Am I A Success?

I think writing GMAT is way easier than answering the question ‘am I a success?’ Honestly, my first instinct would be to go and check the dictionary definition of success, you know make this write up sound smart. Then after, I probably would go check some deep quotes by Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, Walt Disney and their contemporaries; copy, paste, indent, put in italics and make bold. For finishing touches I probably would add some psychological reference on success (must probably about how it is about you), then finish up with a scripture. I promise you it would be a work of art; forget the way I am writing now, I would so sugar coat and manipulate the words that when I am done, you would be in such an emotional state and the only question that would resound in your mind would be ‘am I a success?’ But that would kill the essence of this ministry wouldn’t it? This isn’t meant to touch your feelings, emotions or mind, it’s meant to minister to your spirit and for that reason alone, I will be true to myself and to you… What I am doing right now- writing, ministering, blessing others- is my definition of success.

Rewind time, like 5 years back, nah that’s too far, let’s say 3 years back (that’s better) I would have told you that success involved a good paying job/business, a car, a house, beautiful wardrobe, ability to meet up to your basic necessities and still have extra for cinema and vacation; at least that was the beginning. Let’s not forget the career growth, the recognitions and awards. Yep that was my definition of success, the perfect life, neatly wrapped up in a box. Boy was I wrong… at least that was the wrong definition for me, maybe it works for someone else but not for me and I’ll start telling you why, by telling you a story of a friend of mine.

He was (yes was) an amazing person. He wasn’t too good looking, actually, he was not fine at all but there was something about his personality that would make you smile. He radiated this aura that made you feel alive, comfortable and at peace. He was bold, compassionate, focus driven, a man of truth, a man of integrity and of course the best part, had an airtight relationship with God, not even the devil could divide them (make we no come add man for the matter). He spent time every morning with God praying, then he began his day; focused on making a difference in everybody’s life by telling them about God, teaching them about God’s love. Yep I can summarise that my dear friend was an evangelist, took upon the great commission with zeal. But (yep there is a but) my dear friend was poor; feeding issues and housing issues where his first problem and it want going to get better for him, because he wasn’t a banker or a doctor or lawyer like some of his friends he mentored and taught, no my dear friend was into crafting, he was a builder…. Now that I think about it, it’s funny, he was a builder of things and men LOL!!! The silver  lining was that he had no wife or kids, so he might as well have been fasting all day. Back to the story, he didn’t care what he didn’t have physically, he did what he could with what he had spiritually, till the day he died. The cause of his death, the friends and people he took care of, He got blamed for what they did wrong and was killed. Would you say he was successful? I know many wouldn’t, broke, unmarried, unemployed, broke… but I know He was because on the day he died, He said IT IS FINISHED!! And right now, I imagine that as He ascended to heaven, God told Him well done my good and faithful servant.

I am not saying we are all called to be pastors or evangelist NO!!! yes we are all called to preach the gospel, but we can do so in our respective fields. Luke was a physician, peter a fisherman and paul a lawyer, yet they reached out to everyone telling them about God. The first thing I have learnt about success, is are you doing what called as called you to do? Peter was fishing, living his purpose when Jesus called him out. Are you a banker because of the Nigerian economy, or a lawyer/doctor because it’s a family tradition or an economist because school fees are cheaper? Or are you any of those professions because God led you there. I watched a video recently, it was about judgement day and in that clip a pastor was called an accountant and an accountant called a pastor, because of their failure to know their purpose, they missed out on the people they were to save and that was their issue, they succeeded according to world standard but failed according to God’s standard (http://bit.ly/2jX0gOt extracted from the book ‘Driven by eternity’ by John Bevere).

Second thing, are you preaching/teaching the gospel in your field? Or are you just going through life, complaining like every Nigerian. Are you declaring the glory of the Lord or proclaiming to your problems just like the world?

I started out as an art student, then went on to study maths (in university) and then ended up a lawyer. The amazing thing is I am not practicing; God is leading me in another direction. I am broke, with no job, no source of constant income, a business I just started that is draining me, I cant get my nails done, let’s not enter hair matter or clothes, I cant feed properly, my family is growing through lots of issues and to the world especially my dear family, I am doing nothing with myself, I am a failure, a shame to my family. After all the money spent and this is the best I can come up with? But to God, I am a success in progress and honestly, I just learnt that. My life is no longer packed and wrapped in a little box but scattered in the word. In these days of unemployment I have chosen to sit an hear God clearly on my steps; it isn’t easy, I get frustrated, I cry but when I hear God say ‘this is the way walk in it’ I know I am going the right way and when doubt comes He sends the likes of Mrs Adindu, to tell me to write and minister, that is my confirmation.

Am I a Success? HECK YEAH!!! I am working on being who God wants me to be, to do what He wants me to do and on the way I am proclaiming that HE IS GOD!!!! People may say I am not successful that’s okay, Jesus went through it for about 33 years then in 3 days His story changed, in a few years my business will be a success (in fact I would have moved on to another), I will have that car, that house and of course the beautiful wardrobe. I will have more than enough to meet up to my basic necessities and for the others around me and still have extra for cinema and vacation; and that is just the beginning. I will grow in my career and field and men will give, me recognitions and awards but in me I will know that I was a success long before that.

Bunmi.