COVER DESIGNS OF BUKONLA's BOOKS

OCCUPY THAT TERRITORY (2)

It is really hard for me to comprehend that blood cleansing and spirit filled young people will be afraid of fellow students who are erroneously members of secret societies on campus. Why? We refuse to occupy our territories. You know what? When good is absent in a land, evil thrives easily. 

Nothing must be left to chance in taking over our campuses; academically, spiritually, socially and in commerce. Wonderful programmes like, Catch Them Young must be well planned and purposefully executed. This is simply a time when fellowships roll out their drums and move round the campus to catch new intakes that could be influenced negatively because of their naivety and thus become easy prey for the hawks and become campus casualties.

One unique thing about Catch Them Young is that, apart from reaching out to others about the love of Christ, the programme is also an avenue to help new intakes during their registration and orientation. A guide is a relief to a stranger who is wandering in a location because he or she does not know the way.  When we strategically position ourselves to help those in need, occupying that territory becomes easy. We must arise and take over. We cannot be oppressed in our domain.

Moving to the business world, (which I earnestly desire that we dominate) I want us to correct this wrong notion. I do not know why some of us believe that we must be in our 40s or 50s before we start our businesses. Well, this age is really advancing and it is not the time for us to follow some trends that we can easily break away from.

You know what? You can be actively involved in petty trading while you are still a student (even while in secondary school). I once met a lady who was studying for her PhD programme in one of the Universities in Nigeria yet she is into fashion designing. In actual fact, I was surprised the day I got to her house and I saw the numbers of sewing machines she had. She was really into that business, yet she was studying for her doctorate degree at the same time. 

Instead of raising your voice to always complain because you feel or think your allowance is too small or it cannot sustain you, why not get up from your bed of comfort and be actively engaged in a small business which can bring in extra income and then your parents or guardian can have respite.

For instance, if you are technically minded, you may help to repair phones, computers, irons etc for some cash. If you are creative, you may be able to make beads, cakes etc and just sell for a price which will help to meet some of your needs. With that, you will occupy your territory in the area of commerce and you never can tell that seemingly insignificant trade may pave way for a flourishing business in the nearest future.

For some of us, it may be our gifts that will make us to dominate our territory. Daniel and Joseph were specially gifted when it comes to interpretation of dreams and with this singular gift; they dominated even in strange lands. So, have you discovered your gift? Put it into use and be a force to reckon with in that environment.

However, our attitude has a lot of role to play if we want to occupy our territories. Are you positive minded? If the answer is yes, occupying your immediate territory either spiritually, physically, socially, financially, or academically becomes easy. A positive approach to life will pave way for dominance. With God on our side, we shall get there.

OCCUPY THAT TERRITORY (1)

In Zoology, a territory is an area that an animal considers its own. Not only that, the animal defends that area or territory against intruders, especially of the same species.

In commerce, a territory is a region or district that an agent covers. The area is assigned to a sales representative to function and make sales for the company he or she represents.

Coming down to us as young people who are on campuses, lives in communities, works in organizations and worships in churches or fellowships, we want you to know that you are occupying a territory wherever you are. Drawing from the definition of territory in the commerce sense, we can deduce that we are agents of our Master (Jesus) where we are right now. Now, the question is, are we in control of that territory. Have we fully occupied that territory? If Yes, good; if No, why?

I will not forget in a hurry the story of a lady who gained admission into one of the higher institutions in Nigeria. As she stepped into one of the classrooms, she decreed that she would emerge as the best student in that class and it was so. With a dint of hard work and God on her side, she turned off the intruders of failure and distractions and occupied that territory. 

As a representative of the Master, are you a force to reckon with where you are? How outstanding are you among your peers in the class or office. How good are you on that job? I remember the story of one of my loved ones who went to United Kingdom for his Masters degrees. On getting there, he was unable to get a part time job on time. A very smart guy who is sound academically, he did not waste time in occupying that area.

According to him, once he realized that his classmates did not have a firm grip on what was being taught in class, (but he did) he told them he would organize tutorial classes for them on those difficult subjects, but they would pay him. They agreed to what he said and that was his first job in UK. Again this man occupied his territory by wading off lukewarmness and self-pity.

What are you doing in that office or school? Occupying or just folding your hands and doing nothing. Being idle will not take you far, especially if you cross your legs only to wait for a perfect situation. Remember the story of talents in Matthew 25? The man who collected one talent buried it and when His Master returned there was no profit to show forth. Even what he was given was taken from him. We must take over as young people.

Please get me right. We are not talking of carrying guns, bows, arrows and detonating bombs like terrorists who are wasting lives and properties. Taking over territories is about being a positive influence and a force to reckon with. As a youth mentor teenagers; as a teen mentor pre-teens and occupy them with positive things which can bring changes.

I once shared my experience at the female toilet of the Faculty of Social Science, University of Ibadan with us in this column; kindly permit me to mention it again. Immediately you enter the well kept toilet and find your way into the rest room with the door neatly closed, your eyes cannot miss the writings on the door such as, ‘Abstinence is the way out of AIDS’ ‘are you born again’ ‘Jesus loves you’ ‘it’s good to be a virgin’ etc. Do you know what those who wrote those things did? They took over that area of jurisdiction before anyone whose heart is not regenerated would come and write rubbish and nonsense at the back of that door.

You know what? Only smart and strong people take over territories. I mean people whose eyes are opened to see what ordinary eyes would not see and those who are alert to discern between good and evil. It’s time to take over positively.

Kindly expect the second part of this article