Traffic Light... "Stop!' says the Red light, "Go!' says the Green.


While travelling to Abuja, we got to a traffic light in Lafia that was on red but the cars ahead just kept moving, and my friend who was driving went right on with the other cars. I was shocked that he did that, not because I hold a higher standard (cause I may have done the same thing in that situation) but because he isn’t someone to jump a light or even if he was, his dad was travelling with us, so maybe he would have pretended to be that person who wouldn’t jump the light. Thus I took the holier than thou stance and asked him why he moved while the light was on red. He went “really? I didn’t notice it was red, I just followed the cars.”

And of course, my wisdom cap came on when he made that statement. Most times we just go right on and follow people to do things when it’s clearly not right for us. We start the poultry business because A’s successful at it. We get married because we’re turning a certain age and our mates are long gone in the marriage game, we strive to travel for summer vacations because neighbors are doing it even when we can't afford it, we go natural because everyone seems to be doing it, we start a church because those we served with have moved on to have their churches, no personal revelation, and so we just go right ahead, and half way through, we crash, because we weren’t ready, the light was on red, but the cars ahead were moving and so we just moved along. I know a lady who's dipped her hands in different businesses she has no business being in, that the one thing she's perfect at has been pushed to the side. And no, those businesses aren't doing great, she's suffered loss from them. She just followed the bandwagon!

We follow other people’s paths, we don’t follow Gods timing or instructions. There’s nothing wrong with waiting, when you’re waiting on instruction, when the light is red, but there’s something terribly wrong when we stay still when the lights green. Know the difference.
When He says wait we just move on, why wait when you can move? Look other people are going. When you see people do things, hear for yourself; get your personal revelation before plunging right in.
You would do wrong when your eyes are not on God, His word and direction but rather on the cars ahead, you could crash jumping traffic, running on a traffic that isn’t God.

Peter toiled all night for fish and caught nothing! Jesus came to His boat asked him to launch into the deep again, and there was a big catch, an overflow. Now if you were a fisher man and you saw Peter and his friends coming in with his spoils that early morning, you would get in your boat and head out in that direction to fish, and toil and sweat, and waste time without getting anything. Why? Jesus asked Peter to move and he got a supernatural catch where there was previously nothing after toiling all night. Jesus was involved in his success, he launched out because Jesus gave the word, that’s why he was successful that morning, there was a personal revelation.(Luke 5)

I was on instagram and saw a former school mates post… she made herself some  cabin flakes. I got all nostalgic; I wanted it! If you didn’t do boarding school in Nigeria, you’ll find this hard to understand, and I’ll find it impossible to explain just how this ridiculous meal was a treat to us. So, because I saw her having it, not because I craved it, I went down to the shop and bought myself a packet of cabin biscuit (little rant… after all these years the pack still looks horrible, like seriously?) I put in the milk and sugar and a little water, just like we made it back in the day, but I couldn’t even take a spoonful of it. It was disgusting… what were we thinking? I couldn’t stand it. You see I made that out of someone’s own revelation, not mine. It’s something I would never have thought of doing again, I just followed her. When you follow blindly, you don’t get the same satisfaction.

Why are you doing what you do? Are you following or you’re convicted? Remember, life’s simpler and you may run into less hassles or confusions if you’re doing it for you, answering your own call, and not their call, not about who’s doing what and not.
When you’re called to a thing, hear for yourself.

Bishop Jakes said, “The right thing done at the wrong time breaks the rhythm.” Moving forward is the right thing, but if you do that when the light is red, you run the risk of crashing, right thing, wrong time... broken rhythm.

Comments

  1. "we go natural because everyone seems to be doing it"

    I thought we were all born with natural hair, and people relax their hair because it seems like the normal thing to do since everyone is doing it.

    While your post is good, as usual, and carries a lot of message and insight, as is known of you, I don't think you should have used the 'going natural' analogy, cos you made it seem like a trend rather than our default nature.

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    1. Hi, I understand where you're coming from. But my point was raised from the angle I've seen some girls come from... those who see going natural as a trend, and not a personal conviction of "hey, my hair is healthier in it's natural state"
      it's all fashion and a cool factor and as soon as they get tired, they're back to relaxed hair because they don't have the 'patience' for taking care of their natural hair.

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  2. Beautiful post.

    The essence of timing and God's personal revelation for we Christians in our daily lives cannot be overemphasized. One part of the Bible I like is 1 Chronicles 12:32, where it talks of the tribe of Issachar, who had understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do. Notice that in the said verse, the tribe of Issachar had one of the lowest number of people since they had a more potent weapon - they understood the times. The benefit of knowing times and seasons and to utilize this gift effectively is quite enormous. Thus, I pray this day and always that all the days of our lives we would know, understand and walk each moment in God's will for our lives.

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    1. Word!!! You've given me something to study.

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    2. And she becomes active in the comments box. Glad to see you come out of your comfort zone, glad also that I directed you to study something. Maybe we'd see a post from your current study soon!


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  3. It is interesting and sometimes boring to read someone else's experience depending on what level I am on the mood elevator. Like the words put into the mouth of Portia by Shakespeare in the Merchant of Venice - rephrasing it, it reads "It is easier for me to tell twenty people what were good to do, than to be one of the twenty to follow my own instruction..." That I have experienced many times. I reckon the most important experience is the experience of self - that is knowing who you really are. Else, all experiences (or lesson or whatever name we come up with) would seem like a record on repeat - which most of the time it is. It seem easier to go with the flow than to be the flow, but at the same time you are the flow.

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