CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE IN NIGERIA - PART ONE

Preambles:  According to John Mason- All humankind is divided into three classes: Those that are unchangeable, those that are changeable, and those that cause change.

Many people fail in life because they are unwilling to change. The greatest unhappy people are those that fear to change. In this topic my major concern is on those that cause changes to happen. Through prayer and careful planning we can create positive changes. There are seven areas of importance where we need positive change in Nigeria. These are:

1.   Spiritual Change.

2.   Attitudinal Change.

3.   Ethical Change.

4.   Political Change.

5.   Environmental Change.

6.   Economic Change.

7.   Bureaucratic Change.

Spiritual Change:

Job said “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Job14:14. There is a spiritual change from one form of life to another. Hence, it is very important for someone to consider the next stage of life, so that he or she will not end up in the wrong place after death. There are just two places one may end up after death. These are, heaven and hell. Heaven is for those who have repented and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Personal Saviour. Hell is for those who have rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Where do you want to end up after death? The choice is yours.

Attitudinal Change:

Apostle Paul said “I BESEECH you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2.

The attitude of many Nigerians is very poor. They are arrogant, envious, intolerant and insolent. The only acceptable standard according to Romans 12:2 is that of good, acceptable and perfect will of God, by not conforming to the world but to God`s standard. This is possible as we renew our minds daily with the word of God. This will lead to positive change of one`s attitude and our nation.

Ethical or Behavioural Change:

Our behaviour needs to change for our nation to make progress. Quite often, Nigerians behave as though there are no laws to guide us, especially those holding political appointments. They see themselves as demigods and untouchable, despite the laws that exist in the country. Positive change of behaviour must start with each individual person in Nigeria. The best instrument for ethical change is the word of God. The Bible says “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth: but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success.” Joshua 1:8. The Bible gives us ethical standards that we must follow if we want to succeed in life and create a positive change in our generation.