The Elevation Church

Tag: Adeleke Adeite

  • Lockdown is not Lockup

    Lockdown is not Lockup

    It’s no longer news that the Covid-19 pandemic and its spread across the globe has killed thousands of people, crashed the global economy and plunged ‘normal’ life into turbulence and disorder. Various aspects of life have not been and will not be the same due to this. Experts have tried to unravel how to harness the crisis for higher level of productivity and profitability. Cities and nations have been on a lockdown; businesses, religious centers, schools are all shut down; workers now have to stay at home and/or work from home. This has also unexpectedly increased unemployment, plunged businesses into bankruptcy and crippled economies.

     

    In the wake of this pandemic, normal life may look like a distant dream but victorious and profitable life will not be farfetched for those who have prepared and positioned themselves for the best. As a poet and songwriter, I have written a lot of poems and lyrics during this lockdown, but here is my favourite:

     

    Lockdown is not lockup

    Don’t shutdown and don’t shut up

    Get up and show up behind closed doors

    Stay safe, strong and smart indoors

    Not every closed door is a prison

    Storms only come for a season

    Wake up and put on your creative cap

    Don’t get tamed by anxiety’s trap

    Don’t look for light at the end of the tunnel

    When there is a light walking in the tunnel

    You’re the light my friend

    This darkness will come to an end

    Keep on shining and showing up

    This lockdown is not a lockup

     

    Life, they say, is different strokes for different folks, people process seasons and situations differently but it is important to understand how to navigate this stormy season in order to gain from pain. Every loss is a lesson, only if we focus on learning and not just yearning. Here are few tips to living the best life during lockdown:

    1. Connect and commune with creative people: the kind of people you connect with during a downtime will determine how fast you will rise again. Social distance is not a barrier to creativity and productivity. There is no limit in the move of the ‘spirit’, thanks to the internet and technology. There are a lot of free webinars and courses online that can fuel fortune and faith, engage the ones that speak to your interests and prospects.

     

    1. Defy reasoning and reach for new realities: In times of crises, reasoning and logic seem to be the last resort but they often put a cap on creativity and productivity. Seasons like this provides opportunity not only to think outside the box but to live, work and earn outside the box. Explore every idea, even the unreasonable and insignificant ones.

     

    1. Relax and retreat to relaunch: anxiety attacks become prevalent due to uncertainties and harsh realities faced during this period. Be intentional about building metal agility, seek counselling and mentoring if you must. This is not a time to be emotionally and socially isolated even if you are physically isolated. Be intentional about building mental agility. See the bright side of the ‘bend’ because this is certainly not the end.

     

    1. Create opportunities: a lot of times, people wait for doors of opportunities to open instead of breaking walls and building their own doors. Don’t dwell on the crises and losses that may be ravaging the world. The truth is, there will not always be jobs openings, but you can employ yourself. May be this is the right time to keep your credentials and dust your potentials. There is always a way to start – start with what you have and start from where you are. Make research, reach out for help from veteran entrepreneurs.

     

    1. Dare to be different: there is the temptation to join the bandwagon of people who engage in random activities, especially online games and challenges – which is not so bad. According to Devon Franklin, “your destiny is your difference.” If you want to achieve a different result in this lockdown period, you must act differently and apply a different strategy to your activities. As much as it is good to have fun, don’t lose your focus.

     

    Above all, stay safe! See this lockdown as a season of relaxation, reflection and redirection. I believe that God is using this season to protect, direct, connect, inspect and correct His people. A lot of disruptions will take place during and after this pandemic but the people who will get the best from the disruptions are those who prepare for the best and plan to overcome the worst.  Allow God to have His way while you play your part. Don’t fret, the One who holds the whole world in His hands is the one who holds your future; therefore, your future is secured and assured.

     

    Written by Adeleke Adeite

  • New Decade, New Me

    New Decade, New Me

    A new decade bellows – “Hello, it’s 2020! A cool looking number, seem like a harbinger?”

    A voice in my head tells me that it’s not just another new year. It’s a defining decade.

    Now is a good time to have a pregnant pause. Why? “Because it’s a new season and there’s need to set the ball rolling already.”

    Typical of every new year, old things are passed away and all things have become new. SugarRush is the order of the season.

    Okay, calm down, let’s make sure the ball is in good condition and our stage is prepped to keep the ball rolling. A new you is not just new goals and resolutions but new mindsets and principles to guide you in the new year.

    At the beginning of every year, a lot of men and women peek into high heavens, make pleasant plans and progressive projections while some resort to robust resolutions, which are incredible ingredients for a great year. Except that studies have shown that only 25% of people stay true to their resolutions after 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them. I strongly believe there should be a cure for this trend, you really don’t want to be part of that statistic. And if you have been doing great with your plans, visions and resolutions, this is a year you want to scale up and a have grander vision.

    You may ask, “How do I go about this herculean process of planning and pursuing a grander vision for the new year and by extension, the new decade?”  Ponder on these four nuggets:

    1. Make It Plain: Then the Lord answered me and said, “Write the vision, and engrave it plainly on tablets so that the one who read it will run. Habbakuk 2:2

    Visioning is key to the actualization of any great task. Every invention and innovation is a product of imagination. God’s plans and purposes are often downloaded in form of ‘visions’, this does not necessarily have to be a dream, trance or ‘angelic visitation’ of sort. It could be an idea, a simple thought or a deep desire.  One way you can make it plan is by writing down your ‘imaginations’ or goals in clear terms and placing them in a location where you can always make reference to them. It is also good to set timelines for your goals and develop a good strategy for accountability. Suffice to say here that your goals must be SMARTER (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Enriching, Rewarding).

    However, designing a Vision Board is another fantastic way to make it plain; a vision board is basically a collage of images, inscriptions and/or words used as a visualization tool. The images and words can be printed out, written cut out from magazine pages.

    How to have a workable vision board:

    a. Reflect: ponder on the kind of life you desire in the new decade till you have clearly outlined goals to be achieved.

    b. Collect: gather some magazines and cut out images, phrases and quotes that resonate with your goals. You can also search online and print out relevant photos and words.

    c. Connect: get a cardboard or any solid board and stick the images, quotes and phrases on it with gum – in a creative/meaningful manner.

    d. Display the completed vision board in a conspicuous spot where you can view it at least once a day, preferably in your bedroom. You can take a picture of your vision board with your smartphone and use it as your wallpaper and/or as display picture on social media platforms.

    After the vision has been made plain, what next?

    1. Map Out a Strategy: it is not enough to have a great vision; it is important to have an action plan. You may have a vision to start a business, get promoted, change jobs, get employed, get married, lose weight, spend more time with your spouse or children, build a rich relationship, whatever your goal may be. Write down specific actions that will help you achieve your goals and set timelines for those actions.
    2. Make Time for Divine Supplications: Every good intention and ambition require divine intervention. The place of prayers cannot be overemphasized in a world filled with distractions and uncertainties. Commit your goals into God’s hands. He is the Master planner of the universe.
    3. Make Up Your Mind: “A river cuts through a rock not because of its power but because of its persistence” – it is important to note that at some point or the other, you may fall short of your plans or fail to meet your target. Pick yourself up and keep pushing. Fail forward; always remember the reason why you started in the first place and focus on where you are headed.

    Finally, no matter what you set out to achieve this year; no matter the obstacles and oppositions you face, know that you are a mobile miracle – happen to life every day!

     

    Written by Adeleke Adeite

     

  • THE BLESSING OF BEING A BLESSING

    THE BLESSING OF BEING A BLESSING

    I’ve come to realize that generous people are always very prosperous and those who give in abundance always live in abundance. However, in the world we live in today, people want to continue living without giving.

     

    Life is built on the principles of giving. For example, with conception, a man gives sperm to the woman which leads to pregnancy and ultimately child birth. Also, a farmer sows (gives) seeds to the soil and God sends rain to produce food. All givers are rivers, they refresh and replenish the earth, but people who withhold from giving are like stagnant water, they add little or no value to nature.

     

    Many believe the first chapter of Genesis is about creation but there is more to it than just creation; it is about giving. When God said, “let there be light“, He deposited a part of His nature into the dark earth and called forth light, He was the Light of the world. Everything God created was already inside Him. He is the source of all resources. Man became a living soul because God is a giving soul.

     

    A lot of people have different reasons for not giving; probably because they do not understand the blessings that come from blessing others. Let’s consider few reasons why people do not give:

     

    Not having enough: Some people use the line “I don’t have anything” but it takes a different dimension of grace to be a blessing to others even when you don’t have enough. Remember the widow of Zarephath who gave all she had to Elijah during a time when she had nothing; afterwards, she eventually had a surplus.

     

    Professional beggars: Some people have chosen to be professional beggars, and this has discouraged many people from giving. However, since we don’t stop using basic amenities because people abuse it; it’s important that we pray for a discerning spirit to bless the right people.

    Giving is God’s very nature. Little wonder, the ten commandments are hinged on love. Love is all about giving the best and forgiving the worst.

    Irrespective of the many reasons why people don’t give, here are some of the benefits of giving:

    1. Generosity frees us from the spirit of greed, corruption and materialism.
    2. Intentional giving brings a sense of fulfillment and reduces stress of trying to own the whole world.
    3. Sharing and caring reduces crime in the society; if everyone has everything they need, crime will not be common in our community.
    4. Giving increases our standing with God and our status before men.

     

    It is important to note that giving does not necessarily have to do with money or material things. If we don’t have milk and honey or plenty of money; we can give our talent, time, words of encouragement, prayers, good attitude, kindness and moral support. We should also note that giving becomes valid when we do it cheerfully. If we give in order to get something in return, it is no more kindness, it has become business transaction.

     

    In conclusion, no one has ever become poor by being generous and no one has ever lived a truly blessed life by being stingy. To continue to engage and enjoy the blessed life, we must intentionally live to give God and humanity our very best.

     

    Written by Adeleke Adeite

  • Doing Life Together

    Doing Life Together

    There is a zone in life that is more dangerous than danger zone, it is called comfort zone or solitary zone. Gone are the days when people were comfortably suffering and smiling; in this age and time, a lot of people are sinking and smiling. I’ve come to realise that doing life alone can be more devastating than doing life with the wrong people.

    One of the greatest sources of success in life is having the right relationships and one of the surest sources of stress is wrong relationships; but the most unwise decision anybody can make is having ‘no relationships’. The life of a loner hardly makes sense. However, a wrong relationship can be a blessing in disguise. Every relationship can either be a blessing or a lesson, what makes the difference is the power of positive perception.

    In a world where depression and suicide have become the norm, the significance of having a circle of strength cannot be overemphasized. I have had to deal with deep depression too, it was further fuelled by wrong relationships and lonesomeness. However, I got to a point where I wrote this short poem:

    I have seen heaven and hell

    Nightmares don’t scare me any more…

    I have terrifying tales to tell,

    Echoes of woes don’t move me anymore.

    I know the valley of the shadow of death,

    I’ve been there before.

    Jesus restored my soul and my strength…

    His grace kept my core.

     

    In the inaugural speech of the current President of Nigeria, He said “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”. In some Christian communities, a lot of people seem to be lost in the crowd and their testimony is “I fellowship with everybody, I’m in friendship with nobody” or worst still, “I live with everybody, I lean on nobody”; little wonder The Elevation Church has put systems and structures in place where it is easy for guests to move from the crowd to the committed, one of such systems is the small groups system.

    Some small groups are interest-based while some are location based. Everyone has a group where they feel at home with people who speak their ‘language’. Small groups are not only circles of strength, they are a major source of stability in adversity and sustainability in prosperity. Small groups provide a platform for members to experience favourable friendships, fulfilling fellowship and deep discipleship in an atmosphere of faith, fun and freedom.

    The first small group in the world can be traced to Genesis chapter one, where God called a mini conference which led to the creation of man. Since then, small groups have always played a major role in the discovery, development and deployment of creative capacities.

    Below are four reasons why small groups are sacrosanct:

    • Personal Discovery: Vulnerability is a key factor in self-discovery. Except a seed falls to the ground and breaks, it abides alone. It is easier to get integrated, inspired and ignited in a small group than in a large community. For instance, teaching and learning is everyone’s duty in small groups, questions are asked and answered by anyone who wishes to but that doesn’t often happen during church sermons. Leadership qualities are swiftly discovered, developed and deployed in small groups.

     

    • Purpose Delivery: Small groups do not only provide a platform for people to learn from each other, it also provides a platform for interaction, interrelation and interconnection. It is easier to share ideas, sharpen strategies and shape destinies in small groups because people of like minds who share same interest often find it easy to bond and build each other up in such settings.

     

    • Effective Ministry: No one comes to the larger church to share their secret storms and struggles but due to the high voltage vulnerability in small groups, it is easier to minister to peoples’ needs without much ado. Small groups are more like the backbone of ministry.

     

    • Greatness Gallery: I have always maintained that anyone who wants to stand tall must be willing to start small; every big and beautiful thing around us started small. The disciples of Jesus in the early part of his ministry were just twelve, but look at the whole world, billions of Christians are making greatness common in different spheres of life. Doing life together guarantees greatness.

    I encourage you to join a small group today and enjoy doing life with amazing people who will uplift, inspire, encourage and motivate you towards achieving your purpose.

    Written by Adeleke Adeite

     

     

     

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