And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:10-11.
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matt 19:27-28.
Please refer to last week’s write up to fully understand and appreciate what we are writing about.
Jesus the most righteous and most sacrificial had to sit down with His disciples to properly answer their questions so as to allay their fears and concern about their future while pursuing the cause He represented.
They saw it as a common cause rather than Jesus’s assignment. No wonder many of them were matyrd.
Nigeria is suffering a massive brain drain today because people have lost hope in the system. How do you convince a young person whose father died in active service either as a policeman or a soldier to be patriotic and loyal when five years after the Father’s death they are still pursuing gratuity? How do you expect loyalty to a system that careless about its senior citizens? How do you expect dedication from a young civil Servant whereas those that faithfully served don’t have a place to rest their heads after thirty five years of service talk less of regular pensions? How do you expect absolute loyalty, dedication and commitment from a Pastor when he’s made to feel he has no stake in the system?
The greatest gift a leader can give to his subjects is not salary increase but the addition of value to their lives. When a person considers himself valueless to a system, he resorts to undermine, use or rebel against such systems.
‘What does the future hold for me’? Is a question every leader must answer for those he’s privileged to lead. The law of self preservation is a natural component of the human makeup. People resort to it unconsciously where the leader fails to convincingly answer the question. Many a leader sometimes get so isolated from current realities to assume that some basic necessities are exclusive. This is a major problem in Africa. A system that cannot guarantee a future can neither retain its best hands or attract quality staffers.
LESSONS:
1. When you make a person feel you don’t really need him now, he leaves you when he no longer needs you.
2. A system that does not guarantee a future will end up becoming a springboard for greener pastures.
3. Never assume those around you are not interested in a better future.
4. You won’t struggle for loyalty if you can answer followership questions.
5. People will go far with you if they can trust you with their future.
6. The way a nation or organization treats its senior citizens/staff determines the loyalty, commitment and trust of its junior staff.
7. Nations and organizations with a massive labor turnover will find it difficult to plan and make real progress.
COUNSEL:
1. Be sincere with those you are leading today.
2. Let the growth of the system translate to the growth of the people around. This gives hope, engenders trust and commitment towards the task.
3. Never assume those around you to be hopeless and helpless without you- you are not God.
4. Treat those around well, they will treat those coming well.
#SAYNOTOREBELLION
I PRAY FOR YOU:
You shall end well!
Your destiny shall never be subverted!
Grace for generational effects is activated for you in Jesus Name!
See you next week on this platform. You can share with others if you are blessed and led to.
