Right tools in the wrong hand

Everyone is unique from creation. We are all,but pencil in the creator’s hand; humans live in clusters. Every colony of human race is blessed with unique ways that defines their existence. As it were; we are obligated to live a lifestyle befitting whatever family we are subscribed to; where this is impossible, we are to voluntarily leave the place if the wish is to growth.

When the right people are given the right tools and placed in the right duty post, they will bring tremendous success and increase. If a man does not know what a family stands for and is placed as head of the family, he will either head that family by the principles he knows, which may be contradictory to the belief of the family he is placed as head or will end up changing the existing principles in the family to the ones he considers better. Where this occurs, there will be the possibility of loss of identity.

To be able to keep the right time, people should be given the right place and tools. Jesus once told his audience: “Do not give what is holy to dogs nor cast your pearls to swine,” Matthew 7:6. Part of the Anglican Eucharistic worship reads: “Holy things to holy people, if any is holy let him come if any is not let him repent….” Holy things are meant for holy people and for holy place. It is like putting round pegs in round holes.

If the church employs an unrepentant and unreligious man to work in the Lord’s house, it will be difficult for him to pull off his shoes because he would not know that where he or she is standing is a holy place; even if such person is told, it may be almost impossible for him or her to relate and understand it. Let us say, he manages to obey; it can only be mechanical with him.

When you can a master of ceremony, who is a total stranger to the belief system of the people to raise fund for the building of a cathedral for the holy God whom he does not believe exist; his background would always inform his language and motivation. As long as he does not know that when God’s people give; they are expressing the worth they have for God; they are expressing worship, fellowship, communion and affinity to the one whom they consider as Creator, Saviour, Lord and King. When a man does not know why the people are raising a particular fund or what it takes to raise the fund and what the people have in mind for raising such funds and he is asked either by chance or circumstance to oversee the said fund, it is either he misuses it or places other needs ahead of the major interest of the people.

When you give your uniform to a man to represent you, whenever such person is seen, he bears your name; it is important to be careful of whom you send to represent you.

The Morphology Of Time In Giving Responsibility
Paul in writing to the Ephesian Church made a striking and inspirational statement, when he said: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil,” Eph. 5:16.
In the above statement, time seems to be placed in a condition of been sold out and is now in the hand of someone else, which needs to be redeemed possibly with a price.

It also suggests that the ‘time’ has expired and certain things, which were supposed to take place in that time are greatly missing — therefore, let those things be given urgent attention. According to NIV, it suggests that every opportunity requires a measure of attention, which if neglected could tantamount to certain regrettable circumstances that could affect posterity.

The Greek word translates redeeming to mean “ex-ag-or-adizo” having a sense of buying up something to ransom; figuratively to rescue from loss and improve opportunity.Certain things could result to loss of time, opportunity and chance. When a man fail to do certain things required, he postpones it for another time or even generation; which means he leaves responsibility for the future, which might get to a level that will require more energy than the time it was expected to be carried out. Neglecting to take the right step at the right time could result to greater expenditure. Some of the things that it could result to are:
• Fear
• Obstacles
• Negligence
• Sentiment/favouritism
• Procrastination
• Refusal to step out of our comfort zone
• Selfishness
• Missing out in God’s plan
• Right tool in the wrong hand and many more

Fear
Men who fear do not dare, until you dare, something cannot be dear to you. When people fear, they lose certain precious things or things that would have been precious to them. Sometimes, out of fear people fail to say what is supposed to be said at the right time; when it becomes late everyone suffers it because the mouth that was supposed to speak out was closed as a result of fear.Sometimes fear makes people say things wrongly with the intention of ‘let us not hurt anyone,’as a result of not hurting someone, the future is sacrificed and posterity is halted. There are certain things that if it was said yesterday, the problem that it is generating today will not be here. To this, the wise man said:“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe,” Prov. 29:25.

Obstacles
Obstacles either make or mar the man. Sometimes; instead of looking at challenges you face in the course of life as evil; or as opportunity to prove your manhood, rather see it as God’s plan to stir you to dare greater heights.I did say once in my book: “Be Youthful and Useful,”those obstacles are stones; either you make them a stumbling block or a stepping-stone. This is because without obstacles there will be no tentacles.

Obstacles in times of urgent needs and decision making has made so many people to shrink back, everybody feels I am not ready for this now, thereby allowing the situation to foster and this could result to fossilisation of a system or organisation. You know a true friend and a true brother when obstacles and adversities come. How true are we to where we belong? In proverbs the scripture says:“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity,” Proverbs. 17:17.

Negligence
This is one of the killer diseases in the church and family or any group of people today. Everybody feels it is not mine to do, let others do it; it is not mine to say it, let others say it, it is not mine to go, let others go.When the job is said to be everybody’s job, it is logically nobody’s job. This agrees with an Ikwerre adage that is interpreted: “The goat that belongs to everybody easily sleeps away from home.” When there is a task for everyone and you are waiting for someone else to do it, and that someone is waiting for another just like that, you will discover that at the end nobody will do it, resulting to little or no growth in the system.

Sentiment/Favouritism
Seeking the favour of the king and leader has resulted to backwardness in the society today. When the adviser to the leader fails to speak the truth to the leader because he wants to gain his favour, it will not only place the leader at risk, but it will create a virus as deadly as ‘Odinga’ to the future generation.

That God allows you to be the adviser to the leader, today, is not a guarantee that you will be there forever. If you fail to speak the truth because you want to gain favour, you have not only failed that leader, but God and posterity. When that leader fails because of your wrong advice, you have failed and you even stand the chance of losing the said favour before the leader, if the truth is discovered at the end. The scripture affirms:“The king’s favour is toward a wise servant, but his wrath is against him who causes shame,” Prov. 14:35.

Procrastination
If not now, when will it be? Someone said procrastination is a thief of time. There is time for everything said the preacher (Eccl. 3:1). When the time for a particular task is postponed you are only adding pressure to the future.God grants us equal time, each of these times require certain things to be accomplished. Failing to accomplish what is required could not only be deadly, but detrimental to the future.

In history great minds had said:
“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of uncompleted task,” William James.
“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday, “Don Marquis.

Every duty, which is bidden to wait returns with seven fresh duties at its back – Charles Kingsley
Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. – M. Scott Peck

Be wise today; its madness to defer, next day the fatal precedent will plead; thus on, till wisdom is pushed out of life – Edward Young
If you want to make an easy job seem mightily hard, just keep putting off doing it – Olin Miller.

The two rules of procrastination: first do it today, second, tomorrow will be today tomorrow – Author Unknown

You may delay, but time will not – Benjamin Franklin
Procrastination in opportunity is a natural assassin – Victor Kiam
I want to add here that the only way to kill the future is to procrastinate what is to be done today for the future because today is the mother of the future.

Ready For The Master’s Use
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared to every good work,” 2 Timothy 2:20, 21.

God’s call is only relevant and we should response and accept it. Through the ages of man’s existence, God’s delight has been in human instrument.
Man is God’s container in actualising His plan and purpose in life. When God’s people step down in the face of challenges, God seeks for a man, and until He finds a worthy vessel, He may never show His almightiness.

Hear me!
When there is no one to prove God’s omnipotence, evil and evil men celebrate. The devil rejoices when we refuse to be a channel of good work, to this therefore, the devil will do everything and anything possible to stop you from been available and meet for the Master’s use. Until you step out, you may never step up.

When God steps down, changes take place; peace flows afresh. In this world of the reign of evil, wickedness and lack of farness, God is counting on us to be the light amid darkness. Step out for the Lord, may He step down for you and turn your sorrows to joy.
• Venerable Stephen Wolemonwu is the Rector, Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State (08035413812)