LET PEACE BE YOUR STRATEGY! by John Obidi

On the 31st of December, 2018, many will converge at various faith-based gatherings to cross over into the New Year.

The regular declarations will be made by religious leaders which will be followed by rousing responses of "AMEEEENNN!!!"

How many people truly get the declarations promised? Not many.

When I was a kid, we were always changing stickers. Each year had a new theme that promised 'Final Victory'. 

It never came.

When I turned 15, I made peace with the fact that things would never get better for my family unless through my own personal efforts. I had to figure out the game of life on my own.

Over time, I've given myself to the study of life and especially the ways of God. There's a lot I don't know, but there's also a lot I've figured out.

PRAYER WORKS, but not in the way many think.

Growing up, we heard testimonies of people who simply prayed and woke up to find their needs met - new car, house, lucrative job, etc., and we lusted after those results with a convoluted understanding of the requirements.

Many have mentioned the factors required for answered prayers - faith, perseverance, determination, etc.

You've left out perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle - PEOPLE.

To understand this, you must understand why humans exist and why we function the way we do.

God made us to function in this dimension, because by His own laws, spirit beings cannot operate in our dimension. As He is bound by His own laws, even He MUST find willing humans before He can get stuff done.

How does this concern you? When you pray for something, or even vaguely desire it, God doesn't snap His fingers and drop it in your lap.

God won't steal from Peter to pay Paul. He created all humans and ensures that there is balance.

What does He do?

He looks into the timeline of your life to find the perfect intersection of people, places and opportunity required to give you what you need.

The most important catalyst is the 'people' factor.

God looks into your life to see which humans can push you closer to your goals. Imagine if after He has found the perfect connection, He finds that you have a beef with that person. E go hard oh.

Here's the interesting, but complicated thing - God is just. By giving us free will, He has made peace with the fact that our chosen expression of freewill, will sometimes be at odds with His agenda, and He is bound by His laws to respect it.

God will not force a person who hates you to love you!

When your file lands on that person's desk and he tears it up because of a memory of what you did to them, thunder will not fire them.

They will live long and full. You're the one who needs the promotion. Your destiny will be delayed until God can now find the one person in the industry you have not pissed off.

The Apostle Paul said, "Pursue peace with all men..."

Jesus himself said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God"

I posted yesterday, "In this business, people don't necessarily favour the competent. They favour who they like."

In this age where sounding 'savage' is glorified above thoughtful introspection, do not be tempted to step on the banana peel of youth.

We young people tend to be pretty hotheaded, but in my village we have a saying, "Eye wey dey cry, dey see road"

This means that even in the flurry of unbridled emotion, you can still work in your best interests.

Talk to mentors who are well into their 50s and above. Many will tell you rich stories about how they had to bury the hatchet with a rival in order to achieve a lofty goal.

These stories aren't told. Instead, it's young people who haven't smelt life that are encouraging you to "not take nonsense".

In 2019, be at peace with everyone. Don't intentionally piss people off.

There is no emotional or financial benefit in promoting the 'Pepper Dem Gang'. Why would you want to knowingly provoke a person into hating you? Are you so clueless about the workings of life?

Many of you reading this are 'upcoming' and so the story I'm about to share will resonate.

There's a bible story about David when he was running away from King Saul who sought to kill him. He had to run away from Israel to a place called Gath in the land of the Philistines.

Note that this was the same Gath whose champion David had killed - GOLIATH! He had run into their hand because he had no choice now.

When the men of Gath recognized David, they reported to their king that THE MIGHTY DAVID was in their land.

Instant wisdom fell upon David and he pretended to be mad.

When the King of the Philistines saw David fooling himself, he said to his men, "Why did you let him in here? Can't you see he has lost his mind?"

And that's how David's life was spared - wisdom. He had just a few men. There was no sense in fighting or provoking a bigger enemy

And so, to you reading this - there is no sense in provoking anyone.

Women, don't lead a man on because of what you think you can get. If you don't want to do, just be honest about it and set respectable boundaries.

Guys, don't tell a woman you love her because of what you think you can gain. If it's not true, don't say it.

We are all very young and that is what makes it dangerous - you never know where anyone will end up.

YOU NEED PEOPLE!

Employees, don't antagonize your boss in the office because your equally clueless colleagues will applaud you.

Thought leaders, don't use your tiny clout to 'sub' people - big or small. The streets are watching.

Be the sort of person that is easy to help - that when God opens the timeline of your life with an intent to bless you, there will be so many (human) options He can choose from.

This way, He can plot the quickest route.

In 2019, let peace be your strategy. You don't need to hang with every crowd, but be cordial.

You don't need to acquiesce to every request, but you can be graceful in your responses.

In 2019, pursue peace with all men, women, children and aliens.

God bless you.

John Obidi,

Founder, Headstart Africa