YOUR EXTRA IS YOUR ADVANTAGE!

Your extra is your advantage in a world where there seems to be predefined standards to attain any height in life. The subject of a massively widened gap between individual experiences and results never seem to escape my thoughts.

It is so puzzling to think that despite the systems set up and followed through by generations present and gone, the reality and outcome regarding success turns out different with respect to individuals.

I thought getting a degree meant earning an automatic space in the job market…
Or, going to school meant much lesser confusion in navigating through life…
I thought belonging to a community with the societal high-class would have a way of leading me on the path to success…
Oh, yes! Getting a skill must be a sure bet at excelling above contemporaries…
Well, enough of the thoughts now. Turn the spotlight to me!

I am a young person (I might be any young person around), growing and still seeking growth. I’ve traded on most grounds that promised self-development. I’ve even fallen deeply in love with academics and books, reading and learning like my life depends on it. I can say that I literally feel drained, like a phone’s battery blinking red from a reckless usage, whenever a day goes by without my conscious exposure to papers with ink prints.

It has been a very strong commitment on my end to fill my lamp’s tank with the necessary oil to ensure a life-long brazing flame. Yes, the learning, workshops, training, networks, and every other tangible effort goes to my lamp tank as the fuel I’ll need to keep the glowing splint kindled; now or in the future. I had settled with the thought that that’s all I’ll need to lead a very successful life.

But wait, isn’t this exactly what everyone else is doing? I mean, everyone has a fairly unconscious exposure to these systems I’ve set up in a bid to chart up my success journey. The ‘natural’ men even have their extra pushes through sharp malpractices and unhealthy connections. In the Christian circle, the struggle seem to wear a very different look as Christian values and believes become the governing factor and force behind everyday living.

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In a world of such diversity, and being the Christian that I am, it is certain that the ‘ordinary’ preparations cannot be all I’ll need. There’s something more, there’s an EXTRA I’ll need in my arsenal.

I kept pondering until I got an insight from a biblical parable – Parable of the ten virgins. Foolishness in their midst was a characteristic of the five, who went on with their lamps lit, without an extra oil in their possession. However, the five, who carried extra oil with them, the scripture acclaims them “wise.”

By the time the bridegroom showed up, the ones with “extra” oil made it in; while the foolish ones, who had gone in search of oil after an initial outage, returned to meet their frustrations stamped on the closed door in front of them.

I know this has had it’s own interpretation in the religious sphere, but the particular insight it lent to my predicament was one I couldn’t neglect. It became clearer to me that we (everyone in the world) are all in wait for a bridegroom- opportunity, while consciously trimming our lamps – skills, education, networks, etc.; but as Christians, it wouldn’t just be enough to stick with those. I mean, it would be an unhealthy competition to approach a world that is already well versed in corruption with the very inputs they offered you in training – skills, degrees, etc.

What sets us apart will be what we have over the world – GOD. That’d be the massive EXTRA oil that we’ll have to carry; and “EXTRA” here doesn’t depict a sense of God being an alternative, rather, it defines a possession that might not be common to the entirety of a population.

Having a fullness of His indwelling and seeking His will in all that we find ourselves to do, should be an uncompromising pursuit. Notice that the scripture never emphasized on the quenched flames in the case of the foolish virgins, I just might think the wise ones had an outage too; but the ability of the extra which immediately made up for the finished oil in the case of the wise virgins, I believe, was the main lesson to take home from the scripture.

This points us to the fact that the mundane things (education, skills, connections) in which we mostly committed our faith to, could fail us right in the face of a well anticipated opportunity. Or even if they get a hold of the opportunity, they might not see to our being effective at handling same; and it takes the power of God, who is our extra, to lift us out see us through the tussle.

You could relate how frustrating it feels to approach an exams hall solely with a knowledge of what you’ve read, and getting blanked out at the commencement; or the feeling of preparing for an interview, only to be asking nature to remind you of your prepared thoughts while on the hot seat; or getting fired for not being able to deal adequately with work demands. The list is long.

Now you see, the calculations and plans we’ve put up are most likely to fail, especially in the face of our much anticipated opportunities. Or, even if they guarantee us the opportunity, they might not guarantee our stay with it; if not empowered by the ‘extra’ which we possess.

A practical understanding of the fact that everything is found in God will create a consciousness in us, to prioritize our ‘extra’ and pursue the fullness of His person in our lives. This is our advantage – In the world, in purpose, in business, in the academia, in our relationships; our advantage is our ‘extra,’ our advantage is God.

P.S. Just one word, phrase, clause or sentence can bring the positive change that you need. Find it here @gloryinyou🌟😇

CHECK OUT my YouTube channel on Daily Use of English with Cheryl Udomessien. That’s something else I’m passionate about. I bet you will find it very interesting😃

Disclosure: Please note that the amazon links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you. When you use the affiliate links below, I will be compensated. This will help me run this blog and keep all of my content free of charge for readers (like you).