Virtuous Living

THE BENEFITS OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE (I)

Anchor scripture: Exodus 23: 25-26

“And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. And there shall nothing cast their young, nor barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.”

Whatever we men see happening in this physical world is a reflection of what actually transpires in the spirit for the physical world came into being from the spirit world. The kingdom of God operates on a reward system like the physical world. That’s why when people work, they get paid and when a husband and wife meet they are rewarded with a child or children.

Nevertheless, rewards are in two folds, positive and negative rewards. When we serve the Lord well, He rewards us positively and if we decide not to serve Him and go after other gods, we will still get rewarded but this time around, that reward won’t be a positive one but a negative one. By virtue of the service rendered by men like David, Joseph, Moses among others, to Jehovah, they stood out among their contemporaries. My prayer is that every Believer including myself will also be rewarded by God Almighty because we understand Christian service.

What is service?

Generally speaking, service is an act of being of assistance to someone.

Economically speaking, it is the practice of providing such a service as economic activity.

Service could also mean the state of being subordinate to or employed by an individual or group.

Christian service however, means loving the Lord with all our hearts, and with all our souls and with all our might. ( Deuteronomy 6:5). This kind of service can take the form of prayer, worship, giving of all kinds, showing hospitality and care to the brethren and those outside the Body of Christ and most especially using our gifts and talents to work in the house of Jehovah with inexplicable passion. This passion can be likened to the passion we have for our education, job or spouse. Until, that passion is evident, I am afraid we are not serving the Father of all spirits.

What are the benefits of Christian service?

Firstly in Genesis 23:25, the infallible word of God says “ And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and, He shall bless thy bread and water”. This means if we serve Him, He will provide for us. This dimension of God is known as “Jehovah Jireh” in Hebrews meaning the Lord is my provider. God doesn’t just provide some things for us just like that. Do we believe His word? If yes. He said “ if we serve Him….” We can clearly see that this promise is conditional. In Genesis 18:6-10 we read, “ and he ( Abraham) took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them( the two angels and Christ Jesus), under the tree and they did eat. And they said where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, behold , in the tent. And He ( Jesus) said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son…..Over here we realize that the service rendered to the Jesus in His epiphanic form made Him give him (Abraham) a prophetic word about his wife giving birth to a child in her old age. Glory be to God.

Weren’t Abraham and Sarah serving God before? Yes they were but until we get extra serious and do what we have never done before to provoke God we may not have access to certain dimensions of the benefits of Christian service. Abraham and Sarah got a child among other blessings. For you and I our need may differ. It could be a visa, a job, a wife or a husband or even children. Isn’t it high time we served the Lord like never before and provoke Him to act on our behalf? People may have been making mockery of us or our God because they can’t see any tangible blessings in our lives. Brethren, let’s go back to our first love, Jesus, and stop saying things like we can serve God in our hearts. Let’s find a Bible believing Church and serve the Lord if we have stopped going to church. Pls, let us do something for God passionately and consistently that the devil himself and his cohorts wouldn’t doubt and believe you me, He will provide our needs for us.

“Jesus est le Dieu des miracles et prodiges“.

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

Chasing Clouds

Magnificent clouds caught my eye doing my morning run. I couldn’t help but admire nature in all its glory. How beautiful the clouds look today. Don’t the clouds look beautiful?” I asked my older daughter. She responded, “They look very beautiful. Wow!”. And then it happened. I heard in my spirit. How about you stop, take a minute and bask in the beauty of God’s glory. Pause and acknowledge Me, give me Reverence.

I was so shy and felt embarrassed to just stop and take pictures. I felt people will think I am just crazy or wonder if everything was alright. The devil whispered to me that I’m taking a risk and someone could creep up on me and drive my car off (I had two children strapped in the back seat). A thousand reasons flooded my mind why I shouldn’t stop and just worship God in the moment. Am I okay? I cannot be the only one on this ship ooo… However (drumroll🥁🥁🥁) I stopped.

People risk more to on a daily basis to take selfies, buy food, do business and even indulge in fraudulent activities to make money and it’s absolutely normal. What am I saying? Some even just park anywhere on major stretches of road to take a wee or a dump because it’s pressing (or they’re just plain indiscriminate 🤦🏽‍♀️). They don’t flinch about the possibility of being seen or mocked. Why on earth was I hesitant, afraid, ashamed maybe?

How many times have we denied God His glory, denied Him praise or worship in the moment because of flimsy excuses? How many times have we missed an opportunity to revere Him and praise His name in the moment, out of the blue? What would it cost us to pause our supposed busy lives, just to be present in His presence; to bask in the glory of His goodness.

May we not miss out on the privilege of that moment of expressing gratitude for His glory and exalting who He is because we are restricted by logic and what looks normal. May we receive the grace to glorify Him spontaneously absolutely normal henceforth.

When you take a close look at Psalm 91, you would notice that God’s promises are pivoted on dwelling in His presence. Really we have no substantial excuse to not go out of our way for Him when He gave it all for us.

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…

Psalm 91:9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,Even the Most High, your dwelling place,…

Psalm 91: Because he has set his love upon Me,…

🎵🎶And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine

And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

There’s no shadow You won’t light up

Mountain You won’t climb up

Coming after me

There’s no wall You won’t kick down

Lie You won’t tear down

Coming after me🎶🎵

Too many words may dilute the efficacy of the message. I pray that as you read this, the Holy Spirit will indulge and invigorate your senses to acknowledge the beauty of God’s Majesty. Thank you Father for teaching us to honour You by paying attention in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Love, Esinam.

PS: All the photos in this write-up were taken because I obeyed. I went cloud chasing ☁️💨🏃🏽‍♀️

Inoculation Diaries

“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.”
Barbara De Angelis

I witnessed an incident at my baby’s last inoculation that really got to me. A woman had just come in with her baby and a 4-year old child. She walked straight to the nurse on duty for administering shots that day and handed a weighing book to her. The assumption immediately was that it was for the younger child. Nope! She had brought the older child(4 years and a number of months) to be given all the shots she had missed. That was so weird. Aside the fact that the child had missed the correct timing for the vaccinations/immunizations to be done, how on earth was she going to take all those shots in one day? Was that even possible?

I sat there confused and dumbfounded until she begun telling her side of the story. Apparently she used to be consistent with the weighing schedule until the nurses begun to complain about her child being severely underweight. They bashed her so much that she stopped showing up altogether. And now she was back, after almost 4 years!!! And even now the child looked quite small for a four year old. (Disclaimer: I’m not sure if this child has any underlying health conditions).

My heart went out for both the child (the medical care she has missed out on based on no fault of hers) and her mother (the shame and ridicule of not being enough for her child). I waited and observed to see the reaction of the nurse. She was livid. She immediately started muttering about how she could not believe how a mother had be so careless and missed out on such important shots. Oh my God!! I was shocked. She went on and on and on. And then I gently told her that sometimes it gets very difficult when we come for these routine checks and they bash us, especially when the child isn’t gaining weight. Sometimes people just needed the support. She wasn’t even having it. I decided to mind my business and said a silent prayer for this mother and child.

As I walked away leaving the premises I couldn’t help but wonder how many times as Christians our sanctimonious demeanor, pious looks, judgmental comments/criticisms and glorified expectations have deterred others from staying in church to serve God and freely fellowship. Many hurtful experiences have caused people to erect high walls to safeguard themselves from attacks by fellow brethren. Our inability to live simple open lives or even be vulnerable to supposedly loving “church family” begs the question if we are even family at all. Rather than support one another we tend to compare and compete, tearing down others in the process.

It is for this very reason that:

•Many are moving to other churches

•Many are moving from the church head branch to smaller branches where they feel more relevant, more loved

•Many are staying home and supposedly sticking to the online fellowship adopted during the pandemic

•Many have evidently given up on fellowship altogether and no longer go to church

Our churches are getting stale, hostile, empty…

The world is losing its love. The love with which it was first created. The love for which Jesus was sent to die to save the world, even after our numerous attempts as humans to destroy it. We may lament about how quickly things are going south lately economically, morally, socially and so on. We may criticize our leaders and public figures for looking on unconcerned or not doing enough. It is evident that saving it by our personal little efforts is nearly impossible but we must not lose hope.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

We can however maintain a positive mindset and through consistent prayer and practicing of godly instructions we may sow seeds of hope, love and kindness to others. Faith must prevail.

Love, Esinam.

The opportunity cost of “woman-slaughter”

A mum said the other day that “motherhood albeit a tedious task is often referred to as rewarding”. It is evident that some women, married or not, desire to have children of their own but struggle to see a practical manifestation of this desire in their lives. Many in our society would certainly frown at any mother who portrays some signs of fatigue or dares complain with regards to their motherhood journey. Other strongly opinionated persons might even call such a mother ungrateful.

This mum proceeded to ask other mums in her community to describe ‘motherhood’ in one word. Vocabulary went flying off in all directions. There was an outpouring of several perspectives as expected. I gave it some thought and in the moment all that came to me was “WOMAN-SLAUGHTER”. How weird considering what the dictionary definition of manslaughter is.

Manslaughter /ˈmanslɔːtə/ the crime of killing a human being without malice aforethought, or in circumstances not amounting to murder.

Question is why woman slaughter though? Right from the moment conception takes place, a woman’s body begins to metamorphose in order to create, birth and nurture another human being. This takes a toll on her anatomy and impacts her life physically, emotionally, psychologically etc etc. The gamut of experiences that women go through is unique for each and can almost never be compared regardless of the sample size under consideration. There definitely are some similarities in what certain women deal with regarding their birth journeys.

Men on the flip side also deal with their own trolley of baggage however as a woman my perspective on their struggle will be very limited. I will therefore just focus on the feminine side of life. I neither intend to exaggerate nor undermine anyone’s pain or struggle with my perspective on this matter. Now to answer the question on my choice of words; ‘woman-slaughter’! It is incredible how much women deal with on a daily and especially when children come into play in their lives. From taking career breaks, to being undermined in the workplace, to juggling motherhood-school-career-religious and social commitments. Ha! The list can go on and on.

Many women maintain a high head and a gentle smile just to keep putting one foot before the other. It’s almost like living a facade to ensure that our families, jobs and society as a whole are well catered for. No woman wants to ever look and even deeper, feel like a failure. How often have women not shelved their visions for later or killed their dreams and passions altogether just to ensure that life is seemingly normal and comfortable for everyone else but themselves? The opportunity cost paid can be so expensive sometimes but we convince ourselves that it is worth it.

Have you ever thought about the following… ( I am sure many have but dare not say it out loud). Why is it easier for you to sacrifice so much to portray a seemingly perfect life while hurting inside however it is so tough to embrace living in the perfect will of God and walking strictly by His ordinances? Do I still have your attention please?This question is not to just women, it is also to men. Is it not an even more rewarding price to pay to know that living right with Christ here on earth assures you of a better life in eternity?

The good book says “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. – Matthew 16:25-25 (NLT)”

Submitting your will in its entirety seems like a very huge risk to take as far as common sense is debated based off of man’s wisdom. The best investment to make for eternity is to surrender your life, your will, completely to Jesus Christ. It is the most rewarding “WOMAN-SLAUGHTER” to engage in. Is it an easy path to take? Certainly not!, however Gods word promises that:

The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. – Isaiah 58:11

I pray that you will not be led by life’s circumstances but by the Holy Spirit. I pray that your heart will be filled with contentment. I pray that you will see and hear the voice of the Most High God. I pray that you will manifest your dreams and visions according to God’s divine purpose for your life. And above all may you find fulfillment and satisfaction and may your joy be full all the days of your life. Stay topped up and prayed up in Jesus Name, Amen.

Love, Esinam.

Virtue left me…

And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

Luke 8:46 KJV

Virtue /ˈvəːtʃuː,ˈvəːtjuː/ the power or efficacy of a person or a thing.

It was a typical weekday and per habit I had posted a graphic of a scripture and prayer for the day. Two graphics were shared that day and I chose the verse that resonated with me in the moment and posted that on my status. A while later my phone beeped with a response to my status update which read:

Troll: “This is old… I guess. Lol. Please, update yourself.”

Initially I was confused but after a while it struck me. The graphic I chose to share was not the actual “word for the day” but an old one that bore the same date. I proceeded to share this response, a long one at that and it read:

Me: “I don’t know what your motive for sending this feedback is.

1. The word of God is ancient but never gets old. If today’s word is not for you it might minister to someone else. Plus today is *date of incident* so I wonder what your interpretation of OLD is.

2. I think it’s quite insecure of you that you always want to pass on negative criticism or water down someone’s post. YOU DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO COMMENT!!!

3. I don’t know what you’re communicating asking that I “update myself”. I find it rude and unnecessary.

PS: we are not in normal times and you’re better off lifting others up rather than trying to find flaws and loopholes in people posts and lives. Spread kindness and be nice. Life is not a competition 😊”

Clearly I was triggered because this individual was fond of dishing out such feedback without reservation. And then the person chose to elaborate their opinion.

Troll: (sharing what was supposed to have been the verse of the day) “This is what I mean… It is current one for today on their *social media* page. Smh 🤦🏿‍♂️”

And that’s where I lost my cool. My response:

Me: “Well done. There are no awards for who posts most current information, Mr Headmaster”

Troll: “Shame on you too. You should have listened to my perspective first before passing judgment. Well, I understand.”

Me: “It’s my status and I post as I’m led to. Period! Your do not have to agree or disagree if what I share doesn’t resonate your whims, beliefs or values. Thank you 🙏🏼”

Troll: “Sure 👍🏾”

*In my head, “Did I just see shame on me?”. Where is this from so early in the morning?* At this point I had stopped reading any responses and had proceeded on a venting spree…

Me: “I never said shame on you. I reject your shame and negative energy. Why do you always feel the need to project SHAME on people. Please keep your shame to yourself. And you shouldn’t have been rush to judge my reason for not posting “a more current” version of *date of incident* scripture.”

Troll: “That makes two of us. Good night.”

(The Goodnight muddied the whole situation because this conversation ensued in the morning)

Me: “I saw both and I chose which one to post. I didn’t need you to come and “update me” just because you feel it’s not what was shared today. My platform, my post. I’m not obliged to do this. It’s my stage and I choose to use it to share scripture. I can also choose not to post altogether and no one can bug me about it.”

Troll: “You are right like a Pharisee. Enjoy the day!”

Me: “You’re just negative. Keep your thoughts and judgements to yourself”

It was at this point that it hit me: I was wasting virtue.

Next move: The said contact AKA Troll was blocked

I needed to save my energy for work, family and what really mattered in that moment and for the rest of the day. I had to let the feeling of being upset, triggered, patience being tested all rolled in one mood die immediately. Nothing was stealing my virtue and by extension my peace of mind.

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Colossians 4:1-6 KJV

How often do we waste virtue on unnecessary banter, argument and worthless exchanges trying to prove a point? If only we would be able to filter even our minutest conversations to be more worthwhile, we may have a more impactful life. Endeavor to avoid toxic people, conversations and unhealthy competition.

Many a time the desire to prove oneself right is to fuel our egos and spike dopamine levels. Let us spread love and kindness and be more intentional about our conversations and transactions as far as expending virtue is concerned. Every word counts, utter wise ones, seasoned with salt…ALWAYS!

PS: Don’t be like “Troll”☺️

Love, Esinam.

LISTEN

As Christians, many a time we pray fervently for God to speak to us or show us a sign and we expect Him to speak in a specific manner (through dreams, visions, a Prophet, an unusual circumstance or disruption of the elements). Some of us have even flipped Bibles to miraculously open to a page where a verse will jump up to us for direction.

Prophet Elijah had a similar experience:

11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11-13 NLT

Don’t get me wrong, several people have had their breakthroughs or impact revealed in these forms. However we need to understand that God mostly speaks to us in the ‘language’ that we understand and this could be in the minute details of our everyday lives that we tend to conveniently ignore.

By all means, spend personal time digging into the word. Make time to meditate on God’s word and ruminate it as much as you can. It forms the foundation to hear from Him. Communication is 3D, speaking-listening-understanding. Each element is divinely critical.

Observe the journey of your life through the mirror of His word and you will notice that along the way He has been speaking all along. God speaks to each of us uniquely; just as purely as His love for each one is. Just as we pray and meditate, we need to be intentional about LISTENING.

After all Job endured to keep his faith, God still asked him to listen:

“Give ear, Job, listen to me;

Hold your peace, and I will speak.

If you have anything to say, answer me;

Speak, for I desire to justify you.

If not, listen to me;

Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Job 33:31-33 NKJV

Read good books, watch inspiring videos, listen to great sermons BUT after all these LISTEN TO HIM. He yearns to commune with us if only we will give Him our time.

Clarity usually occurs when we pause and listen…

🎧 LISTEN !!! 🎧

Love, Esinam.

REVERENCE

The word REVERENCE stems from the English word Revere and in Latin Reverentia/ Revereri meaning “to stand in awe of”. To revere God means to illuminate His sovereignty in our lives. Let’s take a cue from the book of Job.

Satan believed that Job loved God because God had blessed him and shielded him. For him, if God took away His protection and stripped Job of the good gifts, he will turn his back to God. But God knows His own, he sees the heart and deepest desires. He could boast that Job would fear Him still (i.e. revere Him) even if He took away all that he had. “Have you considered my servant Job?”

Let’s see Job’s first test:

“One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.”

Job 1:6-12 NLT

Even when God is testing us He stills looks out for our best interest. Consider that although he gave satan full access to Job and all he possessed, He entreated him not to harm him physically. Our God cares. As the story of Job’s first test unfolds, notice that the devil deploys three tools to inflict hurt on Job. He stole his cattle and oxen, he killed his shepherds and children and he destroyed his property.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

The life that God has freely gifted us is one embellished with flourishing and abundance. The tests we endure are processes to weigh our motives and our hearts to ascertain if the outward characters we portray are a true reflection of our reverence for God.

Job’s trials came all at once and suddenly. Out of nowhere he began to experience pain and loss. The test you are facing now be it financial loss, marital challenges, emotional torture, social imbalances, psychological trauma, whatever it may be could be as a result of something you are actually doing right (provided you are obeying God’s ordinances and walking in His will). The word of God entreats us to be steadfast…

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

1 Corinthians 15:58

God is on our side and His has our best interest at heart. The purification of our hearts is to make us vessels of honour; to reveal the Glory of God’s divine nature. In our moments of pain, of struggle, of failure, of weakness, we may grief or be angry but only for a period. We must never forget our fear of God. We must return to worship Him for we are because HE IS!!

“Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.”

Job 1:20-22 NLT

🎶 You are beautiful beyond description. Too marvelous for words. Too wonderful for comprehension. Like nothing ever seen or heard. Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom. Who can fathom the depths of Your love. You are beautiful beyond description. Majesty enthroned above 🎶

We can portray reverence through our attitude, our focus and our actions. I pray that you begin to manifest the best version of yourself as led by the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Love, Esinam.