LESSONS FROM AN ACCIDENT
I cannot remember the gathering but I knew that some of the ministers in the church were asked to say a word about their pastor. A beloved one brought back memories when she shared about how I reacted after an accident.
After one of our services, they went on a routine trip of dropping folks in a neighbouring town. On their way returning, they had an accident. When she came to inform me in my office, I asked her, “Is everyone fine?” She said Yes. She was surprised that I was not shouting or angry.
Eventually, when I strolled out to see the extent of the damage, it was quite bad. But I insisted that the young man who drove should find some rest. Expressing gratitude to God.
What she did not know was that I wanted to break a fast that Saturday and the Lord said, “Pray and fast till after service on Sunday”. It would have been worse. My daughter was in the car and the accident happened at the junction of our house. It would have left a terrible scar.
First, I would say to you that you should never joke with the prompt to pray. The Holy Spirit can be taking a hold of your spirit to intercede to avert evil or expedite good. If you discountenance an urge to pray, you do not know particularly what you missed. It does not have to be that evil did not happen, it could simply be that you missed out on something you will eventually require in five years or even ten years.
A dear teacher once had a prompt to leave the queue in his bank to go to another bank. The Holy Spirit instructed him to go in and open an account. He did not need it but he obeyed. Inside the bank, he met an old friend. It seemed like a casual meeting. But some years down the line, the meet-up that day later yielded massive testimonies. Never joke with prompts from the Spirit of the Lord.
Second, your walk of obedience to the Spirit of the Lord will help you to respond in a godly manner in the middle of a crisis. You would have lost the energy or tendency to respond negatively. You will not explode, or begin a blame game. Why? The Holy Spirit in you will produce fruits of righteousness and peace. Your joy will also be safeguarded.
Finally, if you are in a position of leadership, please care genuinely for people. They are the unnamed yet priceless asset in your organizational register. If you have people serving you, care for them. Love them indeed. People are priceless.
Do not forget- Never joke with the urge to pray. You do not know what is on the way. Let the Holy Spirit produce a godly response in you and through you. Your response today can become a testimony tomorrow. Treat people who work with or for you well. They are people and not things!
temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa.