Another year has almost come to an end. There will never be another 2009. There have been births, deaths, wars, famines, earthquakes, fires, festivals, celebrations, birthdays and all of those things that mankind goes through from year to year. We are going into the eleventh year of this century. One hundred years ago (1909), there was no airplane as the Wright brothers had not yet put their acts together. There was no TV. There was no computer. There was no United Nations or Commonwealth. There was no First World War not to talk of a Second World War. There was no atomic bomb. I could go on and on. But in the course of those one hundred years, a lot of things have changed most of which have been through the acts and efforts of men and women who have worked very hard at the expense of their lives and comfort to make a difference in their homes, families, communities and countries. Some of such people are well known and some we may even never hear of in the course of our daily lives. These are people who hate mediocrity and would rather prefer to be ‘gimpers’.
Let us forget about our problems for a while. Yes our economy is in a comatose despite whatever our government might want to tell us. Or how else does one explain an exchange rate of one hundred and fifty naira to a dollar, deposit rate of between five and eight percent, lending rates of between twenty and thirty percent, and one can go on and on. Our refineries have refused to work. The Niger-Delta is in a restive calm and has what you might call the peace of the graveyard. You can never know when the next mine will go off. We are the sixth (or is it seventh) largest oil-producing nation in the world and yet the citizens cannot feel the impact of that accolade. Let us forget about the war in Iraq & Afgahnistan and the huge amount of money that the United States government is going to spend on reconstruction efforts, money that could have been diverted to solve humanitarian problems in other parts of the world. Let us forget the fact that the peace in the Middle East is very delicate and fragile and forget also Hamas, Hizbollah and their power plays. Let us forget about September 11 and terrorist attacks, the next one, which can take place at the American Embassy in your city. Let us forget about hunger, poverty, diseases, wars and other problems confronting mankind.
Let us instead talk about making a difference in our individual lives. A difference that will impact positively on those around us. December is one of the most beautiful months of the year. For one it is the month we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the last month of the year and therefore a moment of stock taking. As an individual, what have you achieved this year? As part of an organisation, what has that organisation achieved? What were the successes and what were the failures? Have you been able to identify those? Has it been just another year? In what ways have you contributed to the advancement of your home, family, friends, organisation and even country? What problems have you been able to solve? What objectives were you able to achieve? In life generally, progress and fulfilment is based only on factors such as having a spouse, having good kids, having a nice home, having a well paying job and having a good car and all those other things that make life worthwhile. All these things are good and are important but are these the only way
of measuring your life’s worth and success. You have been in the same job for three years, doing the same thing, living in the same way day in and day out.
Meanwhile you don’t really like that job. The only reason you are doing it is because of the money. You don’t have a passion for what you are doing. You cannot state exactly what your life vision is. Where are you going? Where do you want to be in the next one, five or ten years? How valuable are you really to your family, your organisation, your friends, and your place of worship? Kenneth Hagin went to be with the Lord in September 2003 but he will be remembered for a very long time. Rhema Bible Church and Kenneth Hagin Ministries and two generations of sons who are Pastors will ensure that. Pa Akindayomi of the R.C.C.G. fame has been gone for thirty years now but we can’t help mentioning his name when we talk about the R.C.C.G. Nelson Mandela celebrated his 91st birthday in July and world celebrities and world leaders flew to South Africa to honour him in a media-raving event. When David Rockefeller celebrated his eightieth birthday in 2003, it was the president of a nation that delivered a personal hand-written card from a former U.S. president. Alfred Nobel has been dead for almost a century but every year from October the world is reminded of his memory through his Nobel Prizes.
Those mentioned above are just a few of the well known ones. There are several others who are making maximum impact all over the world in their various fields of endeavour, in their homes, families, organisations, cities and countries. You too can do something that you will be remembered for in your local community, your organisation, and your nation. It does not have to be something gigantic but it must be something selfless and life changing. Something that stands you out from the pack. However all of these starts from some very little things in everyday life. Things such as giving a part of yourself, a part of your time, a part of your money and generally being a ‘gimper’. A ‘gimper’ according to a seminary chaplain, Dr. Richard Seume is someone who always does a little more than what is required or expected of him or her. There is no better time to sign up to be a ‘gimper’ than this festive season of giving, receiving and rejoicing. As we enter into a New Year, I leave you with the following remarkable words from a great man of God. Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
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