John ESENE

     Lord, you know my identity. Please tell me who I am to you, to my relations, to my neighbors and to all around me and give me the grace to utilize my gift effectively for your own glory and honor in Jesus’ Name! To value the gift you are and to utilize it to the glory of God, you have to review your search for your identity from time to time irrespective of your age.

    Know today that what God says is more important than what people say: God first! He created us out of nothing for our own good; eternal life! In His mercy and goodness, He made His Only Begotten Son to die for our sins, yet we busy ourselves for the perishable things rather than things that are eternal. Dear readers, let us repent sincerely today and return to God like the prodigal son in the Bible. (Luke 15:11-32.)

    What are you born with? How do your parents, teachers, colleagues and classmates see you? Look into all these and ask yourself what you think you can do. Then, the next step is to approach God, your creator who knows you more than you know yourself.  You have to consult God, your creator who has a plan for you because you do not own yourself. And when you do prayerfully and meditatively, you will find Him because He cares for you. The Psalmist said in Ps 40:8, “How I love to do your will, my God! I keep your teaching in my heart.” And Jeremiah 29:11-12 buttressed this saying, “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.”

     Truly before God created you, He has a plan for you and you need to pray to Him to open your eyes and ears to see and hear Him. Before Jesus Himself embraced the Cross, He prayed to the Father in John 17:1, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to You.”

   In John 12:49-50, Jesus said, “This is true because I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak. And I know that His command brings eternal life. What I say, then, is what the Father has told me to say.” He said later, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

    When you consider yourself a marriageable person, there is the need to have a clearer picture of your identity. This will in no small way helps to reshape your life and work towards achieving your set objectives. Sometime ago, we were told that there were as many as 4,000 divorce applications in Abuja. When you are about to marry, go to God who has the file of the plans He has for you in the palm of His hand and He will lead you to the bone of your bones. Marriage is not a part-time project hence we have to be careful when making our choices.

    How will you feel if you are in heaven and your relations, friends, classmates, neighbors, etc. are not there? But the rich man begged Abraham “Send Lazarus to my father’s house, where I have five brothers. Let him go and warn them so that they, at least, will not come to this place of pain.”(Luke 16:27-28.)   Let us borrow a leaf from Peter who encountered Jesus and later brought his brother Andrew to Him. John the Baptist pointed at Jesus as the Messiah and influenced his disciples to follow Jesus.

    It does not really matter how long you have lived: exhibit the gift you are to others to enable many to achieve God’s purpose for their creation and God will reward you abundantly beyond your expectations. Young Stephen preached boldly, the truth people did not want to hear and they decided to stone him to death and he did not regret it. And he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!”(Acts 7:59-60.)

    When Saul was on his way to Damascus, to arrest Christians and afterwards, surprisingly heard Jesus asking him, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?” Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” and the voice said, “I am Jesus, whom you persecute but get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do.” Stephen’s prayer must have something to do with Saul’s conversion which changed him from Saul to Paul, a Saint!

    If you truly believe that we are gifts to one another, then, talk to all those around you to value the sacrifices Jesus made on our behalf. He took the form of man and went through untold hardships for the sake of our salvation. He proved beyond reasonable doubt that He (in union with God the Father and the Holy Spirit) created us for eternity. Yet, we crucified Him and mocked Him while on the cross. Do not say, “I was not there then!” Rather, rise from your sins and follow Him by obeying His commands!

    To value the gift you are, you have to know yourself and what you can offer to others. Acts 8:26-40 illustrated how Philip was instructed to meet the Ethiopian Eunuch and help him. At the end of the encounter, the important official was converted and baptized. As a Christian, have you been able to shine the light you receive to those who are in darkness? Look around you and see many who are weary, astray, sorrowful, wounded and needy and are looking up to you for their rescue. Many people including your parents sacrificed their time, energy, money, etc. to bring you to the state you are today, hence, do not be so proud of your wisdom and end up like Uzziah of old.