Category: Reflections

Most of you reading this piece may have someone you
consider close enough to introduce them publicly as “My best friend”.

Many pleasant and painful events overlap in time within
friendships such that the fellows freely use best, to qualify their relationship. But some have experienced tragic
twists in what was once a “perfect” mix that suddenly left a broken heart seeking
succor or even vengeance. For them, the onetime best is now the worst and the
way back to the “good old days” is shut forever. But is anything too hard for
God?

Facebook has helped some people discover long lost
friends and start new relationships. I connected with one yesterday. However,
best friends go beyond Facebook. Thank God for the arrival of cell phones but
best friends need more than text messages and phone calls to maintain true fellowship.
These are useful tools but it’s amazing to me that in this communication crazy age,
there are more lonely people and little authentic communication amongst so
called friends.

Join me to
consider five non-negotiable qualities that foster friendships gleaned from studying what David and Jonathan shared, as told in the scriptures from 1Samuel chapters 18 –
20.

“By the time David had finished
reporting to Saul, Jonathan was deeply impressed with David–an immediate bond
was forged between them. He became totally committed to David. From that point
on he would be David’s number-one advocate and friend.”  “Jonathan repeated his pledge of
love and friendship for David. He loved David more than his own soul!” (1Sam 18:1, 20:17) 

Loyalty makes a best friend stay in
your corner when you feel cornered, crushed, conquered and almost consumed by life’s
challenges. Your error or folly may have messed you up but best friends see
beyond the mess and see God’s mercy and His comforting message. Jonathan foresaw
the Kingdom under David’s control, though it seemed impossible at that time to
actualize but he stuck to his shepherd boy friend.

Secrets, whether good or bad bind
relationships. The moment friends share information they agree should remain
hidden from others, it yokes them. When that secret(s) seeps out, trust is
broken and the relationship cracks. Best friends share healthy
secrets. Jesus told His three closest friends not to tell anyone what they saw
on that mount of transfiguration and Jonathan knew where to find David when the
entire armies of his father King Saul sort to kill David. Who holds your
secrets? Are they your best friends? God said, “I will not hide from Abraham that which I’m about to do” Gen 18:17. I ponder over one question more than
others on this issue of secrets among friends.

Best friends are sincere
to each other. People are looking for places of refuge, private corners
where they could be themselves with someone that will not only honestly tell
them the truth about what they see or feel but also one that critics them in
love. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are
lavish and deceitful.” (Pro 27:6) Unfortunately, some
people (especially leaders) surround themselves with people that never challenge
them with the truth or correct their wrongs. Like my friend Butch Maltby said,
“Many people who
invite truth resist it when it comes.” Our humility is tested by how well we take correction.

Our humanness and flaws will test our friendships. But
best friends stay consistent and
weather the storms that accompany the choices they make based on their
different perspectives to individual life issues. As they grow, they come to
learn that love suffers long, is truly kind and never fails.

This article is already too long,
so humility, covenant and time
are issues I’ve chosen to feature later.

If your best friend does not know Jesus in a personal
way, reverence Him within the context of your regular fellowship and uphold
these five key virtues; what you are sharing is drying up and soon, someone
will move on.

As my life adventures of faith in Jesus Christ take me here and
there, I see that the need for regular pit stops cannot be over emphasized.

I’ll be
leaving Sudan soon; but not before I finish running tests on my heart, with the
instructions of two great men. John Maxwell’s message – Inside
Out Leadership, fuels my resolve to probe my intentions and re-evaluate my
relationship with Jesus in the light of my Christian service.

Brother
Maxwell insists that working on being bigger and better on the inside, will by
and by make one bigger and better on the outside. People, who appear bigger and
better on the outside but small on the inside, will sooner or later hit the
wall. The inside, is the heart-side.
So I’m asking the question, “What fills my heart?”

Apostle Paul
enjoins believers in his Epistle to the Corinthian Church to, “Test yourselves to make
sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for
granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not
mere hearsay that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do
something about it.”(2Cor 13:5 The Message Bible)

It is impossible
to properly address the condition of any heart without revealed truth. Where
truth is frustrated with deception and disallowed through unbelief, compromise
thrives. If unchecked, over time, compromise displaces truth and one’s
conscience becomes “seared with hot iron”.

I’ve seen
how vices like covetousness, lust, bitterness and unforgiveness can thrive
successfully in the heart of Christ’s disciples; even as they earnestly seek
godly privileges and pursue their divine callings. Tragically, they may feel no
need for an emergency spiritual make-over. I wonder at these things with the
question, “What fills my heart?”

“But
Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep
back some of the price of the land?”” (Acts 5:3 my emphasis)

This man and
his wife were about to hit a high pitch on the outside, but God exposed the
diminutive nature of their inside.
Their inside was filled with lies. They may have known Jesus personally, so I
don’t think they started like this- alas, how badly they ended.

I’m asking
myself today, “Uche, are you doing anything remotely similar to what
Ananias and Sapphira did though you seek and expect the evidence and power of a
life totally given to God, but giving yourself only in part, yet presuming to
have given yourself wholly?”

The
searchlight is on me, but
you may also see yourself if you try searching. I know I want
the semblance of the comfort of the Spirit and His intimate communion, but it
appears too, that I want it at the lesser price of embracing truth in a
doctrinal sense alone, or in the sense of being correct, rather than
acknowledging truth as the very sum and substance of the reality of my
existence.

Sometimes, I
notice a struggle in me to want to speak the truth but not to be true; to use
correct words and publicly acknowledge truth, but not to obey it. In the light
of my relationship with Jesus, I’m seriously asking myself, “Uche, what
fills your heart, a passion for Him or for yourself?”

Am I
replacing partial truth for the whole, in my attitude and actions? Is the
reality of what I believe and teach transforming me first? For Ananias and
wife, it was covetousness which had to be preserved with lies. It could have
been unforgiveness or bitterness or pride… A heart gets filled with
something. “Uche, what’s fills your heart today?”

To decide to
tolerate one evil (no matter how insignificant and for whatever the reason) is
to violate the whole truth. To be 99.99% true and represent that as the whole
truth is to lie utterly. It could be where I’m most tempted to keep back for
myself that the issue of truth really lies.

What one
truth, what one final issue, what one reserve is it, that keeps me back from that
total abandon in Jesus I earnestly long for, that makes truth really the truth,
and injects into my vision and ministry the reality of  Christ’s presence
and glory?

What really
fills my heart… and yours?

My reflections in this article are borne out of the deep
impression the blog by Jimmy
McCarty made on me. So, I’m wondering and you should too, what
20-somethings around you (or even you) are struggling with, relative to the Missions
Enterprise.

Jimmy said, “Frankly, my
generation is TERRIFIED of the message we believe. We’re afraid of being
rejected, disliked, offensive, looking stupid, not having all the answers,
feeling ignorant, misrepresenting God, saying something wrong, steering someone
the wrong way, making a mistake, disappointing people, disappointing our leaders,
missing an opportunity, having things be us instead of God and not knowing the
difference, of trying something new, of not liking where we end up, of feeling
trapped, of getting caught up in a mediocre encounter at the exact moment the
“big opportunity” comes around, of being associated with an
organization that teaches something we don’t completely understand and if we
DID understand it, we would discover we don’t agree.”

I was just about writing my perspectives in response to
Jimmy’s concerns as my blog for the week when I read the following from Seth
Barnes’ blog. He said exactly what was on my heart as a first response to subject
posed as a question here. “You drink from Seth’s sweet fountain so I’m not surprised
you were thinking alike at this time…” remarked my darling wife. Seth’s a great
wordsmith so I felt it’s just apt to quote him verbatim.

“What’s the difference between
how Jesus mentored his disciples and how we do it in our day? Jesus did it by
teaching his disciples, by modeling life for them, by training and coaching
them, and by giving them specific opportunities to practice their faith. By
contrast, we moderns seem to focus on teaching as the focal point for our spiritual
formation efforts.

The problem is; people as a
general rule don’t change through teaching alone. Sermons are a good place to
lay out the rationale for change and to describe the change process, but
they’re a poor substitute for real life. You need to watch what you’re being
asked to do before you do it.

That’s why Jesus pioneered the
practice of short-term missions (STMs). His whole ministry was a journey, an
extended mission trip. He left home at age 30 and wandered village to village
for three years. And within that journey were smaller journeys intended for his
disciples’ growth. He didn’t send his disciples out in Luke 9 and 10 to
inaugurate his missionary program. That came much later after he had his disciples
wait for the Holy Spirit.”

Writing from an African perspective with my spectacles made in Nigeria, I’ve seen
that when you mix poor leadership by example with the numerous personal fears gnawing at the youth of this age; what you have is a growing breed of grossly
self-centered generation, who claim a deep love for God but don’t hear what He’s saying.

I observe with dismay, a major confusion which springs from the
lack of understanding and even denial, that what pleases and entertains this God
we pretend to love involve the sufferings and huge sacrifices for what He loves, by His lovers. But since
suffering in any way is largely synonymous with poverty in this part of the world; the
words of Dr. Ralph Winter that, “Obedience to the great commission has more
consistently been poisoned by affluence than by anything else…” is more
profound in Africa, where the striving for material comfort has consumed all
other passions.

This is not all. Many 20-somethings and over seem to believe
that what they do defines who they are and worse still, what they seek to
possess and have no control over, holds the key to their happiness in life. So, the idea that the proof of sincere love for God is confirmed by His blessings is a hallmark of present-day belief. Anything less is not acceptable.

This drive is the major thrust of most churches and
fellowships here today. It’s the reason for our prayer vigils, our fastings and
seminars that attract large audience. Listen to our testimonies and celebrations
and you’ll not miss this- we are proudly grooming a generation obsessed with personal
comfort and ease more than life itself. They are willing to go to great lengths
and suffer humiliation for their shriveled dreams than align their heart with
God’s global cause.  

True wealth is what a man has to give away that money cannot
buy. God continues to recruit and deploy to the neediest parts of the earth,
men and women, willing to give their youth and their best because Christ’s global
cause has become the integrating and overriding priority for all that He is for
them.

It’s not only 20-somethings in Africa that seem trapped. A good
majority of Christians feel duped because their beliefs as Disciples of Christ contradict
what they are determined to pursue as civil citizens. A balance is difficult to realize. So, occasional good deeds are
more for conscience sake than acts resulting from a revealed truth or a call. The
solution lies in reconsecration, practical discipleship and above all,
insightful mentoring leadership.

As this messy struggle continues, my prayer is for all that
will dare to die to the pressures of this world and the pleasures it offers,
catch Jesus’ world vision and be fully empowered by His Spirit to
effectively obey Him.

Strength and beauty lie in differences, not in similarities; if only we can strive for the big picture. I learnt a few hard lessons on teamwork recently.

One’s enthusiasm could be a tool to trigger other people’s emotions so they instinctively help and support us serve a noble cause.

I wonder how many worthy causes have been jettisoned simply because the immediate perception of one’s passion for it was misunderstood as a gratuitous fad and worse still; the show of dissent was in body language which seemed to contradict verbal approvals.

How can you deal with it? Listen patiently and respond with meekness (not always easy) or ignore them and go solo or seek support elsewhere (these are ready options any day and come naturally) or abort the cause/job/mission altogether (who loves stress?). But what do stressless teams look like? I don’t know.

If you lead a team and have people who always easily project on the outside how they feel on the inside; rejoice! Have you ever interacted with someone for the first time and suspected that their attitude was poor, yet you were unable to put your finger on exactly what was wrong? I observed four common attitudes that can ruin a team.

• An inability to admit faults;
• An unwillingness to forgive and forbear, which fuels suspicion;
• Petty jealousy, which breeds a critical spirit and certainly,
• Lack of passion for the cause.

Most bad attitudes are the result of selfishness. If you have someone that puts others down (especially in their absence) or sabotages teamwork (by exhibiting dishonesty and/or indifference) or speaks more than they listen (busy thinking of what to say next while you are still talking) or make themselves more important than the team, as Butch Maltby put it, “by sucking up all the oxygen in the room as soon as they arrive”; then you can be sure you have someone with a bad attitude.

Our attitude determines our approach to life. Our attitude determines our relationships with people. Our attitude is often the only difference between success and failure. Our attitude at the beginning of a task could affect its outcome more than anything else. Our attitude can turn problems into blessings.

The challenge sometimes is that our attitude is not automatically good just because we are prayer warriors or pastors of a mega church or missionaries among a distant nameless people. Yet, people we deal with have expectations and as humans, we disappoint them now and again.

I learnt that within teams, the fear of conflicts and misunderstanding has a way of frustrating the sweet flow of the Spirit. If conflicts and differences are openly discussed as an aid to problem solving, a team faces decision making on controversial and emotionally charged issues with less tension if prejudices are set aside in the interest of the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)

Effective teams do not shy away from conflict; rather, they learn to use it to their advantage. Though that learning process could seem like an unending course without a hope of graduation, but there’s great reward if we persevere. Team issues shouldn’t just tame us but teach us.

I had the privilege of working with and learning from a few informal teams in different settings during my last trip. Believe me, I had my grinding moments but God brought sweet spirits my way with every step. An effective team at work is so wonderful to behold. Communication, whether written, spoken or unspoken is invaluable.

As I mused on teamwork few weeks ago, I asked myself some questions:

“What should be the appropriate level or medium of communication between team members?”

“What if they are afraid to speak up and/or ask questions?”

“What if someone feels they must be understood but never pay attention to others?”

“What if everybody accurately states their view and others listen and understand what is being said?”

“What if most of the team members restrain themselves and filter their critical remarks with grace?”

I wonder what you think about these questions but I noticed that in teams with a supportive atmosphere, there’s a willingness to take risks, listen, express opinions, and venture new or different ideas. Team members feel they will be listened to and not be belittled for openly expressing their viewpoints. Correction is given and received well. Criticism, gossip, suspicion and blame casting are not part of an effective teams’ atmosphere.

In an untrusting, non-supportive environment, members feel they have to put up a façade, because to let people know what’s going on inside could result in them being vulnerable and hurt. So, tools of manipulation and control such as tears, silence, outbursts of anger or even laughter…, come into play.

If your weakness or a stronghold that bedevils you shows up while working with a team, blessed are you if there’re team members who will love on you with no gloves on.

It seems to me that effective teams usually comprise of disciples whose contrasting personalities are carefully knit together by the Master to fix their individual broken parts and in the process, fulfill His eternal purpose.

He’s still working and expects our total cooperation.

After three months of ministry that took me to Uganda, Sudan,
Congo, and Kenya, I returned home last week to the warm embrace of my wife,
kids, church and friends. I’d lost quite a bit of weight which worried my wife
but I gained a wealth of experience from meeting people with a wide range of
issues, real issues; which I hope I can properly communicate their crux in a
few words here.  

First, I’m awed by the great need for authentic living and fellowship
among Christians. Our churches are gradually becoming a haven for fakes. The
lessons I learned in the last three months while discipling many youngsters with
the rich insights I’d gleaned from The Mask has influenced me tremendously. God
help me, I hope I’m not getting cynical.

There’s a silent, yet desperate search for a safe place to
unmask or a secure person to unmask to. Seth Barnes has done a great job
addressing some of these issues in his blog topics listed here. I’ll be quoting
him extensively in this article.

What is this unmasking deal all about? I understand it as being
naked and not ashamed, being the me
that God made to enjoy, without regrets, walking in the light as He, Jesus, is
in the light.  

The Lord Jesus
says, “This is the crisis we’re in:
God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the
darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in
pleasing God.

Everyone who makes a practice of doing
evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it,
fearing a painful exposure.

But anyone working and living in truth and
reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it
is.” (John 3:19-21 The Message)

He calls it a crisis
and who can dispute that?

When we take a good look in the mirror, how do we define who
we see? In an age where sincere self examination is unpopular, seeing that self
help books and many teachers tell us who we are; the truth about us is fast
becoming a matter of others opinion. So, how do others define me? What do I
relish about their view of me that makes me feel good about myself?

But, what do they not know about you, that if they knew, will
certainly change their view about you? How far away from the open are such
things? Are they secrets that dare not cross the minds of people you seek their
approval and respect? Could a false self be at work? Could that enigmatic personality who
lives daily in trepidation be longing for freedom and not getting it? Why?

I learnt that the false self thrives on self love. “They went for (chose) darkness because they were not really interested
in pleasing God.” But they successfully created a false impression, the
impression of a sound and sincere love for God, which is a mirage, a smoke screen for their private evil fantasies and obsessions. The continued
hidden practice of those sins is testimony to a denial and an illusion; to the presence
of a masked insidious tyrant.

I learnt that we need help getting rid of it. It’s a cruel
world with precious few maps to navigate by. We may not even be aware of the
false self we’ve taken on. The ego props may seem like such a natural part of
our identity that we no longer recognize who we are and where we need immediate
help.

At some point, all of us need to take a closer look at our
search for identity, for acceptance and respect. Have you found a safe place?
Have you sought the approval of men and settled for something counterfeit? Is
the persona that you’ve let others see the real you, or is it a false self?

But so many of our bad habits and our broken character will
only change as a result of our conscious effort to repent and yielding to the persistent
workings of the Holy Spirit’s power which could last a long time.  This is
where discipleship takes center stage. I sense this need is more desperate today
in the life of men and women who speak publicly for God.

Since returning from Sudan, I’ve continued to receive the warm
welcome and accolades of brethren on our work there. But that mission and
vision is NOT Uche. God sees the bigger and brighter picture. I’m listening to
Him for it.

Thank you Seth Barnes!

Easter holiday is almost over, we’ve spent time reflecting on the sufferings of Christ, the betrayal and denials, the empty tomb, its implications today and others. I’m still stuck somewhere back in the days before the first Easter. I’m relishing one great story that will continue to be told until Jesus returns. What does pure love look like?

 One night, few days to His crucifixion, Jesus and His disciples were having dinner with some friends as told in Matthew 26:6-13 and John 12:1-8. After dinner, Mary broke a jar of extremely expensive perfume and poured it over Jesus’ feet. Today, this might be comparable in price to treating Jesus to the most expensive luxury spa package. Mary and her family weren’t rich. This sealed jar of perfume was probably Mary’s most valuable possession.

 She didn’t open it, sprinkle a few drops and give Jesus a quick foot massage. No. She broke the seal, poured every drop of this perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped it with her hair. Why His feet? Why her hair? What’s the connection?

It shocked everybody. Judas, the clan’s thieving treasurer and the eventual betrayer, couldn’t hide his disgust. He said it was a mega waste. “This perfume was worth a fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”  That comment could be likened to the question, “What’s this neurosurgeon doing in this nameless village in the name of world missions?”

What could anyone give to or for Jesus that would be a waste? What could ever be too much for Him? Some may not think deeply about this question until their love is tested, with other alternatives and options that seem suitable or sufficient or within reach.

Jesus had few days earlier raised Mary’s brother Lazarus from the dead. Was this a way to show appreciation? Was it just an expression of unconditional love; of deep devotion that words could not fitly tell? Whatever was going on in Mary’s mind that day, she alone knew. Cost was certainly not an issue.

Cost equaled worth here. No piece of clothe was worthy of an ounce of that perfume. Mary chose to share its rich fragrance with her Lord alone as she wiped it with her hair. I imagine that when she was done, there was not a drop on the floor.

No soul on earth that day could claim closer intimacy with Jesus than Mary. She shared a common fragrance with Him, one best suited for His burial. She’d seized an opportunity to connect with the Lord for the last time, giving her life’s fortune as a parting gift. Are you connecting, with what?

Do you give to win God’s approval or get some immediate reward? Sadly, some have been taught to give with an aim to get something back. Mary gave to One on His way to the cross. What could she be expecting in return?

The idea of sowing in order to reap, sooner than later, has come to stay in the theology of many; so much that even unbelievers who stumble into our churches needing salvation, are encouraged to “sow” money and expect 100% (“double-double“) return from God. Is this right? The principle in general is biblical but the practice could be dubious when the givers heart is distant from God.

A man was once asked by his friend, “Why do you spend so much time doing church work and giving away your stuff to these poor lazy folks…” His reply was, “I hope you’ll still be able to ask this when we are dead and standing before God on judgment day.”

Authentic Christian living should manifest extravagant giving, not just money, but also our time in prayer for others and our talents and energy in service are all expected. We respond to God’s love by first giving our heart and then giving our best.

May God help us crack open something valuable today and lavish it on someone; especially those we feel don’t remotely deserve it. You never know, he or she may later turn out to be Jesus. (Matthew 25:31-43)

HAPPY EASTER!

This is not a fanciful title. We hate to be in debt. The thought of it strips us of our pride and dents our ego. But
as God’s creatures, we are all debtors to Him- to obey Him with all our spirit,
soul, and body. Having broken His commandments, as we all have, we are debtors
to His justice, and we owe to Him a vast amount which we are not able to pay.

But for the believer in Jesus Christ it can be said that
he does not owe God’s justice anything, for Christ has paid the debt His people
owed; but for this reason the believer owes the more to love as he has been
loved. I am a debtor to God’s grace and forgiving mercy; but I am no debtor to
his justice, because He will never accuse me of a debt already paid. Some still
struggle with this truth and try to help their conscience by good works instead
of simple faith in Christ.

Jesus said, “It is finished!” this could mean
several things to different people but to me, He meant, that whatever I owed
was wiped away forever from the books of remembrance because He has satisfied
divine justice; the account is settled; the handwriting is nailed to the cross;
the receipt is given, and I’m no longer a debtor to God’s justice.

But then, because we are not debtors to our Master in
that sense, we become a thousand times more indebted to God than we should have
been otherwise. How?

Let’s pause and ponder for a moment. What debtors we are
to divine forgiveness and mercy. Consider that after multiple thousands of
disobedient acts, He loves us as infinitely as ever. Consider what we owe to
His power; how He has raised us from our death in sin; how He has preserved our
spiritual life; how He has kept us from falling; and how, though a thousand
enemies have flooded our path seeking to snuff life and grace out of us, we
have been able to hold our own on His account.

Consider what we owe to his immutability. Though we have
changed a thousand times, he has not changed once. I heard John Bevere speak in
a sermon where he said God spoke to him in a vision and said, “…ask
My people, if they want me to be as faithful to them as they have been to
me?” His name is still Faithful and True.

We are as deep in debt as we can be to every attribute of
God. To God we owe our very existence. He made all things for His pleasure, for
His entertainment, to just amuse Himself. Some people may be tempted to feel
offended with the idea that they exist solely for God’s amusement. But all creatures find their fullest fulfillment in actualizing the very essence of their creation.

Shouldn’t we therefore count it an honor and a great privilege
that the Creator of the vast unseen heavens and all their hosts, thought it wise also to
make us, along with the unknown depts, with a longing in His
heart, a hope and an expectation, that pleasure and pure fun will flow out of our
short-spanned lives and meet His eternal hunger? We are not just to yield our
lives as a living sacrifice; it is our only logical (reasonable) service said
Paul to the Romans. As steward of His blessings, we owe Him faithfulness and fruitfulness. This, in one word is- worship.

Oh that God will get all His due from our lives.
 I’m still awed that He won’t mind less than a 100-fold return on His
investments; He delights in a 60-fold and even a 30-fold. I don’t know how
He takes these measurements. But I know His righteous judgments will be
manifest in time. Until then, we must ask now, “What will my
repayments be worth to God when the night comes and books are closed? How would your gratitude to His unfailing mercies be valued? Your priorities today can help straighten out your judgment, in case you seem confused.

During a debrief session I had with my mentor Tim Olonade, on returning from Sudan,  he asked me, “What do you fear about
your work in Sudan today?” My response was not well thought out. I simply
answered- Nothing. As I chewed on that very question, I have since noted several things I’m anxious about in relation to my mission in Sudan. I’m surprised to see that some are so unnerving that I don’t even want to discuss them.

You can’t read far in
the Bible without encountering fear. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is
awash with examples. In every circumstance though, one principle is consistent:
God wants to be trusted with every detail of our lives, especially with those
unknown elements that provoke fear. Our resolve to serve God and seek His will
despite the fears, worries and anxieties of life is a testament to His
faithfulness and unchanging purpose.

As I meditate on
anxiety and ask questions about its meaning and workings, I imagine that like fingerprints, everyone has their own brand of anxiety, ranging from vague
feelings of dread occasioned by various handicaps, to paralyzing fears of loss
or of discovery of personal secrets.

Anxiety may stem from
unconscious feelings which may go undetected and thus never be confronted. But worry is a conscious
act of choosing an ineffective method of coping with life’s issues. Worry
suggests the absence of trust in God. Scripture instructs us not to worry.

Procrastination and
avoidance of an uncomfortable issue creates most of the problems associated with
anxiety. Though these twin strategies bring temporary relief, they both promote
and compound anxiety in the future.

“What am I
avoiding? How? Why am I putting this off?” “Why am I hiding
this?” When you ask yourself these kinds of questions, be prepared for
some internal resistance, a mini war, which I pray you don’t win. May
everyone who engages these questions be overcome by them deeply enough to seek
sincere solutions. It’s difficult to understand and accept that sometimes the
very things we’re doing for relief could be causing or complicating our fears
and heightening our anxiety.

Consider these words
of wisdom from Chuck Swindoll:  

“Stop reading
only the grim sections of the newspaper. Watch less television and start
reading more books that bring a smile instead of frown. Locate a few
acquaintances who will help you laugh more at life. Ideally, find Christian
friends who see life through Christ’s eyes, which is in itself more
encouraging. Have fun together. Affirm one another.”

It’s our choice. We
can allow fear and anxiety to make us their victims or we can defy them by deepening our dependence on God as we prayerfully follow Him.

In Nigeria today there’s been a breakdown, and a compromise in integrity.
Recent headlines say it all. From the ailing banks and their Chiefs to the
sickly but “recovering” Commander-in-Chief,
who his predecessor recently called an invalid (or was I the only one that
heard that); we are witnesses to and victims of a system built on a foundation devoid of
integrity. I’m still waiting for a name from someone in the Presidency, for
this current government. We’ve once had “a child of circumstance” and “a child
of necessity”. What shall this “baby” be called, after fifty years of self rule?!

Sadly though, insensitivity, wickedness and greed aren’t
limited to bank CEOs and other Executives in government. We
are witnessing a moral laxity behind our pews and, even worse, behind the
pulpit.

A person with integrity does not manipulate others or
the system they serve, for private goals and ambitions. He or she is not prone to pomposity
or arrogance. Integrity even invites constructive and necessary
criticism because it applauds accountability. Integrity is not afraid of
the
white light of examination or demands of close scrutiny. It’s
honesty at all costs.  It is
expensive but a higher price is paid without it.

In addressing this crucial mark of character, I could come
across as the “white knight,” but those that know, will agree
that
I struggle and even fail more often than I’d happily
admit; though I try not to spend time mourning my falls of yesterday, neither
do I treat myself with kid gloves when the questions, “for who and why?” cannot be answered without a tincture of guilt. It’s important to establish this here and now because
there are some things integrity is not. It is not sinless perfection. A
person with integrity does not live a life absolutely free of sin. No one does.
After all, Nathanael (in whom there was no guile John 1:47), still needed the
saving grace of Jesus.

Integrity means the absence of duplicity and is the opposite
of hypocrisy. If you are a person of integrity, you will do what you say. What
you declare, you will do your best to be. Integrity also includes personal
reliability, private purity and financial accountability.

This is the story of Peter, a disciple in Sudan. I met
Peter in April 2006. He came to South Sudan from Nigeria by road in October
2005; traveling through the infamous roads and bush tracks from Cameroon to the
Congo, via Central African Republic. His journey was that of an adventurous and
desperate businessman, with big dreams for success in a land he knew absolutely nothing
about. He’d later confess, “… if I was given $1million now to make that trip
again, I’ll not do it.” He traveled for 2months. He’s a red-blooded Ibo
man with a nose for business.

Peter came to know the Lord Jesus through my witness and
a whole new journey started; one far more challenging than his trip from
Nigeria to Sudan by road. Driven by his ambition to “make it” in business, he’d
learned to speak Juba Arabic which is the local dialect in just 5months. But
that was not what surprised me the most.

Peter walked into my room one day and showed me $1000 in hundred
dollar bills and said, “… I noticed the bank has credited my account with this-
and I didn’t pay that into my account. What should I do?”

We were at the bank an hour later and they were shocked
he was returning the money. I was overjoyed for him. Though life was tough those
days, it was so satisfying to see he loved the decision he made. He passed the
test of integrity several times on different occasions then after and still continues
on its path today; enjoying the riches of Christ as he matures along the narrow
way.

When you work and walk with integrity, you honor the
Lord. Regardless of your profession, your character and conduct are
methods of ministry.

Apostle Paul wrote, “For our gospel did not come to you in word only,
but also in power and in the
Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your
sake.  And you became imitators of us and
of the Lord, welcoming the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you were
examples to all who believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1Thess1:5-7)

Do we really desire change? Then let’s stand with
integrity in a culture weakened by hypocrisy. Let’s start by doing what
is right when no one is watching or would know. Brazen
courage demonstrated on behalf of righteousness, never goes unnoticed and
unchallenged. The rewards are greater than we could ever wish for.

This letter from John Calvin to five young Frenchmen
about to be martyred in 1553 for carrying the gospel into France was the
introduction to John Piper’s book- Filling up the afflictions of Christ.

It reads,

I spent time meditating on this letter when I
began to read this book a few weeks ago. I showed the letter to a dear friend
and his response was, “Uche, don’t you think this is what Osama Bin Laden would
write to his followers?” I was quiet; a little ruffled with his perspective but
awakened by the seriousness of Christ’s call to His disciples, which Brother
Calvin stressed in his letter.

One Umar Abdulmutallab, a disciple of Osama from
Nigeria was arrested last week Friday (on Christmas Day for crying out loud)
for attempting to blow up himself in a plane on its descent into Detroit
Metropolitan Airport USA. As if our national challenges are not enough. Are we breeding suicide bombers now? The
signs are worrisome. Let he that readeth, understand.

On the first Christmas, God entered into history by
sending His Son Jesus as a suffering slave who would ultimately give His life
after enduring torture and martyrdom. With that event, God revealed to us that
self-sacrifice is His specific method for tackling the problems of rebellion,
evil and the sin of mankind. Josef Tson said, “Self-sacrifice is the only
method consistent with God’s nature.”

God cannot respond to hate with hate, because if He did,
He would be borrowing not only the method but also the nature of the devil, who is
the originator of hate. God can only respond with love because He is love and
by giving Himself for those that hate him, He expresses the essence of His
nature. All who are born of God have become partakers of His nature and must
respond to evil as the Father did. This is our call, this is how He
triumphs over evil and gets glory for Himself through mere mortals like us.

The question that needs to be properly addressed when
martyrdom is discussed alongside suicide is, for what or whose cause?

We have several cases of suicide in the Bible; from King
Saul and his Sword bearer to Judas Iscariot and Samson. Others include
Abimelech, Ahithophel, and Zimri. What led these men to such tragic exits; selfishness
or service? Samson stands out among the lot. In contemporary terms, Samson rocked the Philistines with a great push. Call it a suicide-push, I call it a destiny fulfilled. He was born to end the Philistines oppression and he did. What are you born to start or end?

The Lord Jesus still
calls His disciples to radical living. A scripture appears in all four Gospels and the letters to the Churches in Revelation reechoes it, “…whoever will
save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for My sake, he
shall save it… Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Matt 16:25; Mk 8:35; Luke 9:24; John 12:25; Rev 2:10