I was told the story of a man who had some friends come visit him from afar. As they got down to discussing some urgent matter, the telephone in the kitchen started to ring. Without batting so much as to an eyelid or even halting the discussion, the host continued the discourse as though he heard nothing.
A little while later into their discussion, the phone rang again but the host continued as before – unperturbed. The guests however took a glance at each other as if to say – Does he know the phone is ringing?
Going a little further in their discussion, the phone rang again. This time the guests had had enough. ‘Your phone is ringing sir’ they chorused. The host responded coolly and calmly ‘I know the phone is ringing. I heard it all the while but the phone is made for me and for my convenience. I was not made for the phone. I would pick it at a more opportune time’.
This story has since registered in my mind as it is a reminder to the fact that we ought to be careful how we use these world’s goods.
What we have no control over inadvertently controls us.
We are assured by the word that Christ Jesus our saviour has given unto us the privilege to share in the dominion and the victory he has wrought for us through the cross – over all that is in the earth, under the earth and in heaven.
But this is made a mockery when those who have been given such a high privilege are brought to be mere servants of the world’s devices. Listen to the following scriptures:
Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away. In everything you do, I want you to be free from the concerns of this life – 1st Corinthians 7: 31 – 32b NLT
Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but I won’t allow anything to gain control over my life – 1st Corinthians 6: 12 GW
It appears as though if I am not careful I would find myself at the mercy of those things that I allow to creep into my life. If this year would amount to anything meaningful, then we must be resolute in separating ourselves from those things that impinge on our healthy growth and relationship with God.
Take for instance the mobile phone. The consciousness of the mobile phone has seemingly replaced the greater consciousness of our ever constant communion with the father. How many times has our quiet time, prayer, a revelation or even a ministration been slaughtered on the altar of calls, texts, pings, gist, flash, etc
If there ought to be a time we should tread cautiously and carefully, it is now. We were not made for these gadgets, they were made for us. Can we get off the TV, radio, phones, face book, 2go, and tweeter for an hour and still be the same?
Are we living in view of the glorious reality we have been called into as believers or are we gradually being drawn into attitudes and traits that are unbecoming of the glorious name we profess?
It becomes disheartening when we fail to realise that as Christians the devils tactic is to keep getting us distracted so we would not come to terms with who and all that God has made us.
From midnight calls, through texts to pings, to tweets, and possibly some newer ones, the tactic has always remained the same – Distraction.
Are we saying never buy a phone, radio, and TV or satellite television? No!! But on a lighter mood, if it were possible you would think when rapture comes we would first hurriedly rush off to pick up our phones or other gadgets.
Let us exercise restraint and caution that our focus would not be taken from us. Remember only one thing is needful, don’t let that be taken from you.
If you already see yourself being consumed by this passion, pray about it and trust God to strengthen you as you take steps towards recovery.
Remember ‘be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith’. 1st Peter 5:8 – 9b NIV
Cheers
Do have a lovely week.
-Emeka Ofia
Recently, a company in India participated in some Placement Sessions. They asked some interesting questions to students during recruitment. Here are some of them:-
- There is one word in the English language that is always pronounced incorrectly. What is it?
- A man gave one son 10 cents and another son was given 15 cents. What time is it?
- A boat has a ladder that has six rungs, each rung is one foot apart. The bottom rung is one foot from the water. The tide rises at 12 inches every 15 minutes. High tide peaks in one hour. When the tide is at it’s highest, how many rungs are under water?
- There is a house with four walls. Each wall faces south. There is a window in each wall. A bear walks by one of the windows. What color is the bear?
- Is half of two plus two equal to two or three?
- There is a room. The shutters are blowing in. There is broken glass on the floor. There is water on the floor. You find Sloppy dead on the floor. Who is Sloppy? How did Sloppy die?
- How much dirt would be in a hole 6 feet deep and 6 feet wide that has been dug with a square edged shovel?
- If I were in Hawaii and dropped a bowling ball in a bucket of water which is 45 degrees F, and dropped another ball of the same weight, mass, and size in a bucket at 30 degrees F, both of them at the same time, which ball would hit the bottom of the bucket first? Same question, but the location is in Canada?
- What is the significance of the following: The year is 1978, thirty-four minutes past noon on May 6th.
- If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in the center field?
- What is it that goes up and goes down but does not move?
Answers…
- The word “incorrectly.”
- 1:45. The man gave away a total of 25 cents. He divided it between two people. Therefore, he gave a quarter to two.
- None, the boat rises with the tide. Googly
- White. If all the walls face south, the house is at the North pole, and the bear, therefore, is a polar bear.
- Three. Well, it seems that it could almost be either, but if you follow the mathematical orders of operation, division is performed before addition. So… half of two is one. Then add two, and the answer is three.
- Sloppy is a (gold)fish. The wind blew the shutters in, which knocked his goldfish-bowl off the table, and it broke, killing him.
- None. No matter how big a hole is, it’s still a hole: the absence of dirt.
- Both questions, same answer: the ball in the bucket of 45 degree F water hits the bottom of the bucket last. Did you think that the water in the 30 degree F bucket is frozen? Think again. The question said nothing about that bucket having anything in it. Therefore, there is no water (or ice) to slow the ball down…
- The time and month/date/year American style calendar are 12:34, 5/6/78.
- One. If he combines all of his haystacks, they all become one big stack.
- The temperature.
– femi fadumila