CHAINS

THE BASIS

Unless he is mad, no man smiles when bond with chains. How be it, multitudes of people giggle and laugh in chains.?

Chain!

The Advanced Learners Dictionary defines chain to be “a bond, fetter, confinement or captivity- a thing which prevents freedom of action”.?

Though, chain is a multi-contextual word, we will be dealing with the ‘confinement context’ of it.

When one is chained, movement is restrained. Then, such is said to be confined.?

According to the law of nature, every living thing moves. Movement is one of those things that confirms a thing has life. This does not only have to do with physical movement but internal and in all wise.

We have various types of movements, it is possible for a man to be in chains and still be able to move, but definitely not forward or as fast as he should move.

Many people are confined to one spot on the journey of purpose(though you see them moving physically), not because of?lack of wisdom nor the knowledge of God but because of chains.?

God's desire for every human being created is for us to reach the peak of our purpose, because that is the only way He can be glorified. So unfortunate, many purposeful men are in chains. We only see the movement of foot, we can not really see purpose moving higher.

In the last two years, I have the opportunity to interact with countless of youths with great visions and ambition but looking at them, they feel so helpless, there is a sequence of chains!

If a man must reach the height of his purpose in life, he must break the chain! I mean the sequence of chains!

I have discovered these sequences of chains, they are so strong that they have confined so many purposeful men to a spot.

?Identity crises, the past and the praise of men-complacency are this sequence of chains.

IDENTITY CRISIS

A man who does not know himself is flexible to any kind of identity. You do not have a name or possibly you do not know your name if you answer every name you are called by everyone.

So, the question is, WHO ARE YOU?

If your answer to this question is based on the opinions of men about you, then, you do not know who you are.

If your answer to this question is tied to your mistakes, failures, background, past,?struggles, weaknesses, and strengths, I want to tell you, you have not known yourself.

Do?not confuse your identity with flexible things. A man can be successful now and a failure in the next minute, does it mean who he is flexible? No. In as much as it is not possible to change your name every day or week or year, your identity is unchangeable.

Human beings truly attach situations around a person to his personality, this is an unbalance approach to identity placement. Because someone fails does not make him a failure, "to fail" is just an action that passes away with time.

What you do is different from who you are. When you start thinking otherwise, it will be difficult to see the other things you can be or become.?

Identity confusion or crisis is a chain that confines a man to a spot. Sure, when someone is chained, such can move but the only thing is that, that person will not be able to move OUT of a spot.?

If a man must realize his life purpose, he must first realize who he is. If a man must reach the height of his purpose, he must breakthrough from the chain of identity crisis.

To breakthrough from identity crisis, you must know these;

First,?do not confuse the situations around you with who you are. Whatever is happening to you will pass away?with time.

Second, you must realize that there is a definition of you beyond what human beings can define.

Third, know that what you do is not synonymous to who you are. It can be part of what defines you, but your real identity is not tied to anything physical or flexible.

Then, the only one that can perfectly define you is your creator. He had given you a name that only Him calls you even before you were conceived.

To find your identity, you must find God. Him alone can show you who you are.

It is important to know who you are, because that is the bases for purpose fulfilment in life.?

THE PAST

The past is a chain! I mean a very strong fetters that can tie a man to a spot for the rest of his life.

There are three major seasons of life, the past, the present and the future. The past holds the highest power to either push a man forward or limit him.

Whichever of these dispensed on a man is dependent on his decision.

Meaning, you can either allow your past (experiences) to progress or limit you.

Experiences in the past are always in two folds, good and bad experiences.

Beautiful and successful experiences of the past wreck more havoc on people's progress than even the negative experiences. Why? Because, it is easier to let go of the failures and negative experiences of the past than the successful and positive ones.

The positive experiences always make one feel good. It makes one feel, oh! I have achieved! Hmm... The truth is, there is always much more to achieve than all you have achieved in the past.

While people pray this popular prayer point- "God, do not make me a man/woman of former glory", they hold on so tightly to their past successes, and waiting for progress, they find themselves in one spot.

Earlier in part one, I mentioned that every living thing moves. Life is never static, life moves and everything that refuses to move with life remains tied down.

In as much as no one walks backwards, in as much as the eyes of every human being is fixed at the front, if a man must reach the height of his life purpose, he must only look forward and not backwards.

You may have made so many mistakes in the past, you have received so many medals for success in the past, let bygones be bygones. You are only allowed to take the lessons and wisdom gained along with you on this journey of purpose.

If you hold on to the pains and excitement of the past, they will only chain you to a spot.

There is more to see and be done. The building called 'latest' in the last twenty years is now 'old'. No wonder God told the children of Israel in the book of Isaiah 43: 18, He said; "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." (NIV Version).

In the next line, God said, "See, I am doing a new thing..."

?Your breakthrough from the chains of the past is "the new thing". The new success, the new achievements, the new project, the new goals, the new visions, the new strategies, the new structures and plans, the new certificate, the new approach and everything new every morning.

May God deliver us from this strong chain of the past.

COMPLACENCY

Complacency which could be a result of the praise of men is the real chain tying so many people to a spot.

The voice of men is one of the channels through which God CONFIRMS one's purpose but not the main channel.

How then, many people are misled by the voice of men having failed to discover their purpose existence, personally.

The society has misled so many people with words such as these; "You are very good at singing; don't you think it is time to produce your own album?" "You have the gift of prophecy, don't you think God is calling you into ministry?" "You have the gift of leadership, don't you think God wants you to found your own church?" "Your love for children is so amazing, have you considered having a school?" "Oh! My brother, you are very funny, have you seen yourself being a comedian?".

These words are true, most of the time. Just that one must be sure of the purpose of every of his potentials. Some gifts/talents are just like ingredients to cook or prepare someone for the main purpose.

Then, if one banks on the words of men and build on what is 'a part', neglecting the search for the major, the person might not prosper or be stagnated.

"Food wey sweet na money kill am". This is a very popular quote in my country, Nigeria.?Foods get delicious when cooked with the right recipes. I mean when the recipes are complete. Your major purpose is complete when all the gifts needed are present.

But then, can a man prepare jollof rice without rice but with only sauce? It is not possible. Because the sauce is fantastic does not make it "jollof rice". It is just sauce and part of the recipe to prepare the rice. Now, if one thinks because of the taste and aroma assumes it is the jollof rice, what do we say?

Focusing on one of the ingredients that make your purpose will never take you beyond a spot.

Many pastors, school owners, music ministers/artists, business owners, motivational speakers, teachers, lawyers, and so on struggle and find it difficult to move beyond a spot even though they are sure they have the gift.

In reality, does the gift really signify the purpose? Most of the times, no!

Multi-talented people are the most confused (when they have not realized the main purpose of their existence). Various people can commend you when you sing, they will advise you to start your own music ministry/career but, wait. What if, it is only an ingredient? What if, it is just the sauce and not the whole jollof rice? You need to be sure!

If you bank on the praise of men, you cannot fulfill the purpose of God for your life.

A lot of people die on the mountain, today, praying for open doors, when eventually they are on the wrong path of purpose. God can only grace and increase you when you have found purpose and you are living in it.

Another side of this is, many people have refused to develop themselves all because the few people around them say they are good.

To move beyond a spot in this present world, you need to breakthrough from complacency, break out of comfort zone and do the extra-ordinary.

Those who own the world are the people who always search for more. Because, no matter how excellent, no matter how glorious, no matter how beautiful you are doing it now, the truth remains that, there is more!

The summation of it all is, know who you are, know who you are created to be. If you know who you truly are, you can never be misled by the praise of men, you can never be chained by the past or present success, you will always focus on the more.