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.
