APPRECIATION

 

Appreciation

How does one define appreciation?

How does one describe appreciation?

How does one explain what appreciation is all about?

How does one really show appreciation?

Appreciation to me simply means telling someone that you like what he or she has done for you, or showing someone that what he or she did for you or is doing for you is not disregarded that it is well accepted; that's the way I think I should or I can describe appreciation.

The unfortunate thing is that these days just very few people are the ones that show appreciation. Most of us are not interested in showing appreciation. I can't say I know the reason why but it is painful and it is hurting. However, one cannot stop doing things for others just because someone else didn't show you appreciation for the help or the good things you did for him/her.

Just recently I took a look at myself, I took a look at how far God has led me. I took a look at how good I've been to people and how they have shown their appreciations and how they have shown me that they understood or that they're in understanding of what I have done or what I am doing for them. But I can't say there are many people that have passed through me or simply put, that I have once helped or that I have shown care that responded positively. 

I can't say that there are many people who have proven to me that what I have done or what I am doing for them is appreciated. 

From what I discovered I found out that I have a less than 10% or less than 15% of those whom I have gone out of my way to show kindness, who returned with appreciation or who still consider me important in their life.

It actually wanted to bother me so much but I remembered that in the Bible Jesus Christ healed ten lepers but just one came back to show his appreciation. The remaining nine never returned or at the time it was been reported they didn't come back, so it dawned on me that is actually a part of the human nature. 

Because the nine didn't come back to show appreciation to Jesus Christ, didn't stop Him from doing good things for other people or from healing the sick. Therefore I told myself because someone or some people have not respected what I did for them is not enough reason for me to stop doing good to other people.

Because I know that some of you reading this right now are thinking or saying "I can't do good to anyone again because the people that I have done good to have never returned to show me appreciation." Some of them even when they met you in a situation where they're supposed to help you never did. Then because of that you decided that you will never help anyone again.

No! whether they show you appreciation or not don't stop doing good. Whether they show you appreciation or not don't stop being you. Whether they show you appreciation or not don't stop shining your light into the life of other people. 

You don't know why you are still alive, you don't know why you're enjoying the little benefits you enjoy.

My dear friend keep doing good, keep showing kindness, continue pointing your good light towards others. Keep showing people that you're created to be a good person not because you're pretending but because it is your nature.

One day one day, Someday someday, you will live to enjoy the benefits of all the kindness you've shown to people.  Like Ralph Waldo Emerson said "kindness is like a perfume you can't spray it on others without a bit of it touching you."

Just keep doing good and showing kindness, keep loving.

God bless you.

I am Sirnoel

I see the world differently.

LEADERS: BORN OR MADE

 LEADERS: ARE THEY BORN OR MADE?

By Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel

(Relationship and Leadership Coach)

This topic has been a long time argument or should I say “discussion” amongst us (the living). I don’t think there is any generation that has existed without people trying to find out which is which.

But be that as it may, I will say leaders are born and also are made. Some leaders that we have today were born to be leaders while some were made leaders either by choice or by circumstances. 

Let me put it this way: there are people who are born with leadership traits while there are others who learnt it. I wouldn’t know the percentage of those who are born leaders and those who learnt leadership. But if you ask for my sincere suggestion I will suggest that those who are made are more than those who are born leaders. I am talking about those who are actually leading today. 

What are my reasons?

There are people who circumstances forced into leadership position (circumstances like sudden death of their leader; no one is willing to take over and they were cajoled or convinced to take over; sudden death of their father or husband or wife), they never prepared nor planned for it. 

There are people who become leaders because they so much desire to be one and not really because they have any natural leadership trait.

There are people who became leaders because people like their charisma and attitude with things or other people.

The people that fall into the above mentioned categories can be said to be accidental leaders, or leaders that are made.

But whether one is a born leader or a made leader, the most important thing is the person’s ability to positively lead those who he leads.

EXTERNAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS:

It is important we note that every leader whether born or made need to learn some external leadership skills if he must survive the hash whether outside their which every leader must face. That is what we call leadership development. Let me say this before I continue that external leadership skills differ per individual organization and per environment. And this is why no leader should depend only on his her natural trait. You need to constantly develop and improve yourself and if you don’t do that, the people you are leading might leave you behind.

Most organizations that were founded by someone else or that was formerly led by someone else won’t need the same level of energy with a fresh founded organization.  You will need more energy and more tactical approach when leading an organization that has had previous leader(s). Because you have to deal either with the positive or negative influence of the former leader.

And any leader who was leading without supervision would need some external skill(s) to lead under supervision. Because there are things he would do without supervision and no one would ask questions that if he does under supervision, he might lose his position. Leaders who constantly study how things evolve around them hardly “go out of fashion,” they are always relevant. 

Another thing is leading in rural area, semi urban area and urban area requires different skills too. Because the level of exposure of the people in this places are not the same.

Leading your mates, same gender, mixed gender and mixed age grade also requires skills that you must develop. 

... To be continued

NNAMDI KANU & his CONDITIONAL call for ELECTION BOYCOTT

The brouhaha that has followed Nnamdi Kanu’s conditional call for election boycott is deafening the ear. The way people write about it and condemn Nnamdi Kanu makes the call look unconditional. It is a pity that we find ourselves in country where figment of the imagination holds supreme. We live in a country where reality is relegated to the background and half truth and total falsehood are promoted with impunity.

What I hate most in Nigeria’s journalism sector today is their penchant for sensationalism and simulation. It was so bad that our journalists and political commentators are mostly “arm chaired” and “internet research” based. Today they have added high profile simulation to their laziness. What most of those who call themselves journalists do today is just to sit at the comfort of their homes and offices buy data, surf the internet ant whatever news that makes the headline, becomes news for them.  Whatever that happened to investigative journalism only God knows.

Today what our journalists do is take any part of a story they believe that will gain more sympathy or out cry and publish it then strangle if possible the main body of the said story. It is so unfortunate that many of us that claim to be learned and intelligent are far behind what we claim. Well sometimes I don’t blame the journalists because the owners of media houses are more interested in making profit than passing on information.

I have watched disgustingly how our journalists and political commentators have snuffed life out of Nnamdi Kanu’s statement on election boycott. Sometimes I wonder if a blanket is placed on our eyes for us not to see the statement in its completeness. What a shame to those who claim to have been to school. What a shame to all those who call themselves Leaders of Thought. What a shame to Ndi Igbo that have been busy calling Nnamdi Kanu names for going against the status quo.

I am one of those who do not like Nnamdi Kanu and his manner of approach to things. I don’t like the way he talks. As a matter of fact, prior to his arrest by Emperor Buhari, I call him a comedian. I call him a comedian because then any time I listen to his broadcast in Radio Biafra his style puts laughter on my lips. But though I call him a comedian, I don’t shut my eyes to the truths of his words. Let me also add that I have never been and will never be his fan. As I wrote before, I will never shut my eyes to the truths in what he says.

WHY I WRITE THIS PIECE:

 The news has it that Nnamdi Kanu is telling Ndi Igbo to boycott elections but I have taken my time to listen and read what Nnamdi Kanu and his people said. No where did I see where they said Ndi igbo should not participate in elections in Nigeria, what I heard them say is “there will be no election again in Biafran Land until a DATE for a referendum is fixed.” That statement has a condition attached to it. Why are we not talking about the condition? Why do our journalists and political commentators avoid that part that says “until a date is fixed for a referendum?” Why dish out half news to the people just to buy sympathy and promote hatred against our people?

What I thought all these Igbo political juggernauts that are running up and down calling for the head of Nnamdi Kanu would have done is to find a way of making the FG government to come up with a date for a referendum. Anyway I must be deluding myself to think that men and women who are political jobbers will ever think of a referendum. People whose only trade are politics because in a country like Nigeria where people get into politics to collect their own share of ‘National cake” to the detriment of their children unborn anything against the status quo is vehemently rejected.

These men have made us think they are trying to protect the interest of Ndi Igbo by shouting down IPOB/MASSOB and their leadership for trying to think outside the box. No! They are only interested in what they will lose if the status quo changes. These men do not care about anybody who does not belong to them. They only care about Nigeria because it is their cash cow.

MY OPINION:

Instead of Ohaneze Ndigbo and APGA wasting their energy on Nnamdi Kanu and his group, they should fine a way of engaging the Federal Government in dialogue to come up with a date for a referendum. I know referendum was in our original constitution but it was removed by the Military that packaged 1999 constitution as amended. Those who are worried that if election does not hold in Anambra state this year it will spell doom can prevail on NAS to invoke the doctrine of Necessity. I am sure if those people that call themselves Honorable Members and Distinguished Senators love Ndi Igbo the way they are all claiming to, they will accept and fix a date for a referendum.

Referendum is a 50/50 thing. If FG think that Ndi Igbo is happy with them and love the name Nigeria so much. What they should do is to get prove of it by fixing a date for a referendum. If Ohaneze Ndigbo thinks Ndigbo love Nigeria so much, they should get FG government fix a date and organize a referendum.

Ndi Igbo have a saying that says, “obughi onye kporo polisi na ekpegbu” (It is not the person that invited the police into a case that wins). IPOB/MASSOB should know this. After all, in Spain the Catalonians were shouting like this some years ago but when referendum were eventually held those that want to stay with Spain won and today they are still part of Spain. What about the people of Scotland? Some years back they were also shouting they want to leave the UK, but when referendum was eventually held. Those that want Scotland to remain in the UK took the day and today they are still there. So my Biafran agitators should know that referendum might favor or not favor them.

Finally: For peace to reign, LET A DATE FOR A REFERENDUM BE FIXED before November 18. The referendum can be fixed to hold in 2019 but let there be an agreed date between the agitators of Biafra, Igbo Leaders and Federal Government. To stop the shedding of Blood of Ndi Igbo, to stop the incarceration of young Igbo men and women by this blood thirsty Government. Chief John Nnia Nwodo should mobilize Those that call themselves Igbo Leaders so they should approach Abuja for a DATE.

Thank you for reading… Onye n’agu ya na atughari uche…

Aham bu Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel…

A Good Leader

A GOOD LEADER
Good leaders are made and not born. For someone to become a good leader the person has to pass through many processes. Good leaders are not made over night. Just like a good wine, it has to go through some stuff. It has to be pressed, put in a place to ferment then pressed again, sifted then has to be blended with some other stuff being to become a good wine.

Remember that in my introduction I wrote “leadership is not a place but a journey without destination.” So good leaders are made through continuous process of learning, studying, education, training, self-development and experience. Good leaders are always looking for ways to improve themselves. They are on a never ending journey of self development. They always seek a better way to lead because once you think you have arrived in leadership, you will start to sink into the deep waters of bad leadership.

Therefore anyone that has will power to learn from everything God has made can become a good and effective leader. We are not born with good leadership ability. There are people who are naturally good and wonderful but once they take up a leadership position you see them falter. Some become very aggressive and defensive. While others become unapproachable. These things happen because the person probably was not ready educationally (education here has nothing to do with four walls of classroom) to lead. They were not well educated on the journey of leadership. Even parents fail too because before they went into family life they didn’t know that it is not just about the wedding day activity.
Let me say this at this point. We will do ourselves and families then our nation some good if we start early to expose our children and younger ones to leadership roles; guiding them on how to be better leaders as they grow in life. Because if most of us have known on time that we are leaders, there are mistakes we have made which we would never have made.

Good leadership is a product of first all “who you are” before “what you do.” But most people are more interested in what they do than who they are. If one is able to develop himself to become it will so easy to do. It is important we pay attention to what we do but it is much more expedient for us to pay attention to whom we become.

Most times what people see us manifest is coming out of what have right inside of us. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 12:35-36 “ good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS:
Someone wrote, “to inspire your followers into higher levels of performance, there are certain things you must KNOW, BE, and, DO. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continuous work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.”

What do they study? They study life style of other leaders both living and dead. They study trees, ants, animals and every other creature you can think off. The Bible says in Proverbs 6:6-8, “go to the ants though they have no visible leader, still have the ability to provide for it selves what to eat in the rainy season during the dry season.” (Paraphrased)

There is this popular saying that says “readers are leaders.” People that have time to read have more current information on issues of any discuss more than those who do not read. But it is unfortunate that these days we have more people that “watch, play, Chat, gossip” than those that actually read.
In reading it is not just about reading book but also about “reading” people. To me I learn from everybody and anything. I discovered early in life that I can learn from everybody and anything. If I go to poorly organized event, what I will learn is “how not to organize event.” If I found myself in a very well organized event I will learn how to organize event very well. No matter what you think of me I will still try to learn from you.
I am from a relatively large family. I look at my father and uncles and how they handle their families. I look at how each of them brings up their children. I told myself when I was younger that I have enough school of marriage in Onuigwe’s family. I don’t need any other school or adviser to tell me how to live with my own family when I get married and start having children. I took my time to understudy each branch of Onuigwe’s family.
I also look at their relationship with their wives and that is what formed my inside as a person. I am not a naturally patience person. I know there was a time in Onuigwe’s family when many people (especially the older ones) were so worried about me. They were worried and wondering how I would live with a woman and live peacefully. The worry was written all over their faces and how they react toward me anytime I have one of those my anger bursts.

Let me briefly confess this here; what I found very unpleasant as a teenager in the life of my Father and uncles’ relationship with their wives is their closeness to their wives. Because these men are (yes they still are) so much attached to their wives, sometimes I feel they care more about their wives than they care about we their children. I was wrong anyway; well it was age that taught me they love their children as much as they love their wives.

What we know is what makes us. Not what we do. Therefore as leader try to know as much as possible so that you can become. What I learnt and still learning from those I call leaders in my family became what I now know and that is what formed and still forming my inside.

As a leader both in spiritual and physical thing I am so open to learning. I am open to understudy anybody you wouldn’t even know that you are a “case” study for me. Because I want to get better on this never ending journey of leadership, I even study people who I don’t like or appreciate their beliefs or way of life.
Remember this “to inspire your followers into higher levels of performance, there are certain things you must KNOW, and then BECOME, before you DO.” It is what we know that determines who we become and who we have become motivates what we do. This is the simplest way to interpret this.

If we spend time in whom we become the out come of that will be noticed even before we take up any leadership position. Because it is not the bottle that makes a good wine. The justification to which ever price that is attached to a product is not in the packaging but in the quality. The quality of every product is in the inside. Shiv Khera wrote in his book YOU CAN WIN, “it is not the size of the dog in a fight but the size of the fight in a dog.” (Revised Edition). What is important is not the picture you portray outside but what lies within the veil. Get all the training and keep getting them to become the very best of a leader as you can.

It is not about what we see outside but about what is inside. I love watching documentaries and reading interviews of those we consider great men in any field at all. I like to read biographies so much because I believe that is where at least I can get a little glimpse of who someone was when he was here on earth. As a leader what people see outside or what you do should be a product of what you have become.

Leaders inspire, guide and mentor others to achieve great things. If a man does not have a certain quality there is no way he can pass it on to another person. Nobody can give out a car or a house that does not belong to him to another person. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 12:34-35 “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” It is what we have inside that we give out when we occupy any leadership position.
As a leader keep learning..
Lots of Love…

Image credit: www.likeateam.com

Stop illegal copying of my work.
Plagiarism is a punishable offence BE WARNED.
Take permission and mention Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel as the Author and owner of the work.

I am Leader

I AM A LEADER
Now that you know who a leader is I am sure you can see the place where you fit in in the whole leadership thing. I think this will also help you to know you are a leader. I know there are people who argue that leaders are born while some others believe leaders are made.
But what do you think?
ARE LEADERS BORN OR MADE?
Most of us belong to one of the divides while few of us belong to both. Someone like me believes leaders are born and are made too. I believe we all are born leaders and I also believe leaders are made. Let me put it in a simplest form I could; leaders are born (all of us are born leaders) but GOOD LEADERS are made. I think this is easier to understand now.
Please just follow me and hear my reasons.
The reason why many exempt themselves from being called leader is because they always think that leadership means position. Yes we have some people who by the position they are occupying today are leaders but that does not mean that you who presently are not occupying any position is not a leader. No! You are a leader whether you are occupying a post/position or not.
Allow me to drop this truth before I continue:
It is a fact that someone without any leadership position stands a better chance of influencing more people than the person with position. He also stands a better chance of having genuine followership than the person who is currently being called “Onye isi.” Just hold your peace, we shall come back to discuss this as we progress.
As I wrote before I am sure as you are now, you have some friends or even play group and I am also sure that many times those your friends or play group have looked up to you for a decision in some important issues. Let me say it like John C. Maxwell would say it “Leadership is influence.” What I am trying to say here is this; once you are able to have some level of influence on people or individual, you are a leader. It will be very important to note this: Position does not define a leader; position is only an avenue to make your “leaderabilty” known or noticed faster.

It is because of this notion that until one occupies a position he is not a leader that they kept saying “youths are the leaders of tomorrow” and in the Nigerian milieu or even the whole of Africa; tomorrow never comes. If you look round African especially in Nigeria my country you will discover that those who occupy leadership position at all levels are people who are well over their prime. These men and women are supposed to be leading from the side line but they refused to leave the pitch for their children with younger mind and dexterity to continue the play.
These old men and women keep pumping this tomorrow’s leader thing into the brain of our youths then because the youths of Nigeria believe or think their time to lead is “tomorrow,” they keep on playing away their time. Most are in school without any plan of what to do with their life after school. They are just happy they are not living with their parents and they just want to enjoy their freedom while it last because all operating cost are on the bank account of Dad, Mum, Uncle or Aunty.
Have you noticed that many people that inherited wealth from their Dad or husband mismanage the wealth in less than 3 years? Have you ever asked why it is like that? The reason is simple: they never taught they were leaders, therefore they allowed their Dad or husband to do everything. They saw themselves as the led and when the unavoidable happens like death or incapability because they were not prepared. They will be in the river while soap hurts their eyes and they couldn’t do anything until the inherited fortune is almost gone.
I don’t want to throw the blame to the parents of these children but to the young ones, because if they have been wise enough to know they are born to lead they would have been ready to face any eventuality.
From my above points I think you have seen that you are a leader and even that your house maid or house boy is also a leader.
We will look into good leadership and leadership traits in the next edition.
Thank you so much.

Stop illegal copying of my work.
Take permission and mention Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel as the Author and owner of the work.

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Plagiarism is a punishable offence BE WARNED.

Leadership

INTRODUCTION:
Leadership is one of the most misunderstood words in this universe. Because virtually every one of us under the sun believes he knows what leadership means and also what it is all about. I always place LEADERSHIP and LOVE at the same bag because love like leadership means different thing to different people. These two words are like that proverbial elephant felt by six blind men.
These six men have different thing this elephant mean to them all based on which part of the elephant they were able to lay hold on. Many time people say what they fill or think about leadership or love all based on their own “private” experience or experience of someone they assume they know very well.
What I have done over the years anytime I am invited to speak on LOVE is to first tell my audience that love is not a noun but a verb, I also dare tell them that love is not a place but a journey without destination. You know this always sound ridiculous to my audience especially the young ones who think they have arrived because they have found the “love” of their life.
Most shockingly to me, recently I also discovered that Leadership is not also a noun but a verb and leadership is not a place but also a journey without destination. Because I have found out that leadership is not about “just” what you do but a combination of who you are and what you do.
Leadership like love is a journey every living human is consciously or unconsciously engaged in. It is not important if you know it or not. All of us even the new born are already engaged in one form of leadership or another. Yes! That is true.

One other thing I Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel always tell my audience especially when I am in leadership or mentoring class is; “there are three persons looking up to you, wanting to be like you, love the way you dress or the way you talk etc.” And because you don’t know them you must have to mind the way you walk or talk so that you do not hurt someone unknowingly.
In this write up I will attempt to make some positive impression on your leadership mind and life. I am not saying that I have the monopoly of knowledge when it comes to leadership but I want to inspire you through this piece to cross the boundary of “just” what you do into the land of who you are.
Follow me slowly.

WHO IS A LEADER?
Sometimes dictionary definitions of things are shot of what their real meaning are or should be. Therefore I am not going to quote any dictionary in defining the word “Leader”
1. I will define a leader as someone that LEADS people or someone that have INFLUENCE on some persons either voluntarily or by force.
2. I can also define a leader as someone whom others have CHOSEN to lead them or someone that was by promotion has AUTHORITY of leading others.
3. I will also define a leader as someone whom people TRUST enough to COMMIT their future, goal, life and destiny into his hand.
4. You should also know that a leader is that person who has the COURAGE to take people from where they are to where they should be not necessarily where they want to go or be.
5. A leader is that woman who has the PATIENCE to GUIDE others into their destiny.
Now if you look at my definitions which I am sure it is not very different from what you already know or have in mind; you will discover there are words that are in upper case (Capital Letters). They are; Lead, influence, chosen, authority, trust, commit, patience and guide.
These words are what make someone a leader. And these words are also the life style of a leader. That is why I told you earlier on that leadership is not just what you do but who you are.

Follow me slowly as we explore the Art and Act of LEADERSHIP this month of June…
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POOR IN THE SPIRIT

THEME: UNDERSTANDING THE BEATITUDES

TOPIC: POOR IN THE SPIRIT

TEXT: MATTHEW 5:3

SPEEKER: Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel

Introduction:

This is one of the series of things Jesus Christ taught on that day at the mount Olives. Today the sermon He preached which started from Chapter 5 of the book of Matthew to chapter 7 is popularly known as the SERMON ON THE MOUTH.

But the first 11 verses of Matthew 5 starting from verse 3 are known as the Beatitudes. Beatitude which simply means condition or statement of blessedness.

The word Blessed used in this place is the Greek word makarios (mak-ar-ee-os)  which is the same as the Hebrew word esher (eh-sher) which is used in Psalm 1: 1 and it means something like happy. This esher or makarios can only be used for a human being. It is different from barak (baw-rak) in Genesis 24:27 which mean to praise or kneel. And this can only be used for God Almighty.

I went this way so that you understand the difference between what Jesus was saying to humans and when someone like David says “blessed (barak) be the Lord.

Jesus Christ spoke to the multitudes that gathered to hear him “blessed are the poor in the spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

WHAT POOR IN SPIRIT DOES NOT MEAN:

The poor in spirit here does not mean someone who is financially or materially poor. It does not also stand for someone that has poor self image. Like the children of Israel in Numbers 13:33 that came back from spying the land of Jericho and declare that they were like grasshoppers “in their own eyes.” Not in the eyes of their enemies but in their own eyes. It is funny but this is how most of us feel. The devil always wants us to belittle ourselves and our ‘abilities’. He wants us to believe we are nobody and if you are not careful he will quote this portion of the scripture to you just to convince you, you are on the right track. This is not God’s way and style.

Do you remember the man Gideon in Judges Chapter 6? He had a poor self image issue which was borne out of bad condition which he found himself just because he was from Israel. When God’s angel visited him on that day when he was threshing corn at a wine press because of the fear of the Midianites. Imagine someone threshing rice inside room. If you have not been to rice mills you won’t understand how this man was suffering by threshing corn inside wine press which is a kind of room. The first thing the angel did was to boost his morale by building up his self image. Gideon himself was not able to comprehend what the angel meant when he called him “mighty man of valour.” I am sure you know how Gideon ended and if you don’t know, read Judges starting from chapter 6.

The God we serve is a promoter of self-love. God believes it is only when a person has been able to love himself before he could love another person. Therefore Jesus was not talking about poor self image here. Poor self image is anti God’s plan for mankind. God wants man to love his fellow man just the way he loves himself (Matthew 22:39).

It is a known fact that nobody can give what he does not have; therefore it is only those who have been able to overcome poor self image and have love for themselves that can transfer such to others or their neighbours.

TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT MEANS:

1.       To trust God and depend on him both in good and bad times. King David who was a great King will always talk about God as his shield. He would always tell people how God was the one who gave him victory over his enemies (Psalm 18: 2).

2.       To go to God knowing that all you have and will ever have come from Him.

3.       To show God that without Him you can do nothing (John 15:5). Someone who is poor in spirit counts himself as nothing before God. He knows the source of everything he has been able to achieve or hope to achieve is God.

4.       To go to God forgetting whatever you have done or are doing for the kingdom. Your righteousness, your holiness, your perfection or whatever. Even your being able to give, pay your tithe, help the poor, pray, serve or do any other thing as recommended by the scripture must mean nothing to you but the act of God in your life.

Remember a story Jesus Christ told in the book Luke 18:9-14. In that story you will see two men who went to God with their needs, one was busy telling God how righteous he was while the other was busy telling God how he was nothing before Him (God). The one who told God how he was nothing before Him went home fulfilled and satisfied while the swank went home more wretched than he came.

The other man, who told God I am nothing without you, is the man who did what Jesus is telling us to do today. To be poor in spirit.

5.       To know that our imperfection is made perfect by God alone. To always show Him we are at His mercy. To be poor in spirit is to stick to God for direction and guidance.

6.       To realize we need God more than He needs us especially when we offend Him or go astray. The prodigal son was a typical example of this. In Luke 15:18-24, this guy who went away from his father traced his way back to his father. Though his father needed him too but the decision to go back came from him (the prodigal son). This is what God needs from us too.

To be poor in spirit is for us to be able to realize it when we have gone over board. To realize it is by grace God have saved us and go back into “gracefold.” It is not to arrogantly sit somewhere and claim that as a father, God must be the one to look for us and take us back and we don’t need to go back to Him by ourselves. Most of us do not know God concluded the act of chasing after us the day we got born again. The day you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart, that day God completed the circle of being the one to always come searching. From that day any day you sin or go astray it is your duty to come back to Him. It is your duty to ask Him to take you back.

7.       To always come back to God by confessing our sins. We should not hide any of our wrong doing from Him because if we do we won’t be able to make progress in life and our relationship with Him or even with our fellow human being will be hampered. Proverbs 28:13; James 5:16a.

I think it is important to know that “the act of not confessing ones sins to God and asking for forgiveness anytime one sinned is an act of arrogance.” Just imagine your child offending you and without remorse comes to you to ask you for something or even to play with you. Okay; imagine this scenario, where you know you have done something your father, I mean your mother’s husband told you not do. Will you be bold enough to walk up to him to ask for anything or even to lend him a helping hand without first of all making sure you have been forgiven? To be poor in spirit is to always recognize your position of right or wrong with God.

Finally in conclusion: God’s kingdom is not made for men and women who think high of themselves. Men and women who can not humble themselves before God and even before human beings too. People who think they owe God nothing to the extend when they sin or make mistake they just ignore it and walk up to God without remorse. The kingdom of heaven is a place made for people who have been able to kill self and enthroned God’s spirit in their life.

Kingdom of heaven is for men and women who are always humble enough to know their capacity as humans and how far they can go spiritually. Kingdom of heaven is not made for people whose lives are filled with arrogance

James 4:10 tells us “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up”.  Friend let us be poor in spirit so that He (GOD) can lift us up to the kingdom of heaven.

God bless you opulently.