“SON, CHOOSE ONE”

Some years back, my grandfather in the faith asked me what I see about the land of Eruwa. I answered that “Papa, I see us controlling both the spiritual and economic climate of the land”. He had a good fatherly laugh and he then said to me, “Son, choose one”.

He then added, “Son, I have been preaching the gospel of Christ for the past 40 years and I have been doing this full-time for the last 33 years. What will my father (he mentioned the name) be doing that he will get as much honour as he gets today? What will my friend (mentioned his name too) be doing that he will be where he is today and what will I be doing that I will be where I am today?”

He then paused and said, “Son, choose one. If as a minister of the gospel, you chase the two, you will not get either. You will never be a spiritual giant and neither will you become an economic giant”.

He then said that the painful part is that when your conviction is tested and you go through wilderness seasons, you will choose the most convenient end of the equation. You will end up chasing money. His advice stuck with me as a young minister.

First, there is a huge power in focus. You are either here or there but the moment you are here and there, you have lost focus and things will begin to slip out of control and out of your hand. Life and vision require the discipline of focus.

There is an interesting story in the scriptures:

Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”
I Kings 20:39‭-‬40 NKJV

What have you lost because you were here and there? What has slipped out of control because you were here and there? Some have lost a strong and sharp spiritual edge because of inconsistency.

Second, there are people like me who have the call of God and they know what they are meant to be doing but during the wilderness test, they fell to the easier end of “making money for a living”. They have abandoned their calling and their place. It has become increasingly difficult to return. To console himself for his disobedience, he calls himself a “kingdom financier”. Who gave you that office? You cannot use “bribes” to cover up disobedience. God cannot be bribed. Go back to him and ask for the map so you can retrace your step.

Finally, if you are deliberating whether to obey the Lord or not and it has appeared tough, be encouraged. A life of obedience has immense rewards. I do not promise you a smooth journey but I know God rewards His own. If you trust men to take care of you when they employ you, how much more is the Lord who is faithful?

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa