GUARD YOUR TONGUE AND WATCH WHATYOU SAY

What you say depicts what exactly that is in your mind. Your mind is likened to a computer processor that process all human thoughts. Whatever your thought is, it is what you speak out or it shows the way you behave. Your word pictures who you are. That is why the holy book of the Christians called Holy Bible says in the book of Proverbs Chapter 23 verse 7 that For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: what this Biblical verse is telling you is that you are exactly what you say or what comes out of your mouth and you will be judged with it. You must be able to defend what you say come sun nor rain or whatever situation you find yourself. Whatever you think you cannot defend; make sure it does not come out of your mouth. Guard what you say. You may land yourself in trouble through your utterances or through unguarded lips. This lead us to a story of a rich man called Ajeigbe (meaning money never get lost it will surely come back to the owner no matter how long it may take). Mr. Ajeigbe was a very rich man. He has many male and female servants (slaves). He has many big farms and he had a very big pastural farm (where he reared many animals like goat, sheep, turkey, ducks, chicken etc). There was no rich or wealthy man like him in his home town or his surrounding towns. Mr. Ajeigbe as a rich man has one big problem. He never gives respect to the king nor the king’s subordinates’ called the chiefs. There was no one that he respects. He fears nobody at all. One day, in the midnight, some people went to him to inform him that one of his slaves ran away (absconds). That they had discovered him and as they were about to bring the slave back to him the king had used his authority to take the slave to his palace to become one of the king’s slaves. Mr. Ajeigbe then started to send abusive words to the king without investigating the matter at all – whether it is true or not. Immediately, the same people went to the king to report all bad tings Mr. Ajeigbe said about the king. The king sent some of his security to arrest him to the palace. The king asked him what he had done for him that made him to be degrading him with sarcastically words he sent to him. The king told him to explain why he should not be punished for the action he had taken. The king even did not even entertain his plea and he was ordered to be put in the flame room for three good days. Inside this room, he experience many things – he was greatly punished, only God saved his life, he nearly died (he saw death’s junior brother). After the third day, the king ordered to release him from the flame room and bring Ajeigbe to him (the king). The king now asked Mr. Ajeigbe would you say bad things against me (the king) again? Immediately, Mr. Ajeigbe prostrated. He said, may the king live long, “I will never repeat such in my life time again”. Then the king ordered his release to gain his freedom and go in peace. After sometime, another group of people went to him again reporting to Mr. Ajeigbe that again one of his slaves ran away. Mr. Ajeigbe answered them how would my slave not run away, the work is too much for them to do. Quickly, the people said they had found and rescued him. Mr. Ajeigbe said, as my name depicts, it is compulsory for them to help him secure the slave back because “money never get lost it will surely come back to the owner no matter how long it may take. Ajeigbe said his money will never get lost. The people said,as we were coming back to your house the king again ordered and took the slave as his. Mr. Ajeigbe quickly paid homage to the king that the king would live longer that his ancestors, and touch the ground with his fore head. He added that the kings owns all the farm lands, the king has power all over his subjects and what they have including I, Ajeigbe. He said the king owns him (Ajeigbe) and the slaves, that all belongs to the king – His imperial majesty. When these people discovered that Mr. Ajeigbe did not abuse or send bad words to the king they asked him why he does that? Mr. Ajeigbe now answered that if you guard your tongue and mouth you will not enter into any trouble. When you guard your mouth you will not put yourself in any problem. It is wise to keep ones silence than to engage in loose talk that will implicate or land you in a problem. Nobody can harass or judge you with the word you have not spoken but you can expose yourself to ridicule, humiliation and even threat to life with unguarded spoken words. Watch out and be careful.

DO NOT PLANT EVIL TREE BECAUSE OF TOMMORROW

Do not plant evil tree because of tomorrow. Remember the seedling you planted today with only one hand will be very difficult to uproot with both (two) hands. Whatever you do today will become history tomorrow. An adage says what goes up will not stay there forever it will surely come down. This reminds me of a story of two jolly friends. They were of the same age who started their friendship when they were in the school. Everybody in their village knew them to be good friends. They used to do things in common to the extent that they wear the same cloth, and they hardly leave each other. They used to be envied by both young and old people of their village. One of them was called Elephant while the second one was called Lion. Everything they laid their hands on used to prosper. One day the Elephant was given a kola-nut seed as gift and was instructed to take proper care of it to prevent pest fro destroying it, because that will be the source of his prosperity. The Elephant told his friend about the gift, and he planted it. The seed sprouted with good seedling, to prevent it from pest he searched for material that will prevent it from being destroyed. After many searches he got one bottomless big pot from his friend Lion and used it to cover it. After many years the kola-nut plant started producing fruits, and the fruits were so special that everybody in the village used to book down or pay in advance to get some seeds from the plants. The Elephant time has come and he become rich. Then Mr. Lion started to envy his friend for his prosperity. At the end he requested for his old bottomless pot Mr. Elephant used to cover the young plant then. By now the young plant had become big tree there is no way he could get his pot back – unbroken than to cut the big kola-nut tree. Mr. Elephant explained but Mr. Lion insisted that he wanted to have his pot back unscratched. Almost all the people in their village pleaded to even collect huge amount to replace the pot but to no avail. At the end Mr. Elephant cut the kola-nut tree, remove the pot and gave the pot back to Mr. Lion. Before then, all child that Mr. Lion’s gave birth to used to die before the age 3. This had posed great problem to Mr. Lion and his wife. They went to an herbalist after the death of the third child. They were told that they should tie a kind of special bead round the neck of their child to prevent untimely death. No other sacrifice than that special bead. When they gave birth to the fourth child they searched for the special bead throughout their village only Mr. Elephant had the bead. He joyously gave the bead to Mr. Lion his friend. Days, weeks, months and years passed and rolled on the young child of yesterday had become a big lady (girl) and ready to have her hands in marriage with her fiance. Mr. Lion had set a day for the marriage ceremony when all his relatives, friends and villagers will celebrate with him. It was this time that an adage that says “do not plant evil tree because of tomorrow come true”. Mr. Elephant went to Mr. Lion some days to the wedding day to request for his special bead tied round Mr. Lion daughter’s neck. He instructed that the bead string should not be cut; it should be removed from the lady’s neck as it was given to his father then. The villagers rallied round to beg Mr. Elephant and told him that if the instruction is to be carried out, it means the daughter to Mr. Lion will die. Mr. Elephant insisted that he wanted back his bead as it was given in the beginning. When Mr. Lion realized his cruel character, the evil seed he had sown as Mr. Elephant narrated what he did to his own kola-nut tree and collected his useless pot back. He had no choice than to behead his daughter and handed over the bead back to the owner Mr. Elephant. Mr. Lion lamented bitten his fingers and weep sorrowfully but irreparable loss had been recorded. You must consider the result of any action you want to take and the effects of such actions on those that such steps will affect. Plant what you will love to reap today because of tomorrow.

THOU SHALL NOT COVET

In Economics term, it is established that human wants are insatiable. It is true that human being needs many things in term of material possessions to live their normal life. This does not mean that human being in their quest to survive should acquire what does not belong to them. There should be limit and moderation to what you need and how to acquire them. Whatever position you are either you are the boss or messenger of an organization, you should be contented with what you are given or provided with. As an individual you must always think about the outcome or aftermath of any action you might have taken. You should be satisfied with your present position and diligently working towards greater achievement without stepping on others toes, depriving others of their right or robbing Peter to Pay Paul”. You are greatly advised to wait for your own time and rely solely on whatever your creator (God) has provided for you at the moment. Be careful and never try to emulate anybody at all. What your colleagues did and escape with might be a trap that will expose your own nefarious acts. Covetousness is one of the major sources of untimely death that are rampant in our society nowadays. Do not try to acquire what you do not have right to. This reminds me of an episode (incident) of a man of God in a very big Parish. This is not a fiction it happened some years back. This man of God had worked and ministered in so many churches and now transferred to the Headquarter as the district head. In this station there was also an Evangelist of God who was younger that the district Pastor. Both of them were happily married with children. They were working together in the vineyard of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever there was programme or when they went out for house visit or the members of their congregation gave them money as gift for both of them to share, the district Pastor who is older than the Evangelist used to give out about five percent of the whole money to the Evangelist. This District Pastor would say to the Evangelist do not be annoyed you too will be promoted to my position one day. The Evangelist used to accept faith that one day things will change for better but seriously annoyed within himself. This kind of attitudes had become paramount in the life of this District Pastor forgetting or pretended as if he did not know that the Evangelist too had children and wife to cater for. One day, the District Pastor was in the bathroom bathing at the back of the Vicarage as he bent down, the Evangelist who was raged considering how he used to be maltreated by his District Pastor poured petrol on this District Pastor and set him on fire in the bathroom. The District Pastor burnt beyond recognition and bade this world good bye. Though the Evangelist was arrested by the law enforcing agent and questioned for what he had done and duely punished. What the Evangelist had done cannot be reversed it had become irreparable loss of life. As an individual the spirit of covetousness should be rebuked to prevent actions that will end your life with regrets. Endeavor to give room for equal opportunity in sharing of things or money – that are in your care. Many people have become victims of mortuary or found themselves in grave due to their carelessness and covetous way of life. This is a clarion call and signal for you to change and make amendment. Whatever you have done wrong or where you have gone astray before it is not too late so as not to bite your fingers in regret. You must have consideration for others and do the right thing at the right time to curb and prevent unforeseen circumstances. What would you say about a man that squandered and diverted the money meant for capital project for the citizen of a whole country into his own personal account? The end result was a sorry case of how he took his won life to avoid been embarrassed. Please do not let your own case ended with “Had I known, I should have acted otherwise. You are been told now take correction.

GOOD CHARACTER BEAUTIFIES WHILE BAD CHARACTER DEFILES HUMAN BEING

Human character is likened to flame of fire, that is very difficult to cover. No matter how one tries to hide one’s character by putting on a camouflage behaviour, it will show and expose one at the end. Character is described as a house or building you erect either on good or faulty foundation. Good character or behaviour is like a building with a proper and solid foundation on which the whole house stands. On the other hand bad character and behaviour is described as a building erected without a solid foundation. This is like a house built on ordinary sand without proper footing (foundation). Character and behaviour, could also be justaposed (compared) with a young plant seedling – this implies the very kind of plant you sow that you will automatically reap during the harvest time. You can not plant bad fruit and reap good fruit, you cannot plant grape fruit and reap apple fruit. Likewise you cannot plant yam and harvest maize. Let us examine these three elderly people that claimed that they were the holiest people on earth. These men left their home country and travelled to a certain town in a foreign country. When they got to that country, they were all in white attire (white cloth). They told the king (monarch) of the host country that they were the most holy ones among the human beings. The king was afraid and also amazed of what he heard from these men. Immediately he told them that the following morning he would honour them as the holiest men in the whole universe. He ordered his subjects to put these men in three different rooms. He told his holy visitors that there was a pot in each of the rooms, this pot was full of diamond, gold and money. Inside these rooms there was no light at all. My noble guest readers I hope you are enjoying and following this episode to this level, please read on. When it was midnight a thought came unto each of these three strange men. Remember they were not in the same room. Each of them thought and determined they would take out part of the valuable materials that were inside the pot, that is diamond, gold and money. They all dipped their hands inside the pot. . At day brake, all the citizen of that town gathered to honour these self acclaimed holy men. Amazingly, when these men came out of their rooms to be honoured all their white robes had turned red. The king in his majesty, called the people’s attention to them. The congregation then focused their attention on these three men. In annoyance , the king asked the congregation have you seen what the world has become now? The king narrated that the pots inside the rooms were filled with palm oil but they thought they were filled with diamond, gold and money. They king concluded that these men were not men to be honoured but they deserved punishment. They were ordered to be put into the prison until they showed signs of remorse and became a changed men – of good character. Lessons: You should guard your character jealously put on good character always. You should shun pride. Note that there is no single holy person on the surface of the earth but you should endeavour to be of good character. You should shun show-off. You must understand and know that no matter how cunning or funning you are, you cannot fool everybody but you can only fool yourself for a while. Your character is like a flame, even if you use the whole world’s blankets to cover it, the flame will find a way of escape. Try always to be of good character because bad company spoils good character.