There are many ways dust
gets caught up on one’s clothes: when you walk through a dusty area, when you
sit on something dusty, or when you fall down. When this happens, you have two
options: cry/get sad/lament because what you’re wearing is now marred by dust
or dust it off. And you know what, both options require the same amount of
energy; actually, it even seems the first option requires more energy. Today, I’m
not talking about the natural dust; I’m referring to dust here as a metaphor
for everything that stained your life so far in the process of walking down the
course of life as well as everything you ever went through. Crying about the
dust is not productive; it’s time for you to shake it off. Isaiah 52:2 (one
scripture that struck me lately) which says “Shake off YOUR dust; rise up,
sit enthroned…” offers deep insights and useful tips that will change
our lives. It actually sums up the process of success in life. Sit back and
relax as we draw out the wisdom in it.
Shake of YOUR Dust
Each one of us has gone
through different unique circumstances in life that may have stained us in some
way. YOUR dust may be different from some other person’s dust but the solution
is the same: SHAKE IT OFF! If you do not shake of the hurts, mistakes,
addictions, childish nuances etc of the past, they will follow you into your
future and become a higher source of embarrassment unto you. If you do not
shake of the disappointments you felt when it seemed your prayers were
unanswered, they will rob you of the faith you need to receive greater things
now. What’s more, no one will shake it
off for you; you have to shake of the dust yourself. You’ve lamented and
cried about the dust on your life enough.
Rise up
 |
| Image Source: uzkinozal.com |
After you’ve shaken off
the dust on your life, it’s time to RISE UP. To rise up means
“to assume an upright position especially from lying, kneeling, or sitting; toget up from sleep or from one's bed or to return from death”. It’s time for you
to rise up from your position of inactivity, lack of creativity, idleness,
discouragement, fear of the past repeating itself/fear of the unknown/fear of
how the future will turn out. It’s time for you to rise up from death and
everything that happened in the past that stole and killed your confidence, your
bubbly and kind personality, your faith in God as well as your ability to trust
and love again and stand upright on your two feet. It’s time to rise up from being
a burden on people and depending on your parents/whoever you’re dating and run the race for your future. The race
of life won’t wait for you forever; just like the Olympics has a specific time,
the race of your life has a specific time and IT IS NOW when you’re young,
vibrant and strong.
To get to the point where
you eventually sit enthroned as a king/queen/celebrity in life, you must shake
of the dust on your life and rise up. Talk is cheap; saying I wanna
be this or that won’t cut it except you do what needs to be done. If you do not
shake off the dust on your life, it will rob you of the confidence you need to
advance. What’s more, you will miss out of the race of life and end up a
failure, still depending on people (instead of become a blessing), with a bag
full of regrets and had-I-knowns. Thrones are prepared for people who are
destined for the position and have undergone the processes necessary to make
them eligible for it. Life celebrates
those who rise up; not those who want to be celebrated. Sitting on the
throne also implies coming to a place where you begin to eat the fruit of your
labour/ the fruit of your rising up and the point where you become an object of
reference/an authority figure.
So you see, the process of success in life looks like this:
Shake
of the dust - Rise up - Sit Enthroned
Read, think deeply about what you read and act; your time starts now. Have a wonderful weekend.
Are you at a crossroad? Do you need advice or counsel on lady issues, relationship matters and life in general? E-mail me on graceyokoye@yahoo.com and I’ll be glad to help.