Corruption grows slowly

Corruption grows slowly                                                           121210

When iron is exposed to moist conditions where air is available it begins to rust. The process is so slow that it is difficult to notice at first. Sometimes this happens in a hidden place such that the deterioration of the metal becomes invisible. The invisibility of the corrosion, however, does not mean that it is not happening. It is only a matter of time before it becomes evident to all.

            Most metal structures have to be coated with a layer of paint or other non-reactive metals in order to make sure they do not corrode in this way. This is temporary sometimes, in that as soon as the layer preventing rusting is removed for some reason, the rusting begins. The moment the metal is exposed to the elements it automatically starts deteriorating. This is because on their own, these metals are unable to stop the reactions that take place when they are exposed to air and water. These reactions are natural, such that they occur involuntarily. The only way to make sure that there is no rusting is to make sure that the conditions that encourage the process are eliminated all the time.

            A metal that has rusted does not look attractive at all. If anything, it is very repelling. Those who see a rusted piece of metal are tempted to think that the process happened overnight. This process, however, goes on so slowly that it may go undetected for some time. Once it in noticed, however, there is need to make sure that the conditions encouraging the process are eliminated as fast as possible if there is going to be a chance of saving the metal.

            There are some pieces of metal that are lying around aimlessly. These ones can rust at will and no one will be bothered. There are other metals, however, that are a pillar supporting whole structures. If these ones are allowed to rust, they do not fall down alone when rust has done its part, but they bring the whole structure down with them. It is these structures that should not be allowed to rust. Every time, there is need to keep checking that these pillars are not exposed to the elements that cause rusting. If there are signs of exposure, these structures need to have another layer of paint applied to make sure air and water is kept at bay.

            All the corruption we see and frown upon today did not happen overnight. The most corrupt individual you know once had a conscience and did not feel comfortable when corruption options were laid down before them. As time went on, a stage was reached where the elements that cause corruption were allowed to come in. Because it takes time before the real effects of corruption can be fully felt, the individuals felt ‘the coolness of having water around’, as it were, as something welcome.. This must be the feeling that iron has when it eventually has some water around it. It usually envies stainless steel when it ‘sees’ it interacting with even acids without being destroyed and feeling deprived of the opportunity. When the paint wears off and water gets to it, it feels privileged too to have the opportunity to enjoy water, like other metals. But before long the effects set in. The iron feels the pain as layer after layer of some ugly looking stuff peels off its face. This is the result if the ‘privilege’ of having access to water, like other metals.

            Even in individuals, a time comes when the effects set in. By that time, the exposure to corruption will be so great that withdrawing will be impossible. Even in the life of iron, after some time of rusting a stage is reached where a coat of paint does not save the metal. The way to go may be to dip it into acid to remove all the rust and a small layer of metal before applying the protective layer of paint. If this is done the metal will become useful again but it will have to be content doing less important jobs since it will be much smaller in size as a result of layer upon layer being eaten away from the surface as rusting occurs.

            There is hope for the most corrupt individual if he/she wants to stop the rotting process, but there are very few people who can trust them for some time after changing their ways. This in some way reduces their capacity.

            The best way to view corruption is to appreciate that it leaves those who practice it worse off and must be avoided at all costs. Where possible it must be denied a chance to set in because once the process begins it is difficult to stop it. As much insulation against elements of corruption should be applied in individual lives to make sure that there is no chance of it setting in. As soon as there are conditions that encourage corruption the individual involved should try and eliminate them as fast as possible. Tasting the rewards of corruption may lead to greater exposure, which may bring more rewards before the ill effects are felt. And these bad effects are not pleasant at all. As much as possible, work hard to make sure corruption does not take effect in you. You will not regret it.

You have to work to get what you want

You have to work to get what you want                                                            051210

                The earth is full of minerals and all of them are useful for improving our standard of living; but these minerals have to be mined before they can be used. The soil is rich and eager to produce some good crop; but it has to be tilled before we can benefit in this way. There are many books in libraries and book stores that contain the information we need to get the next great idea that will take us far; but they have to be read and studied before that information becomes useful. All this points to the fact that we need to work before we get the results that we want. There is no shortcut to this end.

                Iron is one of the most useful metals on earth because it is found in relatively large quantities in the earth. There are other metals, though, which are found in larger quantities but cannot be used to the extent of iron because they are difficult to extract. Aluminium is one such metal. Even though it is difficult to extract, when needed, the only way to get it is to extract it from the ground.

                Useful as iron is, it has to be mined from underground. The ore from which it is mined contains many impurities that have to be removed before iron becomes useful. All this processing requires money and time. As a result large processing plants are built specifically to make iron available in a form that is usable. Without this work, all the iron and steel structures we see and use would not be available to us.

                There are other minerals that do not need much processing for them to be extracted. These are said to be found ‘native’ in the ground. Minerals like Gold and copper sometimes can fetch lots of money if sold in their unprocessed state. Gold panners who are causing siltation in our rivers are testimony to this fact. They get the gold and sell it to middlemen who go on to sell it on the legal market for a profit. Even though these panners get a lot of money from the gold they sell, they have to dig it up and remove the soil. There are very few places and instances where a big nugget can be picked without working for it.

                Minerals like diamonds can bring in a lot of money even though they are uncut. But those who sell them still have to mine them first. There is more money, though, for those who have the means of processing these minerals. This value addition is what makes the difference in income between the initial miners and those who sell after processing.

                The same can be said about the farming industry. The soil can make anything sown on it to produce more than the planted seeds. The seeds have to be sown, though, before the profit can be realised. Seeds germinate when the conditions are right but not every germinated seed will produce the maximum possible yield. The seed does well if planted on fertile soil that has been tilled. Tilling the land is necessary for production to go up. If you will get anything from the soil you have to work it and feed it. All this requires energy and time. If you do nothing to, and for the soil, you will not get anything meaningful out of it.

                There are many things in life that we want. Many of these are actually needs. There is only one way of making sure they become part of our lives, and that is to work to get them. There is nothing that happens on its own. All things are hidden somewhere in some ‘soil’ so that those who need them badly will dig them up. Those who are lazy will not be able to benefit from these hidden things because they are not prepared to work for them.

                If you want a degree you have to study for it. If you do not study hard enough you will not get it in the end. There is no shortcut. If you want money you have to work consistently for it. Those who use shortcut methods to get it always find that it goes before they can enjoy it, if ever they can enjoy it. Whatever you want, you have to work to have it.

                In most mines there are major minerals that they extract from the ground but more often than not there are other useful metals that are found in the same ore. These are sometimes processed depending on their abundance in the ore. While you do one thing, it is often true that you benefit in more ways than one. There are many other benefits you derive from one useful project. These may be just little but you benefit all the same. These benefits come only to the ones who own the mines. ‘Dig’ somewhere and see how many benefits you will enjoy. All you have to do is work.

                Remember the earth is full of minerals. It is those who are diligent enough to keep digging who strike the belt of the precious minerals. And those who dig deeper have a greater chance of getting minerals where there is no competition, for many are content digging on the surface. All you will ever want is available to you if only you are prepared to work fir it.

Do not take people’s comments personally

Do not take people’s comments personally                                                        040710

            Have you ever realised that when you have an aching spot in your body, everyone who comes in contact with you seems to touch that place. No matter how much effort you put in trying to keep the sore away, people have a way of finding it and causing you pain. You probably know that these people would not hurt you deliberately, but somehow these painful paces seem to be always accessible despite all your efforts to keep them out of reach.

            What is important to realise is that people are in contact with these spots all the time they are in contact with you, but when these areas are not injured you do not feel the people’s touch as pain causing. What makes you sensitive when you get injured is that the pain is instant so you respond to it. There are many times when someone seems to always touch you on the sore spot no matter how much you both try to avoid it. It may be because this loved one may be used to touching you in a specific way and it has become habitual, and now that the place this individual is used to touch has become injured, it becomes easy to unconsciously touch the same spot. You may interpret this as carelessness on their part but it may just be a way of showing they care, in the same way they have done so in the past and you never seemed to care. They may actually be wondering why you are being sensitive all of a sudden.

            There are many comments that people say about you in public that they say to everyone without causing offense. It may be that you say certain things that offend others without realizing it. You may be saying these things as a joke because when someone says the same to you, you take it lightly. The same words that make everyone laugh and enjoy themselves can be painful to someone sensitive. Sensitivity is not because the spot that is hurting wants to hurt in this way. It may be accidentally injured, and as long as the injury has not healed, it will continue to be painful when touched.

            In general, when an injury occurs on the leg, every other part of the body can be touch without feeling uncomfortable. This means that an injured person becomes sensitive only when the injured part is touched. There are others who get involved in traffic accidents. Such people have more sore spots as a result. In such cases it may be wise to be very careful in that if you touch any place there are chances of causing pain.

            Emotional pain is as painful as physical pain although it is not quite tangible. Most people are hurting in some way and once in a while someone says something that touches this sore spot. Because such hurting people may not tell the offenders that they are hurting in this way, these people may continue to touch this same spot without realizing that they are causing pain, to the discomfort of those hurting. Words touch these sore spots as hands do in the physical. Most people end up hating the people who hurt them in this way not realising that they may not be aware of the pain they are causing. This happens when they take people’s comments personally.

            If you look deep down in your heart, you will find some spots that are sore. The pain they cause may be mild oar severe, depending on when the pain was caused and the healing process you are going through. There are times when someone says something that reminds you of this pain and as a result you feel the pain once again. Some of these people do not realise that they are causing you pain so they keep saying the painful words in your presence. There are times when others know about the pain you are going through and they try to help you by giving some medicine for your wounds. The problem may be that these self-proclaimed ‘doctors’ may not have experience in healing the type of ailment you will be having so in trying to help they cause more pain instead. Such need to be forgiven because their intention is to help you and not to hurt you.

            In general, if the wound is going to heal, it has to be exposed to medicine, and medicine causes pain. If you realise this, you will realise that some amount of pain is necessary for healing to take place. This may come through someone talking the issue over with you. If you do not expose the pain to the truth, it may last a lifetime. There are many who got amputated in the end because they feared the pain caused by ‘Betadine”. If they had endured the small pain at first, their limps would not have grown septic, something that necessitated the amputation. The same may happen if you keep emotional pain on the inside. It has a way of eating you up on the inside.

            If you will avoid emotional pain caused by those who speak carelessly, do not take anything they say personally. Of course, if your weight bothers you, you will be touched when someone tells you that you have grown too big. But it may be true and since you are doing something about it, you should take it as encouragement to do something about the painful spot. As long as you do not take these comments personally, you will heal faster.  

No Test No Promotion

No Test No Promotion                                                                                    040710

                Everyone in life looks forward to being promoted from one level to the next. Many people are frustrated when this does not happen when they want it to happen or as often as they think it should. But promotion does not happen at random. Every time someone gets promoted there has to be a test of some sort that has to be passed. Most people do not want this part of the promotion process because they are afraid of failure.

                Those who have been promoted ahead of you are not perfect. This is the reason why you frown when you hear they have been promoted. What distinguishes them from you may be that they choose to face challenges more often. It is true that if you look at their history, they may have made more blunders than you have. But have you tried to check how many successes they have scored compared to you? Those who accomplish great things in life usually make more mistakes than the rest. It is in making mistakes that they gain knowledge about how to be successful. It is better, in reality, to promote someone who will make mistakes but score some successes than someone who makes no mistakes and at the same time producing no results because he/she is afraid of making mistakes.

                Everyday we grow from stage to stage. A child when born cannot walk or run. As time goes on it starts to sit unsupported. After a couple of bruises from falling the child learns to stand on its own.  After some more falls he learns to walk. The child who does not want to fall will not learn how to walk. It is in making mistakes that the child learns the art of walking. When you look at yourself today you do not think about it when you want to walk. There was once a time, however, when you could not walk, let alone stand. Throughout life you had to progress from stage to stage and you did. The problem with adults is that there is a fear that they have that makes it difficult for them to progress in life.

                The academic world is another area where we see promotion coming after being tested. Those who go to secondary school have to sit for the grade seven test. How you do is no longer an issue since some people who have done badly in the test find themselves at high school. This is because education is a fundamental right which every child is entitled to. All the same, if you want to go to the best schools in the land you must produce some good marks otherwise there is no place for you. From O’ Level to A’ Level requires that you accomplish some good results at the former level. The same is true from A’ Level to university. There is no shortcut to promotion.

                In your life today; if you look closely you will find that there are a number of places that you want to be that you have not yet reached. Some of them are within reach if you choose to work at getting there. Others seem out of reach to you. In all these situations you will find that the only way to get the promotion to the next level is to face some opposition and overcome. If there is no test, there is not going to be progress. Tests, by nature, are not a pleasant experience. If, however, we do not face them, there is no way of knowing how much we are learning in life. Every genuine student dreads the examination but those who do well appreciate that their efforts would not be appreciated without a test.

                If you are going to be successful in life you have to choose to face the tests that come your way. There is always a way of avoiding these tests but the person who will be frustrated in the end is you. Those who have repeated a grade know how frustrating to sit in class with those you considered juniors just a year ago. For those who would have been nasty to these juniors it is even worse because they are constantly reminded of that fact. The frustration is made worse if the individual would have repeated because of missing an exam.

                Do not be afraid of tests, they give you a chance to prove who you are and get promotion. Look at the testing stage as a stepping stone towards greater heights. The tests you pass in your academic life give you progress in that dimension. Those you pass in your social life do the same in that direction. If you want to progress spiritually you have to pass spiritual tests. Remember there is no shortcut to promotion.

The end of a matter is more important than its beginning

The end of a matter is more important than its beginning                                      110710

            There are many grant openings that we see in the world today but there are very few of the started things that end as planned. If you look at this scenario you will realise that the people who start such great ventures forget that everyone can start something, but there is work that needs to be done before the end is reached. It is this discipline in pursuing the project that is generally lacking in most of us.

            If all the books that people started writing were finished, the world would be a better place because these books would have given us information that would change our lives. But these books were left unfinished at some point and some of them will never be finished. This is the reason why some great thinker declared the graveyard as the richest place on earth. All the things left undone by those who went to their graves make it a land full of great wealth.

            The new business venture that you promised people would come soon is still pending, years later. Everyone smiled when they read your project proposal. What happened to it? The studies you started a decade ago are still unfinished. Are you planning to leave everything at that level?

            There are thousands of athletes who start the Comrades Marathon every year. It is a noble idea to run this race because of the way it is reputed in the world. It is not everyone who starts, however, who gets to the end. Only those who get to the end get a prize. There are some who are in front for the first ten kilometers of the race who do not get to the end. It is not how fast you are in parts of the race that makes you a champion. It is reaching the end that is important. Some start slowly in this big race but in the end they finish and get their medals for reaching the finish line. In a race, the reward is given for reaching the finish line, and not in the way you run.

            The end of a matter is more important than its beginning. This is because everyone can start. It is very easy to start with everyone else. There are many who started grade one who never reached grade five. Others started form one and never finished three years in secondary school. Others went to university and left without their degrees. Many start in all cases but few get to the end. There are many, actually who start the degree program strongly with distinctions who fail in the end. Others begin by repeating their first year and keep at it until they graduate, seven years later, for the five year program. That does not matter, as long as in the end the desired destination is reached.

            What makes people to fail to reach the end is that they do not take time at the beginning of the venture to see if they have the resources to get to the end. A hundred metre race is hundred metres long and before you begin it you must be sure that you have the energy to reach the end. The marathon, on the other hand, is forty-two kilometers long. If you begin, make sure you have the energy to go all the way. Once you begin we expect that you finish. It does not matter that you are not prepared for it. If you begin you owe it to the spectators and to yourself to finish the race.

            The way to make sure you finish things that you begin is to count the cost. No race is easy to accomplish. There is a price to pay before you get the prize. Sit down and find out if you have all the resources that are needed for you to reach the end. If you have trained for only a hundred metre race do not enter the marathon race. If you do not have the resources to finish you may as well start something that you are prepared for. The sad thing is that after pulling of at the forty kilometer mark, there is not enough energy left in you for some time to run another race. If you had not started that particular race because of being unprepared, you would still be ready to compete in a half marathon or other shorter races.

            Once you realise that you cannot finish something, it is important to be realistic and save yourself and others the frustration that results when you fail to get to the end. It takes less energy to say no to a project that you cannot finish than to start and fail to reach the end. In fact it is less disappointing.

            Realise that in the end it is not how many projects you began that matters but how many you finished. It is not how you started that is important but how you finished. It is the end of a matter that is important, not just its beginning.

           

           

Keep Shining; Your Time Will Come,

Keep Shining; Your Time Will Come,                                                                        130708

               There is a time for everything. There are times when you will feel that you are being overlooked despite the excellent efforts you put in whatever you do. When such times come, it is important to realise that there is a time for everything and everyone. A time will come when you will also become the centre of attraction. Everyone will notice and wish they were in the same position. The problem is that if it is not yet their time, no matter how much they wish they could shine they just won’t; simply because it will be your time and no one else’.

               The street light may be bright, but if it is switched on during the day it will be neither visible nor appreciated. The point is not that the source of light is not bright enough; it is only that there is a brighter light at that moment. When night comes the street light becomes the brightest source available. If it does not give its light at this crucial time, the people will notice its absence. At that time it ceases to be negotiable as far as the need for this source of light. When the time is right, the proper source of light is appreciated when functioning properly; it is equally missed if it is not available.

               The moon’s light is welcome when one is moving in the night in a place where there is no artificial lighting. If however there is a car’s headlamp or a bulb, this light becomes insignificant. The point is not that the light source is not doing its best or is not necessary but only that in the prevailing conditions those who need the light have an alternative source. The moon does not loose hope, neither does it stop providing the light but it provides light regardless of whether people are grateful for its light or not.

               The stars have never stopped giving out their light. During the day they are so overshadowed by the sun’s light that they do not seem to exist. They are seen in their greatest brilliance when the night is darkest. In like manner, those people we refer to as stars do not only do something that is beyond our ability or reach, like stars are far above; they do it when the odds are against them. The sports stars are those who rise to the occasion and perform to the satisfaction of all and sundry when things are beyond everyone else’ ability to solve the problem. Stars are not needed unless things are so dark that no other source will provide light. All the same the stars will continue to give their best light whether we see them or not; whether we appreciate or not.

               As an individual there are times when your efforts will seem unappreciated. This is not necessarily because your services are not essential. At the right time you will be the only source of light available. At that point people will notice how important you are. If you happen to be unavailable at that time you will be missed greatly. What is important is that you keep shining even in times when no one seems to notice your presence. Like the stars keep shining at all times and you will be found shining when your time comes.

               There are times when you are considered as the sun when it comes to providing light: being so strong a source that every other source seems useless in comparison. It is important at this point not to deceive yourself by thinking that you are indispensable, something that may lead to pride and looking down upon others. What you need to know if you find yourself in this enviable position is that no matter how long a day may last, depending on the season, there is always a sunset that follows. When the sun sets, the same people who salute your glory will start looking for alternative sources of light. This does not necessarily mean that you will not have another go at providing the much needed light. After all, dusk is always followed by dawn after a couple of hours. For this reason no matter how important you feel in one area of life or another, realise that there are others equally important although not necessarily equally prominent.

               When it comes to light provision there are times when you can be the source of light. There are times when, like the moon, you give out only as much light as you receive from other sources. What is important in all cases is to realise that what is significant is to provide light to those who need it. It is not for the moon to glory in the fact that it can provide light. If there were no appreciative people on the receiving end then no matter how much you give, it will be considered useless. Only those who appreciate this fact will find fulfillment in whatever they do. Do it for others and it will be valuable.

               If you rely on reflecting from other light sources then you have to work at polishing your surface because the shiniest surfaces reflect the most light. If it is intellectual light then study hard to acquire as much knowledge as possible to be able to be effective as a source or reflector of light. The more polished your brain is the better.

               Whether people seem to appreciate you or not, as an individual is not as important as the fact that you are doing something to better their lives. Do what you do to the best of your ability with joy, knowing that a time will come when your services will become the only available. This may take a lot of time to come but be assured that when the time comes you will also bask in glory. Only those who keep shining regardless of other competing light sources will become the essential source in their time. Those who give up as soon as there is competition will not amount to much so keep shining.

Dress modestly

The need to be careful                                                                           130708

            I did not want to discuss this topic because several other people have covered it before but I feel responsible to say a word or two on the same. The issue is on dressing. Let me limit this to those who are going to church. One Sunday in town I saw a well dressed young lady. The attention she was drawing to herself made me check her out. I realised that the attention was not necessarily on her dressing because people dress like that every day but it was the Bible that she was holding that made people wonder if she was really going to church.

            There was something definitely wrong with the way she was dressed. Everyone would just shake their head and continue with their business. That made me think for a while and I resolved once and for al that I was going to say something about this issue regardless of its controversial nature. I know this has potential to get my inbox full with mail. That part is welcome too and is always part of the job but for a while, hear what I have to say.

            Let us make one thing clear from the beginning; God is not disturbed by your dressing on a Sunday morning in church. You could literally come naked and He would enjoy your worship like He does when you are dressed like a Moslem woman. That does not affect Him in any way. In fact he enjoys your singing when you are in the bath every morning; naked. Remember that in the Garden of Eden when God used to come and fellowship with Adam and Eve they were not dressed in any way. He would look forward to coming and enjoying this time of fellowship. Case closed! God is not affected in any way by the way you are dressed.

If God is not affected, then why do men make a fuss about the way people dress in church to such an extent that some pastors make it the subject of their Sunday’s preaching? There is probably something in the whole dressing issue that people refuse to address squarely. Dressing can be classified as a right by others. You put on something that you want to put on and when you feel like it. I may choose to listen to that argument and go on to respect it to a limited extent, at least when you are going to the movie house.    

Now that you are the one responsible for choosing your wardrobe when you go wherever you want, it is important to realise that there are other areas where you can get away with murder and others where you will be brought to book. Now that we are talking about dressing for church, it is unavoidable to quote from the Bible to hear what the one who owns the place has to say about the issue at hand. Let us start in the book of Proverbs.

“For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.”  (Pro 7:6-10) (Italics mine).

The italisised words tell me that there are different dress codes for different professions. It is therefore important to realise that you may use your freedom of expression in dressing to dress like a prostitute sometimes without realizing it. We agree that when a prostitute comes to church on Sunday morning it is not ours to chase her from church because Jesus emphasized that He came for the lost like these. It is a different story, however, when someone who claims to be a Christian dresses like a prostitute to church. The danger is that the one who called you expects a higher standard from you and defaming His Name with your dressing is a serious offence.

The question that comes to mind first is why do you want to be dressed like a harlot when going to church? Those that operate from Parirenyatwa Street in the night dress like that because their bodies are available. It is the same way a vendor displays some tomatoes on the stalls. (No offence intended). Since we take it for granted that the Christian’s body is not available why is it being advertised as such? Unless we are mistaken by assuming that the Christian should not be associated with adultery and fornication.

Now let’s see what effects you have on an average Sunday when you put on something indecent to church and sit in the front pew. You love the Lord so much that during praise and worship you can’t help but raise your hands. That of course raises your belt thin skirt farther up and showing what should not be visible in public. While you are in great fellowship with your Lord every man behind you will not worship God during that service. I hope you do not come from home to go to church planning to hinder some brother from meeting his Maker because they are lusting after your exposed body. If you did not know, that is exactly what you do once you leave the house improperly dressed, not only to church. The danger with the church case is that there is a serious warning to those who causes others to sin.

"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his(/her) neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!”  (Mat 18:5-7) (Emphasis mine)

These verses give a strong warning to those who choose to abuse their freedom to harm others. It is probably only in church where we can be sure this law will apply. All the same it is safe to consider your dressing every time you leave the house.

            Realise that we are not against people being fashionable. Putting on something that is in fashion is encouraged but make sure that it does not cause others to miss the same Lord you are enjoying. If it wasn’t for this issue, no one would mind seeing you in your most brilliant attire, but the Lord of the house sets the rules in the house.