MORNING WINGS MINISTRY:
WEDNESDAY - 21ST FEBRUARY, 2024
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO
CROWD FREAKED! - Separated Unto Purpose Series 003
Luke 2:43-44, KJV
"43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance."
Do you know the fear of many? Loneliness! It's true that a journey becomes easier when you aren't the only wayfarer. However on calling or who you should be, there's a solitude that you'll have to embrace. No one, not even God will deliver you from it. The earlier you accept it - entering into the right frame of mind, the better.
Many people are crowd freaked. In 2018, I was accused by some concerned colleagues at the workplace for not being ever present at the public front. It was as if they had held a meeting and talked it through before coming to chide me for embracing constant solitude. Over the years, I have also discovered people who thought I was egoistic by wanting to be by myself. Some had said I was antisocial and many had formulated mysteries round my personality. I just wondered when I became all the labels they had put on me so far.
When these people accused me of not socializing enough and flocking with them, they basically had been caught up with a mystery they sought to demystify. They wanted to be able to explain me and nobody knows to explain another without enough familiarity with him. What prompted their approach was that. However, I have discovered that when you are too available, you risk losing value. It's better to maintain a step away so that some details about your outworking are shrouded. Though I didn't intentionally chose to operate solitude for that purpose; however, it serves that well also. People crave to demystify what they don't know enough. They'll leave ninety-nine people who have been unravelled for one that's proving hard to judge, measure or predict. In this way, you become an object of desire and unending probes.
Don't be crowd freaked! Why couldn't you survive without being associated with the populace? Do you need to be with them always to find your identity or realize yourself? What sort of life is that which is crowded with people and distraction always? While God wants us to build smooth relationships and network, that doesn't mean you should cultivate social life to the peril of your calling. The truth is, "until you discover your calling, frivolities will continue to use your time and life". However, once you do, you become Lord over frivolities like Jesus was Lord over the Sabbath (Matt.12:8). People, you're a unique person who needs a ground to germinate in. You need time with yourself, your Creator, those books, those videos and lectures. You need time to press in commitment until a visible product comes out of your habit of solitude. Imagine if Jesus had followed his family, kinsfolk and acquaintances that sooner they all left for Nazareth. What will he have gained? Nothing, except for the noise and family chatter on the way. Many people can't smother their emotions to be separated from friends, family and even their devices/social media (the greatest distraction there be now) in order to give attention and sow seeds where it'll matter sooner or later. Rather, they want to be submerged, flooded and impressed by the noise making on-line and on-site. Occasionally when I check out of solitude to spend time with people, I'm always shocked on hearing what the discussion is about. Petty gossip and matters that aren't different from fables and unprofitable tales that Paul warned Timothy about (I Tim. 1:4, I Tim. 4:7). If they weren't feasting on the flaws of someone or discussing about a leadership that has gone wrong; it'll be on some exotic and ephemeral desires of the heart they wanted to fulfill which often would go unfulfilled. Yet, time waits for no one. According to Andrew Marvell, "But at my back I always hear/ time's winged chariot hurrying near."
Jesus at twelve had learnt how not to be crowd freaked. He successfully separated himself from the crowd or company of people journeying home to give attention to a more excellent find. It means he'll successfully cope with a boarding school if he were driven off to one. Nowadays, we have children under 12 who are separated to their callings in different academies and getting prepared for their days of manifestation. Meanwhile, here are adults pursuing food to the exclusion of destiny training and manifestation. Jesus separated himself at twelve! It means he's as well hinting at being independent. If he could stay focus on educating his mind for three days without going to watch a show at the market place, then I present to you a disciplined soul. That proved him to have become a man. No wonder, he knows there's something called the Father's business (higher than petty things of life that others are lost in) which he must give attention to (Lk 2:49). Indeed, he did.
If you forever want to be around people, I can as well predict your future that you'll never be above average or achieve mastery in your calling. You need time and privacy to incubate eggs that once hatched will give the world quality and satisfaction. A mother hen stays for 21 days in solitude incubating and bringing energy on her eggs that she might be able to present to the world chicks. Do you think a bird should be more strategic than you do? No, no! A mind teeming with ideas is better and more resourcesful than a body adorned with clothes. One can invent and produce those clothes while the other will only consume them. The witty mind offcourse is a derivative from solitude. If you'll calve (bring forth), you'll need to get pregnant first. As far as all great souls have discovered, pregnancy comes about in the secret place. Find yours and frequent it. If you're a sanguine, carefully discipline yourself until you could enjoy solitude like melancholies do. If you see one who can't endure solitude, they'll seek to even use their spouses to cure loneliness. This way, they'll put them in bondages in marriage. They'll always be there desiring their presences which proves they personally aren't whole and unique individual beings. Please, be different.
PRAYER: I accept responsibility and commit to detach from all time and energy sapping relationships. I am unique and whole.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Leviticus 9:7-10:20, Mark 4:26-5:20, Psalm 37:30-40, Proverbs 10:6-7
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