I happened to walk behind a young man who had just left a prayer ground. He looked all fired up, ready to face whatever hurdle was to come his way next. His confidence was infectious and I felt some boldness seeping into my own bones. This excitement however ebbed when my ‘walking companion’s’ next act unfolded before my eyes. He picked a bottle from his bag, took last swig of water and tossed the empty bottle by the wayside. To put the final icing on the cake, he spat out whatever amount of water remained in his mouth.
I was a bit confused…didn’t this guy just come from praying? What in his action reflected where he was coming from? This whole show caused me to ask myself how in line my lifestyle is with my beliefs, which in turn also caused me to think about Ghana. We are one prayerful country, and yet many things seem to be going wrong simply because we are not up and doing.
There is a simple statement that says “Faith without works is dead.” How active are we in ensuring that we become the difference we want to see not only wherever we find ourselves, but in our nation as a whole?
I once heard a story of a student who decided to test his faith. He prayed and declared that he had an A in his paper. To him, that was all he needed for his success; so he did not study and stretched his faith further by not writing anything when the exam paper was finally put before him. His only mode of operation was to chant: A, appear on the paper! A, appear on the paper!” Well, his deeply desired A did not appear during, or after the paper.
What I am driving at is the importance of living according to who we say we are, and to put whatever we want to see, into action. Our generally prayerful lifestyle as Ghanaians should be seen in how proactive we are, how we treat our environment, how kind we are to our neighbours, among others. This is just a simple call to Change the Status Quo and not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.
In being the difference, we may err at times, but our mistakes should not deter us from pressing on in our quest to Change the Status Quo. Being the difference is a lifelong commitment, not meant only for when it suits us. We cannot correct others unless we learn to be correct ourselves; we need to build ourselves up till it becomes clear that the Ghanaian man is generally incorruptible. With you and me, this could eventually become a reality.
Look over your shoulder; who may be following you? Better yet, what would the person be learning from you by watching you?
Let’s change the status quo together….please help me spread the word by sharing with others. Thank you, and stay special!
