Talk is cheap!

I do not really like wrestling as a sport because I feel the pain that goes into the sport is more than the reward. That’s on a personal note anyway. However, I find a lot of fun in listening to the contestants in a wrestling competition when they are promoting each other before the actual contest.

One of the wrestlers would show so much muscle to frighten his opponent and make so much noise with his mouth about how he would defeat his opponent when they get into the ring. The opponent too comes up and he opens his mouth to talk so much about himself and how he would defeat his opponent few minutes into the game. So who will be the winner with all the accolades each wrestler has showered on himself. Most of the time, the wrestler who makes the loudest noise is often the loser! 

Again, another good example of cheap talk is those who do not know how to drive at all but makes so much noise while they drive in thin air. Most of the time, when you are driving and they sit in the car with you, they will begin to control you as to how to manoeuvre the steering; sometimes it can be annoying for the driver especially when there is a traffic jam. Now, tell those people to take over the wheels and you will realize that they will recluse immediately. 

Talk is indeed cheap! However, to be a dynamic young person goes beyond cheap talk. It is a time to roll up one’s sleeve and make sure that a round peg finds its way into a round hole. It is not enough to go round in circles all through the year without anything tangible to point at, yet one’s mouth is always explaining how things can be done.

Are you in a place where things are not done in the proper way? Instead of sitting down to talk down about your leader or another fellow, why don’t you show the way to get that thing done? That was what David did. He saw that army generals and all their lieutenants were eaten up by fear and totally confused. Instead of castigating them with his mouth and joining in their helpless state, he asked a few questions and faced the enemy. Of course, the enemy who had made so much noise was defeated with just stones by David who relied on His God.

We need young people who can take the bull by the horn. We are not looking for those who only want to show muscles and rattle away. We need those who are ready for action.

Considering the number of youths we have in this nation, one wonders what is really happening to them and their impact upon our nation. Remember that the holy book says, the glory of young men is their strength, where is the mental strength, physical strength, innovations, inventions put in place by our young minds.

We do not want to read articles of what a young person can do alone; we want to see exploit in our nation. It is time to arise and put in place conscious efforts that will build our nation. We want more young people to make waves in different spheres. What is the use of a life without an impact? Let us achieve a feat. Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:20 said, ‘For the kingdom of God consists of and is based on not talk but power (moral power and excellence of soul). (AMP.) Sometimes, I have this feeling that we talk too much and we do not see enough evidence of our talk. The above quotation told us that the kingdom business is not about talk alone but manifestation of power and excellence.

How often do we manifest the power of God in our lives? This is because it is when the power is in you that it can be transferred to others around you. Some of us cannot even heal headache not to talk of laying our hands on another person who is sick.

Again when we talk of excellence how often do we see this in our lives as young people? It is an irony that we who ought to shine as lights seem to be lost in the multitude. Check some of our phones; even though we say it with the word of mouth that we are Christians, our ring tones and caller tunes are saying different things entirely.

Where is the excellence in our academics, career, social life, etc. where is the power of distinction in our lives. Get up and do something and talk less. Remember that Prov 14:23, says, in all labour there is profit but the talk of the lips tend to penury.

DON’T BE IN THE DARK

Is it not ignorance that makes a young guy/lady to dance to the lyrics of a song that he/she does not know? Unfortunately, most of us are simply carried away by the rhythm of a song, not bothering on what the lyrics say? Can you imagine a young lady dancing to a song that portrays lust by asking the lady to shake her waist and the one that encourages the guy to enjoy red alcoholic wine because it is good for him! How much good will one bottle of alcoholic wine do to a young man? Simple, it will ruin him!

Many of us love to dance to most music because of the rhythm. Just ask some of us to sing the song for you and you will be surprised as some will probably sing a line and hum the remaining yet we dance in ecstasy to the rhythm which had been well put together at the studio. 

Ignorance is deadly. It can destroy the lives of either the young or old. Do you know that many don’t only admire those who have tattoo on their bodies some desire same? Recently, I discovered that in ancient China, tattoo was associated with criminals and bandits. Tattooing Chinese characters such as "Prisoner" (囚) on convicted criminals' or slaves' faces was practiced then. Nowadays, tattoo has become normal because we have some of our so called stars with different tattoos on their body and we, the young ones feel we should do the same not considering its origin.

Also, most of us languish in the dark when we want pleasure at the expense of labour. A fellow who refuses to sow his/her seed when others are doing so but decides to join the club of harvesters when it is time for harvest is in the dark. This is because you can only reap what you sow in life. Hard work is becoming increasingly difficult for us young people. We want to live in good houses and ride big cars without working for them. As a result, we find solace in some groups that promise us that we could be rich without doing any work or we could be powerful just by being in their club.

Being a member of a cult on campus is to belong to the club of the ignoramus. Yes. This is because cult members don’t impact their immediate community; rather they come together as a gang to fight for leadership positions that does not produce any good effect in their environment. It is ignorance that makes young people to thirst for evil power just because they want to occupy certain positions and oppress people in the society.

Believe you me, you are in the dark, if as a young man, your so called friend is able to influence or prevail over you to drink just one cup of beer or ‘strong drink’ because, according to them, only mummy’s sons drink soft drinks. We said you are in the dark because your friend knows wine is a mocker and strong drink is for those who want to perish. So, if you allow yourself to be deceived it shows that you are not learned at all.

How do you explain the case of a young smart guy who followed his friend to the supermarket only to steal all in the name of being smart? These young chaps picked receipts that were not torn and replicated what was on it and felt happy because they believed they were able to outsmart those at the security post in the supermarket. Well, you may be able to cart away the products for the mean time but sincerely, except you repent you will pay back in ways that you will not be able to explain.

Cheating on others does not portend that you are smart; it only shows you are in the dark concerning God’s word and the law of sowing and reaping. I once read the story of a guy who killed a teenager over 17 years ago. After many years, he began to have nightmares and he would always see the mum of the young teenager he murdered. When he could not handle things again and nobody seems to be able to proffer any solution to his problem, he went to the Police Station and gave himself up. 

It actually took a while but he suffered for it in the process and now he is facing the wrath of the law. Will you kill, steal, cheat, live a lazy life and do contrary to what you ought to do because of where you are? If yes, you are still living in the dark and you are sincerely ignorant of whom you are.

You are God’s make up and so, nobody should push you around or turn you to an object of destruction. Always know what is right and stick to it. If the multitude decides to do the wrong thing you can always be different by making up your mind to do the right thing. Don’t live in the dark. Know the lyrics of that song before you begin to sway and don’t let anyone deceive you that it is real men that drink beer! On the contrary, it is weak men that drink beer because they cannot stand to face people and challenges until they have a stimulant!

Published in the June edition of Redemption Light Magazine, the official publication of the Redeemed Christian Church of God