I was in Ipetu earlier in the week to minister at an OAU pre-degree fellowship Sunday service, where I was supposed to preach on walking in love. It was one of the days in which I try to pull stunts. Rushing out of home in the morning, I wanted to beat time and arrive at the place before 10:10am. I did. I had a nice time, but I was constantly distracted, not by noises, but by their countenance. It looked like the school was created for students who have been wounded and battered by situations in life, and especially the previous JAMB results which have kept a lot of them on the edge. I did not leave until I had taken a swipe at the situation.

It’s the same familiar look I see when I get to the bus early in the morning and observed ‘9-5’ workers rushing to work, especially if they function in places where they’d rather be somewhere else-the pay is the only consolation. It’s also expressed in the aggression of the angry motorist when driving, it is the same I hear in the outburst when people argue and fight over insignificant matters- it’s the look of defeat, pains of a dream fading away. It always seem that men have resigned to circumstances to dictate the direction of their life to them. It is a great tragedy of life that most people stumble into their vocation by accident rather than by careful stocktaking and deliberate choice. Life is a battle; life is war and therefore needs to be approached with a definite strategy and goal. The awesome truth in the matter is that we negotiate life from the position of strength. Selah 

Everyone regardless of their condition in life, should spiritually set his aim in life, and resolve to spare no labour necessary to its realization, but cheerfully take up trials and burdens that life has in store for him, be discouragements and trials and carry them forward into a new reality. One of the cogent lessons we need to learn early in life is how to squeeze victory out of defeat. If the devil and people contended for the destiny of Christ, then we also must expect battles, trials and circumstances that threaten our goals in life. Many have refused to dream great dreams and have resigned our lives to living and surviving within our circumstances, living in abject deprivation of the life God intended we should to live.  The circumstances we face is no one’s copyright, in most institutions students find themselves is not supposed to limit their dreams. A great person will make great oppourtunities even out of the commonest situations.

Success is in the student, not in the university; greatness is in the individual not in the library; power is in the man, not in his circumstances and situation, the only thing that limits any man is his sight and the will to rise out of obscurity into limelight. If the man is not greater than his education, his circumstances, which are only signboards pointing to success and then he’ll never reach greatness. There is nothing, but personal power and sterling integrity that can make a man great. Why are we afraid to demand great things and deeds from ourselves?

Therefore with an open mind that no man or situation can alter the destiny of another man, we must understand like I have, through and across time and places that there are no obstacles, no difficulties, no power on earth, nothing but ourselves. Where we attain in life is not dependent on the outward things but on the extent on which we draw on our hidden forces, our latent talent and resources to lay hands on the promises of our creator. Only you can make God’s promises true in your life: I have set before you an open door that no man can shut. Dare to dream. Dare to live.