I am submitted as we discern how to move forward in that area.  The submission that brings real benefit has always been with a very few on any issue.  A larger group can affirm what the few have discerned, but rarely is a large group a place of mutual submission.  However, when we submit to the few it helps us become willing to hear other thoughts from the larger community.

·         Building trust in the relationships makes submission possible.  We should not submit to those who haven’t earned our trust as we have walked together.  And more than likely, if we do not share a common vision we will not have insights that are helpful to each other.

·         We also know that many people do not want the responsibility of others submitting their lives and issues to them so this “smallenizes” the pool of people available to us for this deep walking together.

·         As I learn to hear God through people I know well and have come to trust I am also learning that people who I know only casually may also be able to speak truth into my life and my discernment.

·         Jesus is the protection of our submitted relationships.  We are submitting to Jesus through people and this can be a messy process.  Because we are not perfect, invariably we will come to some agreements that are not helpful.  But because our goal is to know what God wants, his grace shows up and redeems even our mistaken discernments.

·         Hebrews 13:17 reads in part, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.” There is a place for submitting to the ones God has given the responsibility for shepherding us.

·         Another time submission to a leader naturally happens is a result of discerning together.  When companions who are equal discern together what should be done they also often discern who has the gifts and calling to lead a venture.  When this is discerned the others all submit to this leader in the activity.

·         Paul and Barnabas give us a clear picture of how to do this right.  In Acts 13, they, and three other elders in Antioch were together centring their lives on Jesus when the Spirit told them to separate Barnabas and Paul for a mission.  The group fasted and prayed and submitted this idea to the Lord and to each other.   When they concluded this was the right decision they laid hands on Barnabas and Paul and sent them off.   The next phrase is, “The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit. . .”  so for the next three years Barnabas and Paul were empowered by both this submitted agreement with their companions and by the Spirit within them.

·         Then they showed us how to do it wrong.  When talking about the next mission, as recorded in Acts 15, pride kept them from submitting to each other over the issue of taking John Mark with them.  Thus two of the closest companions in the New Testament walked away from their partnership and went separate ways because they would not submit to each other.

There are still some questions that are not easy to answer

·         The only one who has the right to direct my life or to veto my ideas is Jesus, but when we submit to Jesus in others does this give them veto power over our decisions.  If so, when we give them this power have we quit being responsible for our lives? 

·         Does this process have to be understood in ways that we can verbalize it or does our love for each other have us naturally living in submission and agreement with each other?

·         How does mutual submission work in an organization that has specific lines of authority?  What does a boss submitting to an employee look like?

By Kent Hotaling

What Is The Difference Between Management And Leadership? Terina Allen

I loved this article and would like to just lift is as is for this week’s blog. I need not say anything about it. Here is the link to the article https://www.forbes.com/sites/terinaallen/2018/10/09/what-is-the-difference-between-management-and-leadership/#6443bfcd74d6

The article made me do it.

I didn't plan to write this article. I didn't want to write yet another thing about the definition, value and distinctions of management and leadership. I thought we were passed this (by “we” I refer to the collective group of executives, managers, consultants and leaders out here). But after reading yet another article this morning that kept encouraging managers and directors to “better manage” their people, I realized that we are not. This was an article published by a highly reputable institution advising managers to manage other people. They got it so wrong.

If you currently are or have ever been one of my colleagues, clients, students or in any of my leadership workshops, you have surely already heard this. I ask you to bear with me. One of the articles I read this morning made me do it.

The mindset caused me to cringe inside.

I cringed inside because the more I read, the more I realized that this was not just semantics and a difference on word choice. No. It was an outright mindset that really pushed forward the theory that we – people – could ever actually manage other people and do it effectively.

That mindset is a problem for me since most people cannot even effectively manage themselves, their own lives, their families, etc. How can one possibly be expected to manage another person or a group of people? Add to this that today’s employees are expected to (at least in theory) actually, make great contributions to their organizations and make their supervisors look good. The more I read, the more I realized how far we still have to go with distinguishing these two key competencies.

Leadership and management are both necessary, but they are different.

https://culcnitisunb.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/management-leadership/

Leadership and management are both necessary competencies that add institutional value. Neither is superior or inferior to the other; they are just different. We manage things such as programs, budgets, contracts, projects and processes, but we should be leading people. The idea of ‘managing’ people just sounds demeaning in the 21st century. Many of us wear both hats, but we need to understand the difference so that we appropriately flex within and between the two roles.

Has your boss or supervisor ever said any of this to you – I am your manager; I am managing you, or I manage ten people? What did it make you think? How did this make you feel?

In business school and graduate school, I learned that management is the act or skill of directing, controlling, handling, deciding, overseeing, etc. Not even one of these words fits in with anything I want another person doing to me or for me. How about you? I also learned that leadership is about influencing, developing, coaching, guiding, mentoring or supervising people. So we need to be leading people and managing all that other stuff. The distinction is real and it matters.

If the ‘experts’ in the field keep getting this wrong how can we expect mid-level managers and executives to get this right? The perpetual lack of understanding with these concepts is holding people back in their careers, and it is negatively impacting organizational success.

There are people who are great leaders but horrible managers, and there are people who are great managers and horrible leaders. How can this be? Because these two competencies require different skillsets. Too often hiring managers want to hire someone to lead but they focus the entire job analysis and interview on management and vice versa.

If you want to hire a manager, define the competencies for that role based on what management is all about. If you want to hire a leader, define the competencies for that role based on what leadership is all about. If you want to hire someone who will be competent in both, be sure to outline what that looks like then create an appropriate position description and ask the right questions during the interview.

Management is typically reflected via one’s title, but leadership isn’t.

One can hold the title of manager and never actually have staff or employees under his direction because he is (shall I say it again) ‘managing’ a program, a budget, a project or an enterprise that he actually has control over and needs to direct, handle and oversee effectively.

Management happens with one or more decision makers for a particular unit/department/division/organization where there exists a ‘thing’ to be managed, controlled, handled, directed or overseen. The unit/department/division/organization has a budget, program, service, contract or process (a thing) to be managed. However, the people within the respective section need to be (and I assert they prefer to be) led.

To be a leader one needs others whom he can influence or impact in some way (some people call these followers). It is not a requirement that these people be under his direct span of control in the normal supervisory lines, but they must be within his circle of influence. Leaders can – and do – lead down, across and up. We lead (influence) subordinates, colleagues, team members and even our superiors. This is why we now understand that leadership can and does happen at every level within an organization.

Leadership is about helping ordinary people get extraordinary results. It is about developing critical thinking, problem-solving and process improvement skills in others and giving them the opportunity to apply these skills and have input on decisions. Leaders are charged to ask the questions that compel others (at every level) to consider choices, actually, think and then provide recommendations to others.

Leadership is not about titles. It is not about seniority. It is not about status, and it is not about management. Leadership is about power and the ability to know when and how to use it to influence the people around you to do and become more! Transformational leadership is about using your actions to elevate others and put them on their path to greatness.

You can be a leader and never actually formally supervise employees, and you can be a manager and never actually have formal authority over a staff or team. It is important to note, however, that one's position title is not a reflection of whether he is capable of doing either (leading or managing) very well.

The wrap up: Manage things and lead people.

Manage things, even manage yourself, but when it comes to other people, we prefer words like lead, supervise, coach, guide, mentor, etc. It keeps the perspective away from trying to handle, oversee, direct or worse - control - other individuals. That would not be appropriate (except in extreme circumstances - safety, etc.).

I educate students, facilitate workshops for professionals at all levels and provide consulting and executive coaching, and one thing I have been pushing against for 20 years is this notion that we would ever actually be able to effectively ‘manage’ anyone. Individual people have their own minds, and they get to make their own choices. We can try to influence and shape those choices and behaviours through leadership, but it is not appropriate to attempt to direct and control them – this is what management is supposed to be doing with “things.”

The whole notion of an ever-increasing knowledge workforce where people are being hired and paid to think strategically, align themselves with organizational missions and then deliver meaningful outcomes for internal and external stakeholders are predicated on the idea (and hopefully practice) of really having leaders develop other leaders and pull from the talent all around them (above, across and beneath their own positions of authority).

Remember when you attempt to ‘manage’ other people, you are in effect limiting or removing their choices – their power. And when you do this, you end up losing everything (all the experience, education, training and brilliance that you hired them for in the first place). Manage the things you need to manage, but lead the people you are supposed to lead.

Terina Allen is a strategist, consultant, international speaker and the CEO of ARVis Institute, a management consulting and executive/leadership development firm.

The Leader Vs. The Follower in Us

Image Credit: https://www.canstockphoto.com/leader-vs-follower-person-split-48726568.html

I believe the cost of awareness is responsibility.

To be aware is one thing, for the awareness to have any considerable impact in our lives it’s another thing. Most people are aware of what they ought to do, but few do it. If only up to about 3 percent of any society or population would practice what they know, there would be immense greatness. Unfortunately, all these we know is not having any impact on our lives because we are not paying the cost; taking responsibility. Living what we profess; walking the talk.

It’s very much easy to let the whole world know how much we know, but how ready are we to practice that which we know. It doesn’t really matter how much you know if all that is not helping in any way.

One of my greatest wonder working with people is how few people really take responsibility for what they know. I personally know how much hard it is to pay the price and act on what you know. I like the analogy of the leader and the follower in us. Each of us has the two. Some may call it the good and the bad, the saint, and the evil that is in continuous battle in us. The good or the leader in us knows that which we ought to do. The leader in us have plans on how we can do that which we ought to do. But the follower in us has its own ideas, plans. The leader in us knows how to mend the key relationships in us, but the follower in us has other ideas about this. Some of us continuously feed the follower, who slowly overpowers the leader in us. Or we find ourselves in continuous battle as we have not decided on who we are going to give full authority in our lives. We move back and forth.

Image Credit: http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-leader-vs-follower-concept-word-compass-needle-conceptual-d-render-image-depth-field-blur-effect-image34593829

One of my greatest battles which I’m still in is mending the relationships with my family members; step-father, and siblings. The leader in me knows I need to mend these relationships. My wife has been a good one on this. Continuously challenging me to act on things that will make my relationships with my sibling better than it is now. Unfortunately, due to my own fear of conflict, fear of confrontation, feeling of inadequacy, wishing that things would magically address themselves, not having what to sometimes say, things have remained as they are. This is in turn, affecting me in ways I don't like. As I write this article, it’s clear in my head that unless I take responsibility and do what I know I need to do, this important relationship will not change if not get worse. I may choose to pray over it, but unless I act by the grace of God, which he makes abundant, all the prayers I make will just be that; prayers.

In AYLF, we continue to urge everyone we interact with is to take responsibility and do something about their lives. Translate what they know into action. One of our senior friends like using the acronym NATO; No Action Talk Only. He says we need to stop NATO. Do something about our situations and those around us. We spend a lot of time in small group conversations in AYLF, but without individual and group responsibility to act on what we know, it’s all a waste of time. Most people misunderstand us thinking we are just Talk Only. In those talks, our goal is to flesh out what each of us is dealing with and hopefully nail down what we each need to act on and then go and act on them. This is not about programs; as much as we have a few programs on that. It’s about having responsible young people willing to lead their lives and those around them. Those who are committed to empowering the leader in them; not the follower in them. Those willing to acknowledge their struggles and do something about them as they provide leadership to those around them. It’s in doing something that we bear fruits.

Image Credit: https://www.kompasiana.com/assyafii/nato-no-action-talk-only_550bc33b8133115b22b1e252

Which area of your life do you need to empower the leader in you? Where do you need to pay the cost of responsibility? The good book, in many cases, calls upon us to translate what we know into fruits.

If this resonates with you, take responsibility for what you already know. 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 empowering the leader in you.  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 as 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

Diversity and Friendship

Image Credit: https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/3918101/charity_community_diversity_friendship_group_people_teamwork_icon

I believe those who walk away because of differences or conflicts were probably never friends in the first place.

Never sacrifice who you are, who you have become for a friendship. However, true friendship will never ask you to make that choice. True friendship will never be based on conditions that we have to agree or else. The minute this condition is spelled out and made clear to everyone, you need to evaluate what you call friendship. It might be a friendship of convenience.

Friendship can be tricky in the face of conflict, disagreement, misunderstanding, especially when dealing with those we consider true friends. The tendency is we may choose to walk away. Walking away may be necessary to cool off from the heat of the moment, but whether we come back or not is determined by the depth of our friendship. Are we at a level where we can rise above our difference, value the difference, and still be friends? 

Image Credits: https://thenerdytheologian.com/2016/08/26/unity-is-not-uniformity/

We are not expected to be uniform in thought and opinion, be they political or religious or any other. Our diversity should help us appreciate and embrace each other. This is a high level of maturity. Unity doesn’t necessarily mean uniformity. Many of us find it hard to work with people who are different from us. I like the saying, “if two people have the same opinion on every matter, the other person is irrelevant.” Unfortunately, we always want people who cheer us and follow us blindly; those who don’t tell us the other side of the story. So we live our life on a single story which is driven by us. This is a dangerous life. I know of some people who are very good at appreciating other opinions that don't go in line with theirs. These people have the capacity to overcome most challenges because they can learn from others.

Sometime last year, I met a friend who told me a story of how they were thinking of coming together to do a joint project that all of them agreed on was for the good of young people in leadership. This was a promising program with great potential to do a lot. As they continued to meet and discuss the idea, differences arose, mainly driven by interests. These differences were so much that they couldn't move forward. The continuity of the project was hanging on a balance because this friend and his colleagues couldn’t deal with their difference. As a result, one of them had to walk away. Unfortunately, their friendship was greatly affected by this move. To date, they seem to be still not able to talk as friends.

In a desire to appreciate the difference, we should also not be too naïve to accommodate everything that we don’t agree with. We have had friends that we realize that being committed to them is not going to add value to whatever path we find ourselves in. As much as we like them, but our paths are not the same. In such a case, no one will blame you for walking away. But if you are all on the same path, don't jeopardize the whole path because of the differences you might experience in the journey.

In Africa Youth Leadership Forum, AYLF, one of our focus is Friendship as one of our conversation themes and also a value we push. Not just mere accidental friendship but an intentional friendship. We like to use the phrase, a Family of Friends when we refer to what we are working on. We believe that if we get to a point where we are intentional and genuinely have love among us, then we can rise above some of the challenges that in most cases, drive the differences between us. Some of these differences are tribal, religion, regional, class, gender, etc. If we can overcome these differences, we can together work in building each other and fight for the highest possible good in the lives on each other and those we lead.

Is there a friendship you walked away from on the basis of a difference that you could have intentionally dealt with? How are you in handling different opinions from yours?

If this resonates with you, go ahead to evaluate your friendship. Then 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 being true friends.  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 as 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.

WHO (Willingness, Humility and Obedience)

https://www.uni-koblenz-landau.de/en/university/organization/administration/service-and-information

I believe willingness, humility, and obedience is critical for a heart to Service.

Any act that is done without willingness, humility, and obedience, is not Service but performance, a routine action, a show-off, another box ticked.

Willingness is a decision we have to make. Doing something unwillingly though sometimes that is always the case may not give us much joy and satisfaction. But if we can find a way to do something willingly, we find joy, happiness, and meaning that is beyond this world's comprehension.

Service offered in humility is true Service. Anything done contrary to this hurts the recipient as much as it doesn't in any way benefit the performer of the act. Humility is in most cases misunderstood and taken for granted. It doesn't mean someone is a doormat; it means valuing others around you. It means not seeing yourself as more important than those around you. A humble person is one who is more interested in others than in themselves. She/he isn't more about their ego. Someone who is about the greater good rather than their own needs. Someone who 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 yourself but is thinking about yourself less — not a lack of self-confidence.

Obedience is key. We all have the freedom to obey or disobey. We are told that's it's more beneficial to obey than to sacrifice. Some of us might look like we are obeying, but genuinely we are not. We are simply complying. Maybe our environment doesn't encourage the spirit of obedience. A worst-case scenario for this is disobedience; rebellion. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Some of us are generally rebellious in everything. I personally have tendencies of rebellion. It’s however important to note that we don’t have to say YES to everything and anything that is brought our way. God has given us a mind, and we have been wisely blessed so that we can know that which is to be obeyed and maybe not obeyed. The question is how many times do you always disobey something simply because you don't like the person saying it, or the way it's said, or you have your own, or you don't see how you benefit from it. What makes you justify your disobedience in some cases? You might be wondering then what is the meaning of obedience. Well, the basic dictionary definition I just googled is compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority. But I believe it goes deeper than that, to be engaged and fully be part of something that you have agreed with others or God has revealed to you that you need to do. Something that has been clearly defined as a way of life and that needs to be done for the highest possible good of those around you.

We are called to serve each other, whether at home; family, teams you are engaged within something, organization or community. As a husband and a father, I need to serve my wife and my two boys. The only way to really find this life meaningful is if you offer yourself to serve others. No matter what level of engagement. This could be through doing something for others, speaking on behalf of others, standing in the gap for others, representing others in spaces where they probably are not able to, etc. Service to mankind in whatever form is Service to God. Any service I willingly offer in humility and obedience to my wife and sons is to God. You can't claim to serve God if you are not serving those around you, humanity. As much as we all want to be served and fill nice when someone serves us, we ought to serve willingly, with great humility and in obedience.

In Africa Youth Leadership Forum, AYLF, we are committed to raising up people who will serve others in different spheres of influence. Our work with young leaders is to help them realize that they ought to give up themselves in service for others. Serve the least of these in their communities. This is what we mean when we say we are nurturing a new breed of leaders; a new breed of people who commit to truly serve those around them. Serve with willingness, humility and in obedience.

If this resonates with you, seek to genuinely serve. 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 serving those around you willingly, in humility and obedience.  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 as 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.

Parachute Mind

https://emilywrenblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/a-mind-is-like-a-parachute-it-doesnt-work-if-it-isnt-open-frank-zappa/

I believe the mind is like a parachute; it works better when it's open.

Our mind is a crucial part of our being. We hear of statements of people losing their minds and being unreasonable. We are called upon not to conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. The mind that doesn't get renewedor sharpened will remain dull and unhelpful. A closed up mind can't be renewed. You only renew the mind if it's able to unlearn and learn. A closed up mind is like a pond with no outlet or inlet. It smells, and you start experiencing the negativity that it has. The kind of a mind that thinks it knows all and no one can influence it.On the other hand, an open mind is influenceable. A mind that is influenceable is the one that can influence. An open mind is the one that can add value to the bearer and those who interact with it.

I believe the secret to success and happiness in this life is to have an open mind. An open mind to receive and interact with new ideas, to interact with people without being judgmental. We lose out a lot if we operate from the point of being too rigid, closed in our thinking, my way or the highway kind of thinking and always thinking that you are the smartest guy in the room and that no one can say anything. I have come to appreciate that a mind that is like a sponge, ready to take in and also to give as much as it can, stays healthy, clean and fresh. A mind that remains open to all possibilities can fly high and go places.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/239892

I have encountered people who are so rigid, who are hung up on their way of thinking and give no room for any other thought. Unfortunately, some of these have been people very close to me, and their actions have affected me in ways that I find very unfortunate. Mostly what I have found is due to someone’s ego, they are not willing to be responsive and to let others speak into their lives or listen to others around them. You find someone working so hard to justify their point or defend themselves or rubbish others. An open mind is secure, confident and humble. It's a mind that is free, that is healthy. Unfortunately, most of us find ourselves dragged into moments of insecurities, arrogance, and pride that make us not want to give room to others to influence the perception or the way we think about issues. We would rather die than admit that we are wrong and need to listen to another opinion. It even becomes harder if this opinion is coming from someone we consider to be lesser than us, whatever the case.

www.giantworldwide.com

My extended family is currently going through trouble in what I might say is due to closed mindsets. The two main people who could make things better have refused to be influenced in any way. Everyone has their stand, and they are holding on to it no matter what. I believe in knowing what you want and being stubborn to pursue it, but if it’s at the expense of others who your actions affect negatively, then you need to reevaluateyour stand. If it’s making those you claim to be doing it for suffer, to what end then? Especially if it involves a child who is entirely depended on you. This doesn’t mean you become a doormat; it just means you become the bigger person and wisely act in the long-term best interest of those around you. This is easier said than done, but when you choose to examine your actions and your thoughts, you will in most cases know what you ought to do however tough that might be for you.

Are you open-minded? Are you secure, confident and humble? Are you free, healthy and fresh in your mind? Are you responsive or resistant?

If this resonates with you, examine yourself on whether you are mostly open minded or too stubborn on issues that affect you and others. 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 interrogating whether you are responsive or resistant.  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 as 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: https://www.goodfreephotos.com

By Gabriel Achayo