Not
quite long after Tope qualified as a chartered accountant, he got a job in one
of the new generation banks in the country. Within few months of his stay, the
bank discovered that he was loaded upstairs “brilliant.” So, he was
moved to another department where they felt he would be more useful.
Immediately he got to this new department, he knew he would
need God to pull through. According to him, his immediate boss was always
complaining and harassing him. When he moved 10 kilometres, he would tell him
he should have moved 100 kilometres. On the other hand, when he moved 100
kilometres, the boss would tell him he should have just moved for 10
kilometres. In fact, there was a time that this issue was a major prayer point
as he began to pray for favour from his boss.
After some time, our young man got another job in another
bank and he shifted base and resumed in the new bank where he said, he was
treated as a human being for the first time in many years.
Not long after he left, the department had a problem. It was
such a big riddle that none of the staff could unravel. When the case got to
his former boss, he shouted at them and told them to get Tope to solve the
problem (In fact, it was like, why are you bringing this problem to me when you
have a young man who could solve the problem).
The officers exchanged glances and one of them told “oga”
that Tope had left their bank for another bank. He could not believe it. He
then told them “That young man is brilliant and if he were to be here, he would have
proffered a solution to the problem.”
My question is, if oga knew
this all along, why was he intimidating the young man? Was he afraid or what?
Now, what exactly does it take to celebrate others? Is it
really a Herculean task which cannot be accomplished? The answer is No. It
takes a pure heart to celebrate others. If we always rejoice with them that
rejoice, then it will be very easy for us to celebrate others.
Furthermore, anyone who has a pure heart will always see the
good works or deeds done by others. Why? A good work, behaviour etc is not
hidden, it is pronounced. So, if our hearts are pure, we would always see the
good works or deeds of others and tell them.
When we celebrate others, we are telling them that they are
important. We recognize the gifts, talents, good behaviour innovation etc in
others and we praise them by showing approval or admiration for them.
Even God who is our heavenly Father celebrate us, who are
mere mortals. God told Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There
is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God
and shuns evil? Job 1:8
Jonathan was always celebrating David even before his father (I Sam. 19:4) who hated him. It is evil
not to celebrate others. Anyone who does not see the good in others or sees
that good and portray others as bad is a wicked fellow.
It is often said by some people that when you praise people,
they often become proud. I make bold to say that it is not true. The fact that
you celebrate another person is not a reason for the person to be proud; it is
just an avenue for the person to perform better next time.
How often do we celebrate our friends, classmates, colleagues
and family members who make any progress or do anything in a good way? I have
discovered that some of us always prefer to celebrate others when they have
left the scene. That is when some of us will say, “You don’t know the value of what
you have until you lose it.” How bad!
Let us celebrate each other now because the fellow may just
not be there tomorrow because of promotion, relocation, etc. Put a smile on
someone’s face. Celebrate others.
This is one of the chapters in my book, Young & Confident, Impact
001. Impact 002 is on the way.
