WHO ARE YOU IMPRESSING?

Half of the problems people pass through in life are as a result of Social Status; trying to impress or please people and struggling to measure up to Societal Standard.

Hence the high rate of robbery, money rituals, internet fraud, bleaching, etc. All in the name to belong, to look good, be a celebrity, to impress that girl friend with money, to lure that boyfriend with your beauty.

All these, the Bible says, are vanities upon vanities. What does it profit a man after gaining those worldly pleasures and later loses his/ her soul?

Making money is so beautiful. Bible says, it answers all things. But you don’t acquire your money just to show it round, impress and oppress others. That’s a wrong motive.

Live within your limit. It is useless wasting money, wearing the latest cloth, having many cars, etc, when you know you have other pressing needs or you can manage one and give out the other to assist that poor person close to you.

Don’t do something selfish, gambling that things will turn out right. Wisdom does not gamble, it invests in the future. Wisdom doesn’t settle for a cheap thrill. Instead, it follows God into a better tomorrow.

Unrealistic expectations can quickly steal our peace and joy. We usually visualize a perfect day, with perfect people, and ourselves being perfectly happy in our perfect little world, but we all know that isn’t reality.

In reality, only God is perfect and the rest of us are under construction.

Those who live to impress people, live a fake, frustrating and unhappy live. So, stop living an extravagant life. Live within your means and purse.

This story below was shared to me by a friend and it explains it all.

“My mother graduated in 1965 & got a teaching job at Government College, Ibadan.
The teachers were given car loans & she bought a brand new Opel Kadett.
They were to pay back the loan over 4 years.
However, one of the teachers took half of the money the others took as loan.

Bought a fairly used car & got a driver.
So, when other teachers would drive to school & park their brand new cars, his driver would drop him off in the morning & come pick him at closing.
My mum said they laughed at him, calling him “Acting Big Man” because he got a driver.

But he’d just smile.
One day, one of the teachers had cause to go out of the school during school hours. He returned to report that he saw his colleague’s driver using his car as a taxi!
When they “reported” his driver to him, he said he was aware- that was why he hired a driver.

Why park a car for 6-8 hours, when it can be making money for you?
The other teachers were stunned: suddenly, he didn’t look as stupid as they thought!
Now, because of the extra income from using his car as a taxi, he was able to pay back the loan in a year…

By the 2nd year, he bought a 2nd car to add to his taxi fleet.
By the 3rd year, he bought 2 more taxis!
By the 4th year when my mum & others finished paying their loans, this guy had 6 taxis.

Then he bought a brand new Opel Kadett, the newer model!
Other cars were 4 years old.

My mum said that was the moment they realised who was smart & who was foolish among them all.”

Today, I see too many young folks more interested in spending the money they don’t have to buy the things they don’t need to impress people who don’t like them.

Too many people living fake lives in these days of social media.
The Hushpuppi generation: fake it till you make it.
I’ve seen people pose by cars they don’t own to take pictures & post on social media.
Young people don’t seem to understand discretion: the competition to outdo each other in the “I’ve arrived” ranking is just too much.

My niece, an undergraduate asked me to buy her a phone.

I asked what type does she want: she mentioned a type, I checked the price: 300k!
Now, I use an Infinix Hot 5 worth 35k, thereabouts- it was even a gift by one of my site contractors.
But this 20-year-old girl wants to use a 300k phone!
Something is definitely wrong somewhere…!

Seriously, we can’t continue like this.
My generation is halfway out.
I am afraid for the younger generation, those aged 16-30. I honestly don’t know what this world would be like when they are in their 50s & 60s.

Mike Murdock @drmikemurdock says, “A foolish man will enjoy a perfect today & lose a perfect tomorrow.
A wise man will forfeit a perfect today to gain a perfect tomorrow“.

It is very important to understand that whenever we excel in any area, it is only because God has given us the gift of grace to do it. The moment we think we’ve accomplished great things in our own strength, we’re getting in to pride.

I encourage you to do your best with any project or activity that God places in your path. Be diligent.

Start to discipline yourself in order to simplify your life. Yes, It may be tough at first, especially if you haven’t been disciplined in the past, but the rewards of order and restraint are worth the effort. The Bible says that discipline brings peaceable fruit.

May God help us! Amen!