PREFER PERFECTION TO GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE

PREFER PERFECTION TO GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE

“…Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God”- Gen. 6:9(NKJV)

The adjectives acceptable (average), good and perfect have one thing in common – degree of a standard. They thus denote levels of quality or excellence that are normally accepted or by which actual attainments are judged. Generally in the academia, Grades A, B, C, D, E and F respectively represent Excellent, Very Good, Good, Credit, Pass and Fail. However, the grading system of some professional schools categorized Grades A, B+ and B as Pass Grades and Grades C, D, E and F as Failure Grades. Thus while Grades C and D are Pass Grades at most secondary and tertiary institutions, they are Failure Grades in some professional institutions. Similarly, what we mostly consider as acceptable and good are below God’s firm standard; ask Cornelius.

Excuse is the chief of ungodly compromises. One of such excuses is the so-called adage ‘no person is perfect’. This deceptive adage is usually premised on the fact that we live in an imperfect world which is full of imperfect creatures. So doing good or what is acceptable are usually the general standards majority of the populace aim to attain. No wonder many people have exchanged or sacrificed integrity for mediocrity. But why should you settle for good or better although you can attain the best! Prefer perfection to good and acceptable in all instances.

Perfection is a choice! Noah and Job were perfect and blameless in their perverted generations because they chose to be so. They decisively chose to fear God, walked with Him, and shunned evil. As a result, God delivered only Noah and his household from the Great Flood that destroyed all living things which were on the face of the earth. Besides, Job was the greatest of all the people in the East. And he enjoyed twice of this blessing after staying faithful to God in the midst of an intense adversity.  God always prefers perfect to the acceptable and good although he may choose to work with the latter. The fact that God may choose to work with imperfect creatures is never a rule but a temporary exception. God’s aim in such exceptional cases is to empower the imperfect creatures to be perfect creatures if they choose to walk in the light of His Word. Despite God’s covenant with the 75-year old Abraham, He still required him to “walk before (Him) and be blameless (perfect)” when the latter was 99 years old. Abraham’s subsequent absolute obedience moved God to release His abundant blessings upon the latter.

Heaven belongs to only perfect people. And all such perfect persons are being or were prepared from this imperfect world. Jesus’s perfect character and personality were proved while he was in this world. He chose to walk in the light of God’s Word and unique plan for his life even in the midst of all contradictions and fiercest trials. Therefore, attaining perfection on earth is achievable. To achieve perfection on earth, we must a) genuinely choose to fear God and daily walk with Him like Jesus did; b) intentionally purpose not to conform to the standards of this world; and c) understand that diverse trials and tests are vital tools that make us “perfect and complete”.  Patience and perseverance are thus needed to endure such trials and tests. Perfection is God’s idea, character and personality. Rejecting it on earth is rejecting God forever!

            Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position. Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com

THE BEST GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS

THE BEST GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS

One of the things I admire about females is the way they adore celebration of birthdays, and of course weddings! However, unlike weddings, birthdays are formally celebrated yearly. It has been jokingly said that, “If you want to remember your wife’s birthday; forget it once!” Thus any real husband who always desire to maintain peace and harmony in his home will fix his wife’s birthday on his almanac. But irrespective of one’s belief, colour, ethnic origin, race, sex and station in life, no person can sidestep the waves of Christmas. Almost everyone celebrates it consciously or unconsciously. Christmas season always blow winds of beauty, calmness, fragrance, glory, peace, reflections, joy and unity across the globe. It is the most unique global festive season. The uniqueness of Christmas season calls for its special celebration. As a special celebration, special gifts need to be exchanged and presented. And the best of the gifts must be presented to the person in whose honour and joy Christmas is celebrated – Jesus!

Christmas is God’s idea. The centre of its special celebration is Jesus. Christmas helps us to appreciate one of the hackneyed attributes of God – Alpha and Omega. Christmas thus denotes the ending of one successful year and the beginning of another new special year. Christmas therefore reminds us that everything begins and ends with Jesus. He is the Author of life and ‘Landlord’ of time. As the ‘Landlord’ of time, Jesus deserves our appreciation in this special season. We must thus spend time in His presence.  And in His presence, there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore. Truly, “The best gift a person can give to another person is that person’s time”. We must also spend quality time with our families and neighbours. The Magi are credited as wise men because they chose to visit and present gifts such as gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus at His birth. The gold, frankincense and myrrh denote the acknowledgement of the kingship, priesthood and death of Jesus.

Evangelism is another great gift. Evangelism is taking the initiative to preach the good news about Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. It is the heart beat of God. Thus evangelism is dear to Jesus. The Magi shared the good news of Jesus’s birth with King Herod and his officials. King Herod is a symbol of authorities, governors, principalities, rulers and wicked people. As you visit and spend quality time with others in this Christmas season, let your conversation centre on the good news of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Christmas is one of the best seasons to seek and share Christ with others. We need to discover more of Him and share our findings and testimonies with others during Christmas.

Richard Obeng Mensah, co-author of 37 Benefits of Reading. The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 250 articles on legal and non-legal themes.  He is also a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a law lecturer and a blogger.  Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com   Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 24/12/2012.

THE THOUGHTS OF A GREAT PRESIDENT AND A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

THE THOUGHTS OF A GREAT PRESIDENT AND A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Sow a thought, and you reap an action; sow an action, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny – Charles Reade.

A person’s thought is central to that person’s actions, habits, character, and destiny. Consequently, a great or failed destiny flows from a person’s thought. Thus the thought of a president or a potential president is a good basis for electorates to know the kind of a president that person would be. While admitting that good thoughts alone do not guarantee prudent and wise exercise of a political power; it can never be glossed over. In this article, we will review certain thoughts of Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Jimmy Carter of the USA to make out how their thoughts contributed to their great leadership exploits.

Firstly, great presidents acknowledge the truth that greatness is not in duration but in depth. This means that one’s affective attitude (such as passion, courage, confidence and a commitment to principles) towards the achievement of that person’s God-given purpose is more important than the amount of time it takes to accomplish that purpose. Studies have shown that many people select leaders who fight for what is right, often under very difficult circumstances and who also care for the needs of their people. This means that great leaders selflessly fight for right causes with the aim of securing the good welfare of their people. To such leaders, holding a political office is a means to ending the right causes they fought for. Ex-president Nelson Mandela’s name is usually published alongside true greats like Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jnr. and others because of his good thoughts. He once said, “When my ultimate aim was achieved, it was time to move on to a higher calling. Ironically, the day I was inaugurated into office as president, I knew my job was already done and therefore began preparing to leave. In that regard, you may say that my very first day in office was also my last day. In my mind, I had already begun packing out”. Unfortunately, this thought has eluded many so-called political leaders particularly in Africa. Consequently, they have believed the lie that spending many years in a political office is a guarantee that they will accomplish their purposes. On the contrary, they usually achieve the opposite!

Great presidential candidates on their part focus on their God-given visions, not criticisms. Although criticisms of all forms can be turned into political assets, a true potential president will primarily focus on her vision. This was so with candidate Jimmy Carter. Carter had good thoughts about criticisms when seeking the highest political office of USA. He acknowledged both the good and the bad twists of criticisms and determined to keep his eyes on his vision. At one breath, he saw some positivity in some criticisms marshaled against him: “I want to be tested in the most severe way. I want the American people to understand my character and weaknesses, the kind of person I am.” He was however quick to deduce the real motives of his destructive critics in the following words: “My critics don’t want to stop Carter. They want to stop the reforms I am committed to. They want to stop the people of this country from regaining control of their government. They want to preserve the status quo, to preserve politics as usual, to maintain at all costs their entrenched, unresponsive, bankrupt, irresponsible political power”. Therefore, a real presidential candidate sees criticisms as a test of one’s character and vision. Focusing on one’s vision in the midst of intense criticisms is central to greatness.

Secondly, great presidents continue to keep in mind that they are still human beings no matter the feats they attain or the great heights they reach. This trait enables them to acknowledge their weaknesses and yet be committed to their visions. Besides, it enables them to accept the truth that they cannot take the place of God in human affairs. That God, like governments, is the only person who can do for the people what they cannot do for themselves. Thus real presidents concentrate on what is humanly possible and trust God for the impossible things. Unfortunately, some so-called leaders bestow upon themselves titles such as “Messiah”, and “Saviour”. Nelson Mandela is among the few exception: ‘While it is nice to be appreciated, I shudder at the continuous reference to me as “living legend” or “Secular Saint” or any other such references and the near-worshipful adulation that invariably seems to creep in with it. That was one of the things that worried me – to be raised to the position of a semi-god – because then you are no longer a human being. I wanted to be known as Mandela, a man with weaknesses, some of which are fundamental, but a man who is committed’.

Great presidential candidates are not afraid of electoral ‘defeat’.  Common sense makes it obvious that only one person can be a president of any nation at a time. Regardless of their convictions and visions, real presidential candidates are more than willing to concede ‘defeat’ if they are not elected. They consider their “rejection” as a ‘de-feat’, never a defeat. ‘De-feat’ in the sense that they were not given the opportunity to attain some desired feats. In other words, electoral defeat only denotes a lost opportunity to magnify one’s influence. “I am running for president,” Carter said, “because I have a vision of a new America, a different America, a better America, and it is not shared by those who are trying so hard to stop my campaign…I see an America with a president who does not govern by vetoes and negativism, but with vigor and vision and positive, affirmative, aggressive leadership.” Despite his good thoughts for America, candidate Jimmy Carter was willing to accept the ‘de-feat’ of his vision for America: “…I feel like I’m doing the best I can, and if I get elected president, I’ll have a chance to magnify my own influence, maybe in a beneficial way. If I don’t get elected president, I’ll go back to Plains”. Mitt Romney is commended for conceding ‘defeat’ in one of the most aggressive electoral contests in living memory. For Kofi Annan, the “willingness of a loser to accept defeat gracefully, and the victor to show respect for the losing side, is one of the hallmarks of a stable democracy”.

A person’s thought is a replica of that person. This is because the thoughts of any person denote that person’s actions, habits, character and destiny! Messrs Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter are among the great presidents this world has ever witnessed. The secret to their great leadership heights is that they had good thoughts concerning the presidency of their respective nations. We must therefore scrutinize the thoughts of any person who is seeking to govern the affairs of Ghana. Remember, a person’s thought is imbedded in his actions, character and habits.

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 250 articles.  He is also a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger.  Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com   Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 27 November 2012.

VOTE FOR HONESTY

VOTE FOR HONESTY

Election is a formal decision making. The decision is based on choosing one person or group of persons instead of other(s). The people to choose from may all appear capable and daring.  It is also about choosing between two good or two evils, but usually not between the obvious good and obvious bad. It is said that the good has some bad stuff and the bad also has some good stuff. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, a poet, wrote, “There are two kinds of people on earth today, just two kinds of people, no more, I say. Not the good and the bad, for ’tis well understood. That the good are half-bad and the bad are half-good…Not the sinner and saint, for it’s well understood…the two kinds of people on earth I mean are the people who lift, and the people who lean”. This means that it is better to choose people who can honestly add positive value to your personality and society as a whole. Lean people are energy suckers and unproductive, avoid them! Choose honest people who are lifters. But if you were to choose between a lifter and an honest person, go for the latter.

Nature abhors leadership vacuum so the electorates must make a decision. Certainly, there is no wisdom choosing from two obvious devils. Choosing from the two obvious good is also very difficult. However, as already pointed out, the choice is usually between the two less obvious good. One great guide to the electorates in making this decision is the issue of honesty. “Honesty,” so goes a good saying, “is the best policy”. Honesty truly is the chief of policies. This means personalities or policies on their own are not valuable if they are devoid of honesty.

Honesty is the quality of being fair, morally upright, and truthful. And a real partisan politician or political party must possess this quality. Governing a nation or representing a constituent demands more than political manifestoes, policies and a team to execute them. It is more about being honest in words and deeds. Without honesty, a team will loot or mismanage resources or both; political manifestoes are mere slogans; and policies remain theories. For ex-president Jimmy Carter, the people in any nation deserve to have government as good, honest and moral as they are. It is said that more than eighteen months before he won the presidential nomination, Carter travelled the fifty states, preaching the need for moral revival in high places. The basic issue of 1976, in the view of the Democratic nominee, was the decay of morality and decline of honesty in government. He said, “The people of the country feel they’ve been betrayed. They don’t understand why something is going on in our nation’s government that is a matter of embarrassment and shame. The competence of government is not an accepted characteristic any more. No matter what a person hopes to do ultimately in life, no matter what his top hope or aspiration might be, he feels, generally, that Washington is an obstacle to the realization of that hope, rather than an asset to be tapped in the future, in the consummation of that hope”.

Ghanaians indeed “deserve to have government as good, honest and moral as they are”. The political system of Ghana should no more be made to be viewed as a breeding ground for greed, oppression, corruption, political unrest and dishonesty! An election is more than infrastructure, access to education, free quality education, agriculture, health-care, industrialization or employment. We must address the decay of morality and honesty in our government and society in general. We need moral revival in both high and low places. The political system of Ghana must be an asset, not an obstacle. Dear reader, vote for honesty. You can know them by their fruits, not policies!

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 250 articles.  He is also a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger.  Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com   Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 10 November 2012. Updated on 7 December 2020.

TOWARDS FAIR, FREE AND PEACEFUL GENERAL ELECTION

TOWARDS FAIR, FREE AND PEACEFUL GENERAL ELECTION

Ghana is a sovereign nation; not a political party!

Elections have been a principal means of selecting leaders in most nations. It follows that elections should generally raise the hopes and aspirations of the electorates. This is because they provide the means for the electorates to either retain the respective leaders representing them or vote such representatives out of office. Thus elections create the needed atmosphere for the electorates to judge the stewardship of their representatives. They mark the tenure of office of one regime and begin another. Therefore, election periods should enhance retrospective reflections. Besides, it should create an atmosphere of love and unity instead of fear!

Fairness is vital to every peaceful election. To achieve fairness, all stakeholders need to honestly demonstrate impartiality. Impartiality generates confidence and trust. We can demonstrate impartiality by seeking the best interests of Ghana, not any political party. Ghana is a sovereign nation; not a political party! All political parties exist because of Ghana. They exist to influence the electorates with their best policy alternatives and implementation machinery. Stakeholders such as state institutions and the media should, for example, impartially educate or inform the electorates on such policies and machinery. Voting decision, like choosing a life partner, must be based on adequate information, never on emotions, ‘love’ and sentiments towards a particular political party or candidate. Besides, voting decision should be devoid of ethnocentrism.

Freedom is another key factor to ensuring peaceful election. There should be an atmosphere of freedom before, during and after the elections. The days where security forces were used to intimidate electorates, especially those in the hinterlands, are over! It must be noted that security officers are neither electoral officers nor political party agents. Their presence in any electoral area should safeguard the freedom and safety of the electorates as well as the election machinery, and nothing else. Security officers should always operate in the consciousness that they only exist to protect lives and property. Besides, right information breeds freedom. Freedom is all about knowing the truth. The NCCE and all other stakeholders must disseminate the right information to the electorates to inform their decisions. Political parties should also desist from negatively influencing some electorates with money, ‘gifts’, and dirty propaganda machinery.

Love and unity are central to any peaceful election. Real peace is a product of love and unity among the populace. Praying for the peace of Ghana is good but prayer alone does not guarantee peace. If prayer alone holds the key to peace Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda would have escaped their unfortunate national wreckages. Prayer is most effectual where love and unity exist among the populace. All peace-making agents of Ghana should therefore emphasize on the need for all electorates to relate with one another as one people with a common destiny. Every real election should unite people towards a common aspiration, never to sow discord and disaffection among them. The best political party is not necessarily the party with juicy manifesto but the one whose actions and inactions enhances peace and prosperity of Ghana. Any real political party or partisan politician primarily focuses on free, fair and peaceful election; electoral victory is secondary. Any electoral victory outside these factors is a whitewash robbery. Remember that if you get to any position under qualified you survive there by cheating. What a shame!

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position.

borncapy@yahoo.com/www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com

CHRISTIANITY, CHIEFTAINCY AND POLITICS IN GHAN

CHRISTIANITY, CHIEFTAINCY AND POLITICS IN GHANA

Yaw Sarfo Kantanka is generally known as a person of good character in that he does not smoke, steal and that he is morally upright. The forty-year old graduate of a Ghanaian university is diligent both in all his private affairs and public engagements. Besides, Yaw is highly admired by both the young and old at his residential area. No wonder his constituents once impressed on him to vie for a parliamentary seat. But Yaw steadfastly rejected that idea because he felt that that is not a place for good people like him. Before then, he had in different occasions rejected a request from his extended family members to serve as the head of their family, and a sub chief in their traditional area. Surprisingly, Yaw had never prayed into any of these issues to know God’s will as it relates to him.

I recently had an opportunity to interact with Yaw at a leadership conference. He said among many other things that he detests chieftaincy and partisan politics because they are not for good people. Surprisingly, Yaw was convinced of electoral victory for his preferred parliamentary and presidential candidates. He destructively criticized certain political leaders. Besides, he appealed to me to pray for the peace of Ghana and all facets of leaders in the country.

Light glows best in gross darkness. A good soldier is usually known in the midst of an intense battle; a good lawyer is usually known by her advocacy and persuasive styles in a knotty dispute; a saviour of any people is only known after dying to save their lives; and a real servant of God maintains his beliefs and faith even in a burning furnace or lions’ den! John C. Maxwell believes that “the leaders who make the greatest impact are often those who lead well in the midst of uncertainty”. Andy Stanley, another excellent leader and communicator, explained, “Uncertainty is not an indication of poor leadership. The nature of leadership demands that there always be an element of uncertainty…” Therefore, a real Christian should be able to exercise any forms of authority and still remain incorruptible. Being a Christian is not a title; it is a character!

Christianity, chieftaincy and partisan politics are strong forces insofar as Ghana’s positive growth and development are concerned. A closer study of the Bible reveals that God is a family, and His key focus is Christ-centered nation building. God used the family of Abraham to raise the nation of Israel. Chieftaincy is also vital in raising and preserving kingdoms. God used kings such as David and Solomon to govern Israel. In addition, the British were wise enough to embrace the fact without Indirect Rule, their dominance on Gold Coast Ghana would be a naked dictatorship of which fierce resistance or apathy would have occasioned.

Moreover, partisan politics is a vehicle to wheedle ideological influence which is the main essence of leadership. Thus a true political leadership enhances nation building. God for instance used Joseph and Daniel to respectively shaped nations of Egypt and Babylon. Yet some self-professed Christians perceive chieftaincy as a reserve of idol worshippers and the uneducated. And partisan politics as a dirty game which should only be played by dishonest idiots! This sounds like setting up a committee comprising dogs to formulate and implement moral policies. Praying for such dogs will do little. Don’t get me wrong; it is good to pray for our leaders and nation. But it is highly hypocritical and contradictory to pray for the flourishing of something you think is evil. Is it not the case that all authorities are ordained by God?

“All that is necessary for the victory of the evil,” in the words of Edmund Burke, “is that the good men do nothing”. For Roland Mensah, “If Christianity is the motivating factor in our lives, then it should affect our societal relationships, our view of the political system and our commitment to redeem the society in which we live. We should become involved, concerned about, and dedicated to, the principle of orderly change within our governmental system”. Martin Luther says, “If our (Christians) speaking fails to address the precise point at which the world of our time aches, we are not really preaching the Word”.

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position.

richardobengmensah@gmail.com

THE PATH OF LIFE

THE PATH OF LIFE

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death –Proverbs 14:12 (NIV).

RYWA is a youth-focused movement which seeks to raise real readers, right writers, and real leaders for an improved society. Professor Antobam was once invited to deliver a keynote address at its annual YES gathering at KNUST. He however could not honour the invitation on the ground that he could not get his favourite means of transport – by sea! Surprisingly, Professor Antobam had all along thought that he could travel to Kumasi by sea.

There is always the right way to every destination. You either use that way or you get lost! For instance, one can mainly travel from Accra to Kumasi either by air or land, never by sea! Similarly, there is only one path to real life. One cannot reach the destination of real life by merely travelling by air, land, or sea. Losing the track of this path is to walk on frustrated paths of life. The signposts on frustrated paths are death, deceptions, destructions, dissatisfaction, doubts, failures, frustrations, thievery and all manner of wickedness. On the other hand, the signposts on the path of real life are: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In sum, the path of real life is full of joy and real pleasure. Life valleys, mountains and crookedness cannot sabotage this kind of joy and pleasure.

The path of life can only be known at God’s presence. David prayed in Psalm 16:11(NIV), “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”. Thus real joy and eternal pleasures of life are enveloped in God. The gates and courts of God’s presence are only accessible by thanksgiving and praises. And the path to these gates is owned by Jesus Christ. To walk on this path demands that we become the sheep of Jesus so that he can usher us to God’s presence.

The path of life is full of eternal pastures, peace and overflowing prosperity. Those who truly walk on it never want anything in life. David walked on this path and later testified in Psalm 23 as follows, “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever”.

The path of life can only be shown (Psalm 25:4) by Jesus because God has accredited its licence to him. No wonder he is the only person in history who has been bold enough to declare that, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him” - John 14:6-7. It is only through Jesus that we can enter the gates of God’s presence (John 10:7-10) because he is the good shepherd. As the good shepherd he only shepherds sheep, never goats. Goats unlike sheep walk on different paths of life with the aim of seeking God. But they never get to know Him. The only way to know God is to know Jesus; knowing Jesus is equal to knowing God. We can only know Jesus when we become his sheep (disciple). A real disciple of Jesus totally depends on him for everything. Do you depend on Jesus for everything?

Richard Obeng Mensah, co-author of 37 Benefits of Reading. borncapy@yahoo.com/www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com