Nigeria was in the next couple of weeks, will be 50 years old. 50 years of independence, we say. But a question has always gnawed at my heart [being myself a student of leadership] and the question is- ‘has Nigeria really gained independence?’ to answer this question, I will briefly explain the concept of deliverance and freedom as I learnt from Myles Munroe.
Deliverance happens for a person when his master lets him go or discharges him. Freedom however happens for a person when he allows his mindset to transform to reflect his deliverance. Deliverance therefore is an outward, physical and observable process but freedom is an inward transformation that reflects outwardly in conduct and character.
To drive this point home, let us quickly look at a classical example in scriptures- the Israeli Nation. God raised for Israel a deliverer named Moses whom He used to bring them out of the captivity in Egypt. That was deliverance. We all know the story of their journey to the promised land- a journey of 40 days that took them 40 years. Countless times they wished they were back in Egypt eating cucumber and garlic. Despite all the wonders God had done which they also were witnesses of, they saw themselves as inferior to the Anaks and the Nephilims. They had been delivered but they were not yet free. Freedom is not an event; freedom is a state of mind.
There is no true freedom without corresponding responsibility. But that word responsibility is alien and foreign to the slave because all his life, he has been the responsibility of his master. He depends on the master for food, shelter, clothing etc. The slave does not understand what it means to be responsible because all he does is the bidding of the master. In law, it is called the principle of vicarious responsibility and it says that a master is responsible for the torteous act committed by his servant in the course of discharging his lawful duties assigned to him by his master.
Another way to construe freedom is a state of internal or self government. This happens when an individual has imbibed the value system that lets him understand that he is responsible for all his actions and therefore places him in a posture where he thinks and acts responsibly. The truth is that in any society where the self government or internal government of the people is weak, then the external government is strong. If for example I am not able to teach myself to pay my school fees on time, then the school administration will introduce sanctions and deadlines so as to compel me to do so. I am now paying my fees not because I know I should pay, but because I want to avoid being penalized by the school. This is how weak internal government empowers external government. Weak internal or self government reflects the absence of freedom. It is therefore possible for a people to get deliverance and yet not be free. The relationship between the two is that deliverance sets the stage for freedom to happen for a people.
October 1 1960, Nigeria sent her colonial masters packing. That was deliverance. But 48 years later, the question is ‘are we really free’? Yes, they have left our geographical borders, but what of our mental territory? One truth I hold so dear and I tell my audience everywhere I speak is that at the heart of human change is the change of the human heart. There is no true, long lasting progress without a total overhaul of the people’s value system. No wonder God said to Joshua, this book of My value system shall not depart out of your mouth, meditate on it day and night, and let it form the template with which your actions are scripted and you will be prosperous and successful. [Joshua 1:8, paraphrased]. Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and His value system and every other thing you need is settled [Matt. 6:33, paraphrased]. The truth is that until this nation acknowledges the role of God and His value system in the role of National transformation, we will remain delivered but without freedom. It is only he whom the Son sets free that is free indeed. If it is knowledge of the truth that can set one free, then freedom truly is a mindset because all knowledge is stored in the mind.
If this nation must be free, we must embark on an aggressive and far reaching values re-orientation drive- from the apex to the grassroots. Each one of us must take personal responsibility first of his own self and then his brother. We must learn to look inwards first before looking elsewhere. Our paradigm must shift from fault finding to fault fixing. We must learn not to blame the government for our many problems. After all it is a corrupt society that produces a corrupt leadership. The problem is with internal government. If only we can get it right on a personal level, then we can get it right on the national level.
In this year of jubilee, I hear heavens singing a song of jubilee over our airspace but then we need to raise a corresponding refrain to the song of heaven so we can receive of God’s bounty in our nation. This can only be achieved if we focus on our individual selves. Yes, Nigeria can be changed, but one man at a time. We have to stop this holier than thou looking out for the other person, start looking inwards and do a clean-up of our lives. The other person will surely see and follow. Nigeria has become synonymous with rhetoric- all talk and little action. Now is the time to get knee deep into our private little messes and clean them out and guess what, when all of our mess is gone, Nigeria’s mess is gone. Are you ready? THEN LET’S GET TO WORK.
If we do, then maybe the answer to my opening poser in the next couple of months will be – Yes, Nigeria has really gained independence.
NIGERIA, GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT NATION
Deliverance happens for a person when his master lets him go or discharges him. Freedom however happens for a person when he allows his mindset to transform to reflect his deliverance. Deliverance therefore is an outward, physical and observable process but freedom is an inward transformation that reflects outwardly in conduct and character.
To drive this point home, let us quickly look at a classical example in scriptures- the Israeli Nation. God raised for Israel a deliverer named Moses whom He used to bring them out of the captivity in Egypt. That was deliverance. We all know the story of their journey to the promised land- a journey of 40 days that took them 40 years. Countless times they wished they were back in Egypt eating cucumber and garlic. Despite all the wonders God had done which they also were witnesses of, they saw themselves as inferior to the Anaks and the Nephilims. They had been delivered but they were not yet free. Freedom is not an event; freedom is a state of mind.
There is no true freedom without corresponding responsibility. But that word responsibility is alien and foreign to the slave because all his life, he has been the responsibility of his master. He depends on the master for food, shelter, clothing etc. The slave does not understand what it means to be responsible because all he does is the bidding of the master. In law, it is called the principle of vicarious responsibility and it says that a master is responsible for the torteous act committed by his servant in the course of discharging his lawful duties assigned to him by his master.
Another way to construe freedom is a state of internal or self government. This happens when an individual has imbibed the value system that lets him understand that he is responsible for all his actions and therefore places him in a posture where he thinks and acts responsibly. The truth is that in any society where the self government or internal government of the people is weak, then the external government is strong. If for example I am not able to teach myself to pay my school fees on time, then the school administration will introduce sanctions and deadlines so as to compel me to do so. I am now paying my fees not because I know I should pay, but because I want to avoid being penalized by the school. This is how weak internal government empowers external government. Weak internal or self government reflects the absence of freedom. It is therefore possible for a people to get deliverance and yet not be free. The relationship between the two is that deliverance sets the stage for freedom to happen for a people.
October 1 1960, Nigeria sent her colonial masters packing. That was deliverance. But 48 years later, the question is ‘are we really free’? Yes, they have left our geographical borders, but what of our mental territory? One truth I hold so dear and I tell my audience everywhere I speak is that at the heart of human change is the change of the human heart. There is no true, long lasting progress without a total overhaul of the people’s value system. No wonder God said to Joshua, this book of My value system shall not depart out of your mouth, meditate on it day and night, and let it form the template with which your actions are scripted and you will be prosperous and successful. [Joshua 1:8, paraphrased]. Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and His value system and every other thing you need is settled [Matt. 6:33, paraphrased]. The truth is that until this nation acknowledges the role of God and His value system in the role of National transformation, we will remain delivered but without freedom. It is only he whom the Son sets free that is free indeed. If it is knowledge of the truth that can set one free, then freedom truly is a mindset because all knowledge is stored in the mind.
If this nation must be free, we must embark on an aggressive and far reaching values re-orientation drive- from the apex to the grassroots. Each one of us must take personal responsibility first of his own self and then his brother. We must learn to look inwards first before looking elsewhere. Our paradigm must shift from fault finding to fault fixing. We must learn not to blame the government for our many problems. After all it is a corrupt society that produces a corrupt leadership. The problem is with internal government. If only we can get it right on a personal level, then we can get it right on the national level.
In this year of jubilee, I hear heavens singing a song of jubilee over our airspace but then we need to raise a corresponding refrain to the song of heaven so we can receive of God’s bounty in our nation. This can only be achieved if we focus on our individual selves. Yes, Nigeria can be changed, but one man at a time. We have to stop this holier than thou looking out for the other person, start looking inwards and do a clean-up of our lives. The other person will surely see and follow. Nigeria has become synonymous with rhetoric- all talk and little action. Now is the time to get knee deep into our private little messes and clean them out and guess what, when all of our mess is gone, Nigeria’s mess is gone. Are you ready? THEN LET’S GET TO WORK.
If we do, then maybe the answer to my opening poser in the next couple of months will be – Yes, Nigeria has really gained independence.
NIGERIA, GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT NATION
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