The Errand

On one weekend, I heard a story from my CM and I'd like to share with y'all and I hope you'd pick one or two lessons like I did. I don't know the title of the story so I'm tagging it 'The Errand' and I might not be able to narrate it word for word or narrate it like he did, however,  I'm going to be pointing our attention to some things. Here goes the story;

A father was seriously hungry and needed to eat. So he gave money to his son and sent him on an errand to get food for him.
The boy ran out of the house and went on the errand. He got the food in the exact proportions that his father had asked.
On his way back,  he saw some of his peers playing football. At first, he stopped and watched them. After watching for a while, he decided to only play 'a set' and continue on his errand. He dropped the food and joined them in playing.

Shalewa Babatayo

 After the first round, he became the star of the match. He kept playing and playing, he forgot about the errand. He kept playing in all rounds of the football. Everyone kept hailing him. He totally forgot about his father or the food.
Before he knew it, it was night time. All the players had gone home, the ball had been taken away too. He suddenly remembered his hungry father. He ran to where the food was but dogs and chicken had eaten the food. All the canteens had closed, he couldn't get food for his father again. And his father was still hungry. The boy was stuck. The food was gone, his peers were gone, the ball was gone, the canteens were closed, and his father was still hungry. He didn't complete running his errand.

The end. That's the end of the story. But here are some lessons that I learned. Feel free to drop your lessons in the comment section.

1. The father was hungry and expectant. God also has great expectations for your life. He is expecting that you'd fulfill your purpose. He is expectant that you'd finish the race and finish well.

2. Just like the father gave the boy money that he needed for the errand, God has also deposited so much more in us for our race on earth. That is why the 2Peter1:3 says that God has given us all that is needed for life and godliness.

3. Just like the boy, we all are on an errand, here on earth. The same way Jesus was sent to the world for an assignment, is the same way we all have been sent for a purpose and one day, we'd have to give account.

4. The boy had gotten the food, he got it in the right proportions. But, all he needed to was deliver and that is it. It was towards the completion of the errand that he failed. Little wonder a Yoruba proverbs says "Ibere ki se onise, a fi eniti o ba fi oriti titi de opin" This implies that starters are not the ones worthy of praise but those who endure till the end are worthy of real praise.
In truth, there are so many starters but few finishers. Many of us have started well and strong but how is our finishing looking?
Take a cue from Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy in 2Tim 4:7

5. Also, it is possible for you to be the star, the celebrity in a distraction. The boy had missed his assignment, he started playing football which was a distraction but he was the star in the distraction. Imagine if Joseph in the Bible had slept with his boss' wife, he would have been the star house-help. He would have been a celebrity among the other house-helps but that was only a distraction. So he would have been a star in a distraction and he might not have been able to fulfill his purpose. Be like Joseph, flee from distractions and destiny killers.

6. The boy didn't outrightly start playing the ball. He looked first. He had the opportunity of looking for a while, and continue his errand. But he looked, enjoyed it and proceeded to act upon it by joining in. Distractions can come in subtle forms. What you feed your eyes with is very important so, you should guard your eyes. Mattew 6:22-23 says; “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is good your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness”.
Likewise, take a careful look at the little foxes that spoil the vine SoS 2:15

7. At the end of the day, it was dogs and chickens that ate the food that was meant for the father. Guard jealously the deposits of God in your life. Don't allow the dogs, chickens, parasites, destiny eaters of this world to feed on your God-given assignment. Jude vs3

That's all I learned from the story. Do drop your own lessons in the comment section below.
Shalom!
#Hephzibah
#Lightbearer