Showing Forth Enough?

By Jarlath Opara

For years the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Nigeria of the Archdiocese of Abuja has been on yearly prayer project to begin  each year. This Prayer project has been very valuable spiritually, helping to set the stage as one begins the year. 

This year' theme "Occupy till I come"  calls for stewardship, accountability and assessment of ones influence within  ones space. The chorus of the song makes it more compelling for one to deliberately look around and possibly  assess ones influence on people's life

"Must I go and empty handed? Must I meet my Savior so?,Not one soul with which to greet Him.
Must I empty handed go"?

These questions are questions only one within the calmness and serenity of ones mind can answer.It Isn't a magical answer.  It is an answer that comes with evidence of stewardship, showing forth light enough

to impart, influence and  mentor, able to have something to show, not coming to ones Savior empty handed.

Showing Forth Enough? To have someone to present to your Savior? Avoiding the shame and embarrassment of coming to ones Savior empty handed. The story of the parable of the talents shows forth clearly the shame, insults and embarrassment that await those that would show up empty handed before their Savior.

What are your network of influence? What influence are you  showing forth? Displaying even when you think you are on the line of righteousness,?

This morning during our morning devotion, my wife shared a story that cut through my heart. One that  defines ones life  even though one thinks otherwise. 

Who one is isn't the person one sees at the place of prayer, meditation, speaking in strange tongues or preaching great and powerful messages. It is rather the person people see you  present to them on a normal day.

She shared how someone got angry for being approached to aid a  bad idea. Why would I  be the person to be approached for such? It means there is something about me  that attracts such request he said. Obviously there is something about him that created that aura of possible complicity to such crime even though he is a born again Christian.

When people are very comfortable discussing issues of grave immoral and unethical implications under your  nose without holding back,  when they are comfortable poking indecent jokes before you, discussing ways and strategies to  engage in adultery, corruption etc it is an indication that the light one  thinks one  has isn't showing forth enough.

Our light of decency, zero tolerance of corruption and unethical practices must be bright enough to show forth the dazzles, the glow and the spark that dispel  darkness of immorality even from a distance.

 At any point the darkness of corruption and unethical suggestions come within ones space, seeking for complicity, patronage and indulgence, nothing but  failure of self stares at one.  It is time to pause and check the kind of light one shows forth.  Pure light that dazzles, dimmed light that creates shadows or disco light that emits many colours. 

Showing Forth light is good, but showing forth light, enough to dispel any shades of doubt of who one is, a prisoner of Christ and the gospel is the best.

There shouldn't be doubt or confusion on who one is. The clarity of which of the divide, godly or otherwise one stands on should be precise and distinctly  marked.

We can't be fire brand in the place of prayer and on pulpit,  while before people outside,  our lukewarmness, coldness and compromising tendencies are what define us.

The request people make, their comments, disposition and  comportment before us are more powerful insight of who we are than how we carry ourselves before them.

Many of us carry ourselves as men of great fire before people, sadly they see us as cold and lukewarm pretentious people, on our heads  fly, ants etc can comfortably perch and dance kuru- kere. 

Little wonder they can comfortably share corruption loots before one, and comfortably ask for  help in  clocking in and out of office for them either in their absence or lateness.

 Are you showing forth enough light to define who  you are distinctively? or is your light low enough,  creating shadows of doubts, misunderstanding and misrepresention of who you are ?

Grace will help us!

Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com