Thriving In Challenging Times

It has been my experience since I was a child, that the economy of nations has always been bad

The price of commodities has always gone up

The salaries being paid to workers both in the private and public sectors have never been enough Fraud, corruption, and abuse of power have always been the characteristics of every government

It has never gotten better in the world, it has always been worse

When the military ruled, it was terrible

When the civilians took over, it was terrible

There has always been a tunnel, a dark one with a promise of light shining beyond it

We have never seen that light, and we never will

It has also been my experience and my observation that what people believe plays out in their reality

Those who believe in government, listen to the news dedicatedly and always end up bitter and disappointed that there is no good news

Yes, sometimes the government will declare free education for primary and secondary school students

A short season ago, fuel subsidy was the one thing that every citizen of Nigeria benefitted from directly from the government

We know what the price of fuel was all over the world and we know how much we were buying it

Some criminally minded citizens, however, decided that they would make a killing by taking what we had cheap, exporting it to neighbouring countries, and pad up figures so that they could suddenly be called rich in society

Other criminals decided that they would claim to have imported fuel at a certain amount, collect the subsidy plus the fund for the fuel on the imported figures from the government without delivering the fuel to the people

It was a field day for criminals

It was the duty of the news to tell us what was going on

Soon all the things we were enjoying for free became bitter in our tummies

We still wanted it for free but we didn’t want the smart Alecs to have their way with our resources that way

We shut it down We would rather all suffer than allow the few smart Alecs to rob us of our commonwealth

Politicians have always looted our treasuries

Civil servants have always embezzled our commonwealth

It is how it was from the beginning; it is how it will be forever

I am not making a confession or declaration

I know human nature and the culture of a nation outside of the programming of God

There is nothing new under the heavens

The name of the culprit may change and the position he or she is holding in government may change but the crime is pretty much the same all the time

Many had gotten away with great evil; it is the ones who were not smart enough to escape that we see and cry foul

Has there ever been a time when things got better? Has there ever been a day when a crime or two were not committed among citizens in a country or a state?

We embraced religion like a second skin thinking in it we would be able to launder our image and gain the respect of many who would not see us but would see our devotion to God as a sign of our good nature

Under this guise, we perpetrate the most heinous crimes against one another and get away with some while we get caught for others

A drummer in a church I once attended lured a girl in the choir to his parent’s house and raped her, he was 19, and she was 16

The girl’s younger sister lured the keyboardist to her father’s house in the guise of, “My mummy wants to see you” The keyboardist got to their house, and this girl hit him with a stick at the back of his head

He woke up naked, tied to a chair with his mouth properly tied

She then proceeded to ride him like a mule, for hours

Their youngest sister witnessed both events and came to church to report

Everybody denied it

The sister recorded bits and pieces of it with a phone’s camera enough to see how true her story of the two accounts was

The two sisters denied it

The two brothers denied it

The mother of the three girls turned on the youngest sister and flogged her mercilessly, saying to her in Edo language that it is not everything a child sees that the child should have the effrontery to share

Truth forever on the scaffold, lies forever on the throne

Pastors with collars on their necks will use the “Perception” of dignity their office gives them to perpetrate frauds all in the name of making money and a name for themselves

“Many a man proclaims his own loyalty and goodness, but who can find a faithful and trustworthy man?” Proverbs 20:6

We have systematically slanted the purity of the message of the gospel so that it can profit us and our various ideologies

We have introduced a lot of pagan and unwholesome occultic confessions into our Christian consciousness

Our prayers had become more dictated by fear than guided by the Holy Spirit

We are stuck in the valley, sinking in a miry clay with our mouths full of lamentation

This is the state of every nation under the reign of darkness in today’s world

The takers from the West are still taking

The oppressed of the dark continent are still serving their masters

Brain drain is on the rise and the gains are at an all-time low

The politics is getting harder and harder to sustain

The economy is worse than it has ever been all over

The whole of creation is still groaning

And yet the Believer has been given the right to choose either of this reality or create another one that is independent of circumstances and far above the dictates of men, their policies, idiosyncrasies, ideologies, philosophies, bigotry, and evil nature

The key to this reality lies in accepting all that being in Christ represents and deliberately speaking and living this life here and now

Living and speaking in the mindset and the wisdom of the Just

The wisdom of the just refers to the mindset of the righteous

It’s a mind that’s yielded and given to the Word—easily persuaded by the Word to act in conformity to the Word

Such a person is willing to accept the Word and to make adjustments based on the Word. That’s functioning in the wisdom of the just. True wisdom is living in, and by God’s Word; being influenced and propelled by the Word to the right thoughts and actions. 1 Peter 4:17 says, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” The underlined portion of the preceding verse is the verb of the noun we read in Luke 1:17: “that obey not.”

The Greek word is “Apeitheo,” meaning the disobedient; one who’s willfully disobedient and unbelieving; the foolish. The Bible says, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God…” (Psalm 14:1 NIV). Being born again, you have a different mindset: the mindset of the just. Therefore, be swayed and easily moved by the Word of God; take your actions on the basis of the Word.

It doesn’t matter how something appears, or that you find it appealing to the senses or your emotions, if the Word of God says otherwise, conform to the Word

Discipline yourself to accept and live by the Word of God only. How do you apply this? Speak it, think it, be convinced of it, and act out your conviction

This was how Jesus lived

Surrounded by Roman soldiers, in an occupied nation choking with religious fanatics and angry people seeking freedom from their oppressors, a nation that had turned to religion as opium and governed by men whose desire to please the Roman Emperor exceeded their capacity to rule fairly

Born of poor parents into an inconsequential family living in a city in which it was said that nothing good could come out of

Jesus had a mindset that was greater than the world

He was never aware of lack, limitation, or any disadvantage

His introduction to us as a miracle worker was at a wedding at Cana of Galilee

His mother had put him on the spot

He had no stake in the wedding, He could have given a speech like “Cut your coat according to your cloth” and we would all have read it later and said Jesus is so wise or Jesus is full of some profound truth”

His mother put him on the spot because it was not his first time doing such a thing

It was however his first time displaying his mindset in public

He didn’t complain, or blame the host or the party organizer

He told them to fill pots with water and he simply solved the problem using the resources available to him

And he did it so well that everyone at the wedding testified

This is how to thrive in challenging times

No matter what the world may be going through at any time, you have been raised far above principalities and powers, far above the economic conditions of this world, and far above the prevailing circumstances of the time

You are not subject to sickness, affliction, illness, curses, abuses, depression, oppression, elements of this world, or the whims and caprices of men or women

See yourself as you truly are in Christ

Always and never see yourself as the world assumes you are in the world with them

You are not of this world

You are a saviour out of Zion, equipped with all the benefits of an ambassador of Christ, lacking nothing! Always remember this

You are either living in the Word or living in the world

You are either living the Word or living the news and issues of life

You are either asleep in the boat in the storm or troubled by the storm for your sinking boat

It can never be both

It is always either!

The wisdom of God is at work in me mightily; I know what to do, what to say, who to meet

All at the right time.

I’ll never miss my way. The knowledge of God is increasing in my life. I increase in Grace which produces in my life, beauty, honour, acceptability, loveliness, goodwill, benefits, endurance, promotion, elegance, charm, glory, favour.

I increase in divine favour; I increase in speed and accuracy. No weapon formed against me shall ever prosper. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, ye I have a goodly heritage. Ministering spirits are at my disposal, working for me. I am a world-over-comer; I am more than a conqueror. I can never be disadvantaged; for all things are orchestrated for my benefit. I cannot be disadvantaged in any way, it’s all working together for my good because I love the Lord. My finances are booming all the time, I lay up gold as dust. I increase in fortune. Great is my peace and prosperity. I am a great personality; a force to be reckoned with, I have access to all nations, no limitations, and no boundaries. The glory of God is risen upon me, I am the effulgence of God’s presence. God tabernacles in me, I carry His atmosphere of miracles everywhere I go. I am strengthened, energized, endued with power, ability, and might. I am a great minister of the gospel of our Lord Jesus. I am an ardent soul winner. The word of God shall prosper in my life and fulfil in me what it talks about. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I am who God says I am. I am a blessing to my world and All I lay my hands upon to do shall prosper and be blessed. Kings shall come to my rising. My future is bright and glorious, I cannot fail, and neither can I be defeated. I win always, in every situation. Every mountain before me is made plain, all crooked paths are made straight. Hallelujah. I am the head and not the tail. Any careless word that I have spoken or has been spoken concerning me is nullified in Jesus’ Name. Grace and peace are multiplied unto me. Springs of joy well up within me all the time. The word of God is effective in my life. I am super-favored; I live in superabundance because I am connected to God’s unending supply system. The love of God is shed abroad in my heart and this love radiates to all around me. Nothing can stop me; nothing can hinder me. The hand of God rests upon me and my household. I function from the position of rest, I live a struggle-free, worry-free life all the time…Oh, glory to God!! I’ve been qualified to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Darkness has no place in me, for I’m native-born to the light. I manifest this light to my world ever so brightly today and always. I walk in the light, as He is in the light… I walk in glory, strength, victory, and righteousness today. My life is the manifestation of the wisdom and grace of God! I’m what God says I am. Glory to God. Hallelujah!

-GSW-