THE PENCIL

"A student, too impatient to read the instructions of an examination question paper, started his work, and for about thirty minutes of forty five minutes, he kept writing as though His life depended on it, which it actually did. Ten minutes to wrap up, he found out he had made a mistake in his essay and needed an extra sheet to make amends. It was at the request that he was told to check out the instructions which says: Every student is entitled to one answer sheet. Carefully choose and answer one question from the below Six questions using a pencil throughout."

Pencil, imagine if he had read the instructions and had used a pencil, then he would have been able to erase the mistakes and make amends easily without sweating.

Pencil, a seemingly unimportant and insignificant object, but carries a cloud of meaning. I think it is high time we took a recall to the reasons why we actually used pencil while we were young and why young one are still using it even in this jet generation.

Pencils are made specifically for mistakes and that explains the reason they come with erasers.

We are humans and it is ingrained in our nature to err, we always err, we are bound to make mistakes and this is a result of our imperfect nature. As clear as this is to everyone, I think it shouldn't be hard to erase our mistakes. Unlike the pencil when you have the eraser right beneath it to erase the mistake and it appears as though it never happened, humans’ mistakes will always be there but we can work around it to maintain peace with ourselves.

(Hebrews 12:14) Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man will see the Lord.

A Yoruba proverb translates, one cannot move without the head twitching. Definitely, we cannot relate with one another for so long without one party hurting the other one way or the other, through the words of the mouth, actions or what have you, but we just have to learn to forgive one another and move on in the love of Christ. A wonderful woman used to say something like, " when we cross ourselves, let's fight it out, let's abuse ourselves and trash the issue at the spot, then we continue with our play of love" Well, fighting is not good, and abusive words are profane and ungodly, but what I like about this is that, it tell you to bury the hatchet as soon as possible, don't prolong issues, you have too much to live for other that feeding on some stuffs that a friend said about you or did to you. You can get angry, it is allowed, but not too long as the bible says;

Ephesians 4:26-"Be angry but do not sin, do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger".

Get angry, but while you are angry, be careful of the things you let out and do so as not to sin, and forget about the issue as soon as possible so as not to sin against God even as you think about it. It is the joy of God that we be in one mind and peaceful relationship.

Philippians 2:2 " Fulfill ye my joy, that ye may mind the same thing, having the same love, of one soul, minding the one thing, nothing in rivalry or vain glory but in humility of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves."

Let the Love of Christ dwell richly in you even as you relate with others.

In Matthew 22:37 When the lawyer Pharisee asked Jesus about which one of the laws was the greatest, Jesus told him that "love the Lord thy God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" And the one which follows is “Love your neighbor as yourself"

You see that after the love of God, what's next is your neighbor, those around you, how you relate with them also matters.

Speaking of the relationship men have with God, we need to understand the fact that when we say we love God, we have to obey Him and listen to what He tells us to do. We need not to struggle for he has made everything perfect through the death of Jesus. The bible says in John 15:14 that “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you" The eyes of the Lord are too holy to behold iniquities. You know when you love a girl and you do not want to do anything to hurt her, you do not want to see her cry or feel bad as a result of your actions or whatever, so you should love your God and even more than, such that you do not hurt him, with the words of your mouth,

( Ephesians 4:29- do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.),

By the things that you watch and do with your neighbor, opposite sex and yourself,

(Ephesians 5:3-4- But amongst you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because they are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving),

Or by anything you think can actually hurt the Lord your God that you claim you love.

(John14:15-If you love me, you will obey what I command)

(John3:9-10-No one who is born of God will continue to sin because the seed of God remains in Him, he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are. Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor does anyone who does not love his brother.)

Like the pencil when you can clean of the mistake as though it never happened, when you sin against God, you can ask for forgiveness and it shall be forgiven.

(Hebrews4:16- Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.)

(2Corinthians5:17- Therefore if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, the new has come)

Now, the grace available in Christ for the forgiveness of sin is not to be taken advantage of, and keep on in sin, for a broken and contrite heart is what the Lord seeks.

Like the story of the student who got to know the details of the instructions of the question paper after it was late such is the fate of those who do not accept Christ.

(John14:6-7- I am the way, the truth and the life, no one goes to the father except through me. if you really knew me, you would know my father as well, from now on you do not know Him and have not seen Him.)

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, the only way through which man can be reconciled to God. For there is only one intermediary between man and God, Jesus.

(John5:40-44- And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?)

(John3:16-For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.)

How would you feel if you rushed down the hallway to submit your answer sheet and you found out that you answered the right questions on the wrong sheet, or with a pen instead of a pencil? There is an opportunity for you to change your fate now, all you have to do is to accept Christ as your lord and change the course of your ship, have a turn around and become new again. All you just have to do is say a word of prayer.

Father Lord, I am sorry for my sins, I believe Christ Jesus died on the cross for my sins and he  has washed them away with His blood, I accept Jesus Christ the son of God into my life now as my personal Lord and savior, to rule and lead me into eternal life. Amen. Welcome to the family. may God bless you.

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