Before You Say 'I'm Christian'

Walk up to a person finely clothed in an exceptionally colourful garment on a Sunday morning and ask: "You are a Christian right"? If you're lucky enough to meet a not too normal person, you may get the mild reply: "Of course, are you blind"? If you're as troublesome as someone I know, you'll probably reply: "hey! Is there a sticker on your forehead stating that you are a Christian? I know people who go to the beer parlour on Sunday morning carrying those mighty large print when-I-hit-your-head-with-this-you-will-be-delivered bible"…  I guess it's not too hard to start a fight even on the Sabbath.

Back to the topic, what virtue do have to possess before you call yourself a Christian? What requirements or qualifications do you have to possess? Is it a sticker on your forehead or willingly doing community work in an overflowing garment commonly called 'Sweep Lagos Clean'? Well, it's none of the above.

You are not a Christian because your parents are Christians. No one was born a Christian, you make that choice. You don't become a Christian, you grow into a Christian. You are not a Christian because you go to church (though it's advisable you go) neither are you a Christian because you can quote every single bible verse. You are not a Christian because you claim you have been saved. Even if you have been baptized you are not yet qualified to call yourself a Christian if such baptism has been unproductive and unfruitful.

In short, Christianity lies not in words but in deeds. Nothing you say would make you a Christian but, everything you do determines whether you are one. If you don't do what your Oga succeeded in doing, how can you call yourself a representative of your Oga. You should be aware that Christian literally means 'followers of Christ'. The phrase 'followers of Christ' is bound to be misunderstood, misinterpreted and slandered. Check out Acts 11: 25 where the word Christian was first mentioned. There were some guys, followers of Christ, in a particular city and carried out some exploits which made people refer to them as 'followers'; Christians. If you haven't done something similar, don't bother calling yourself a Christian. Aren't you curious to know what they did? Take a peek into your bible. For better understanding, you could read the whole book of Acts.

WARNING: Do not continue if you haven't read the verse above.

After reading the verse above and re-examining your life, if you insist to call yourself a Christian, you know better and God knows best.

 

Are you a Christian? Examine your life!

Dealing With Tantrums

Hi, happy new month to everyone. Summer is here once again and the little ones are stuck with their parents; some wishing to resume as early as possible thanks to their parents. Watching parents flog their children everyday without understanding or trying to understand these young ones inclined me to research and post a few tips on how to deal with children when they refuse to listen nor obey to your commands. Hope you find the few steps recommended in this post useful.

It is a common occurrence in our society to see a mother berate or scold her two-year-old child and when he starts crying she shouts at him, "C'mon, shut up…can't you hear me?" together with two or three spanks she says " I said shut up, shut up, shut up, oya hold your  lips, I don’t want to hear anything again…mtssscheww! Nonsense. O ni pa mi (you will not kill me)".

Sometimes, the parent need not scold a child before he starts screaming, stomping and thrashing about. The next move of a typical african parent is to spank the child until he "shuts up and hold his lips" If you are guilty of such crime, have you ever stopped to wander what could be wrong with your child. Is he trying to tell you something? What happens when a two-year old starts jumping about screaming and throwing a terrible tantrum. Is the solution a spank or a drive to a psychiatric hospital (preferably Yaba left)?




Well, it's none of the above. The first thing to do is to discover the reason behind such maniac behaviour exhibited by a little child. Think about the change that a child experiences at about age two. From the time he was born, he was given so much attention. His parents would always carry him, cuddle him and feed him. In fact, they gave him whatever he wanted. At about age two, however, a child begins to realize that his parents give him less attention and they cater for him less and less. Instead of their serving his needs, they expect him to comply with their wishes. The tables have turned and a two-year-old may not take well to the change without protest-perhaps in form of a tantrum.




In such situations, the best thing to do is:






1. Be understanding. Your child is not a miniature adult. Try to be in his shoes and see the situation through his eyes.


2. Stay Calm:  When your child is having a tantrum, losing your temper will not help neither will the koboko technique. Loosing your temper Ignore the tantrum and react matter-of-factly. After series of trial, he would give up.


3. Hold your ground: if you give in to whatever it is your child is demanding, he will likely throw another tantrum the next time he wants something. Calmly show your child that you mean what you say.




 

Optionally,




1. When the tantrum begins, hold your child in your arms (if possible) and without, hurting him, restrict him from thrashing about. Do not shout at your child. Eventually, he will realize that the tantrums has got him nowhere. He will probably pass out and fall in a deep sleep.


2. Designate an area where you can put your child when he has a tantrum. Tell him that he may come out when he has calmed down, and then leave him there.


3. IF your child has a tantrum in public, remove him from the view of others. Do not give in just because he is making a spectacle. That will only leave your child with the message that by throwing a tantrum, he can get whatever he wants.


IF you apply these principles properly and consistently, however, the tantrums will likely diminish.


The principle discussed apply to both gender.

If you have more useful tips, please don't hesitate to share them. Thanks.

Lingua-franca: The Battle Between Continents.

 
I think it's high time to address the issue of ethnic-erosion in Nigeria. Ever since the umbilical cord of colonialism has been severed more than 50years ago, things have never really been the same. With the adoption of English Language as our lingua-france, things got pretty bad. In schools, English Language is used to teach the pupils. Even outside the classroom,it's purely English. A survey carried out a year ago, showed that students understand better when taught in their indigenous language which is embedded, programmed and installed in them than when taught in a foreign language. Professors of English and Nobel laureates have attested to this fact. To make matters worse, some parents forbid their children from speaking their indigenous language with the erroneous belief that speaking Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa or any other indigenous language would affect their study of the Queen's English. English is not just a lingua-franca in Nigeria. It has become a second mother-tongue. If our languages are our trademark; a sign that we come from a particular country, what happens when we are ashamed of our identity and even forbidden to flaunt our Africaness? If the next three generations are forbidden from speaking their ethnic language, wouldn't we have an England in Africa? Isn't that what people call pseudo-imperialism? What then is the benefit of being an independent country if you aren't free to speak your language?