The picture above shows me with the then-Governor of former Bendel State, Professor Ambrose Alli on 21/6/1982 at a cocktail party in the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 1 Samuel 17:28-37
As you must have suspected, I borrowed that coat and the shoes I wore. I just clocked 23 years in April of that year. However, there was no unnecessary or hypocritical prostration or shouting, “I am loyal oooo!”
All the students were scared of going close to the Governor, even the owner of the coat was afraid of approaching the Governor because of his security aides. But I stepped forward and started chatting with him.
This is what civility should be. This is what being a Nigerian youth should be.
Any time I am reluctant to make a move or confront somebody, I always remember this incidence. I tell myself that if you stood before a governor in borrowed robes, why can’t you stand before this person?
That is why I preach with boldness no matter where I am and who is involved.
I am hardly scared of challenges. I have had to deal with inferiority complex that poverty wanted to force on me. I have had to deal with shyness and fear of crowd.
Prayers you should pray as a youth:
1. Pray that God will bring you in contact with people of substance.
2. As you take a step of faith, God will clear the obstacles on the way.
3. What you do not have will not prevent you from stepping out of the crowd.
4. The God that saved me from timidity, shyness, and inferiority complex will fill you with boldness and excellence in Jesus name.
May God give you a testimony this month that will be a reference point of His mercy in Jesus name. Amen
Go and be the best Nigerian youth that you can be.
God Bless You
Please share this if you are blessed.
Don’t forget to attend Word and Wisdom Conference coming up on Tuesday, October 1st, 2019.
Thank you alot Sir