SENATOR'S JOURNAL

MY WEEKLY VITAMINS(Jeremiah 1-52).
Week 24: ABIDING IN THE SERVICE.

Jer  24:7
I will give them a heart to know me,that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God,for they will return to me with all their heart.

If you want a job to be done promptly and well, get a busy man to do it. The idle man knows too many substitutes and shortcuts. He knows the right means and routes to excuses.

Many times I am tempted to go with the believe that sanity has taken leave from true and dedicated service. This argument is simply based on the fact that many Christians today lives on either lip or eye service, that true service is scarcely seen these days. As the saying goes, it takes more than a name on a Church member to be a Christian. A church member is one who comes to worship and takes part in other activities, while a Christian is one who lives a life similar to that of Christ;a church member who would abandon his/her own self to the service, carry his/her cross to follow Christ. A true Christian life in its real nature seems to be a martyrdom to the present day Christian community, only a few are really practising it in our today's service.

True Christianity by nature, extracts a pain,couple with toils and hardship. This is the reason it is perceived as a cross; carry your cross and follow me. All the early Christians, the foundation members of the body of Christ faced persecutions one after the other, showing their resolution to live and die in and with Christ. In today's practice of Christianity,what do we see? Let every man/woman in the church membership role ask him/herself how true am I to the service of Christ,allow your conscience to do justice and the truth would make the difference.

The position you occupy in the Church does not make you a Christian or a true servant, only responsibility does. How responsible you are goes a long way to determine your level of commitment in the service of God. Some people are too good in the piling of positions only to raise subordinates to whom jobs would be delegated. Of about 25 societies/groups in the Church, they stand as position holders in 15(the JACKS) of our time; present in all but active in none. Then one will begin to ask: how much salary is involved, or is there a special benefit attached? To me,it looks very suspicious how a man would occupy five(5) or more positions in the church and still have an eye on another. Or why one would even belong to more than two(2) societies/groups in the first place. It breeds confusion, divided attention,self guilt, unhealthy emotional rivalry and lots more.

Imagine a situation where Mr Pinto is a President in CYON, a Secretary in Legion of Mary,Treasurer in Sacred Heart, PRO to the Laity Council, a Welfare Officer to Charismatic Renewal, and a potential officer to Altar Servers, Block Rosary Crusade,among others. What do you think would happen on a day where CYON, Sacred Heart,Charismatic are meeting at the same time in the same premises? Or a scenario where you are present in a church function and a need for societal representation arise? I bet on it  that you will end up in confusion and then,the real purpose of service has been defeated.

That brings me to asking a simple straight question; why would you( I mean You) accept an office or a position you know you cannot function in?
CYON for instance, has Saturdays and Sundays as her most convenient/suitable days for meetings and activities.
Why would you accept to be elected into an office in such settings knowing fully well that you are not available on Saturdays or Sundays?
Do you know that by accepting a position in the Church and taking an oath of office, you have made a vow to God? Do you realise what it means to take an oath? Do you sincerely know the meaning of the word oath? I might not be a good teacher but I will advise that you get proper education on these before standing your self for any election.

It gets me wondering how meetings and/or functions would be fixed for a society and organization and the same people(leaders) who stood and won elections into offices for the same course will give you a million reasons why they cannot make it due to other engagements. Even when you advise them to honourably resign and vacate the office for people who has the time,it seems martyrdom. That is why you will see some leaders who wants to become a Gaddafi in office, upon the expiration of tenures,you will need a joint forces of the UN and some special Troops to get them out of office. I tire for their matter.

I could remember how I struggled to meet up during my days of working with a private firm. Each time I prepare for meetings, one thing always come up in the office to keep me back,and my boss?, wetin concern agbero with overload? Do your job because you are paid for it,if CYON is your interest,go to CYON office to get your pay. A time came that I had to resign to fully face the service and I prayed for two things (Monday- Friday job,or my own set up) and it was granted me as I wished. I could remember that I didn't have up to  N10,000 as savings as at the time of my resignation,after all,most workers nowadays live like women on their monthly flows. The salary comes once a month, flows for four days and then seizes again, sometimes even becomes irregular. From thenceforth, I dictated my availability and God has remained faithful.

In a nutshell, my advice is; do not take up positions you cannot live up to its responsibilities. If you are already in one and you are not meeting up,please do well to pen down, do the needful and honourably step aside. Reputation is priceless, your image is too beautiful to be decorated with imported contours and unhealthy pallets of cosmetic foundations or primers.
Rev 2:7 says he who have ears,........

PEACE be with you.


Senator Solomon