What is the most important part of a car? Have you ever thought about that? I mean, we all get into cars everyday. If someone were to ask you what the most important part of the car is, what would be your answer? Is it the wheels, the steering wheel, the engine, the seats in the car? Or would you say the battery, the carburetor, the radiator, or maybe even the headlamps? What part of that car that you get into everyday is the most important part?

OK, I believe you’ve come up with an answer. Or if you are the skeptic type, you’ve tried to deduce where I am going with this question and so you have come up with two or more parts together and say, “Well, actually, the engine, the battery, and the wheels together make up the most important part.” That’s okay. I remember once when I asked a question on my wall whether truth was relative or absolute. One question, two options to choose from. I was amazed when I started seeing theories on my wall. Well, let’s leave that for another day.

Anyway, whatever your answer(s) is/are to the question, I want you to now answer my next question. If I gave you that most important part(s) can it be said that you now have a car? Have you ever been on the road and you saw the engine of a Hummer SUV just moving on its own?

Lest you think I am trying to disprove the concept of some things being more important than others, I am not. Some things are definitely more important than others but that is just what it is, “more important.” It does not therefore make the other things of no importance. Have you ever seen a car moving without its bumpers? Does the sight look attractive to you? Or maybe the bumpers were there but the doors were off. Would you like to have a ride in the car?

You do know by now that what I am discussing here has nothing whatsoever to do with cars, right? It has everything to do with you. In the last four decades beginning in the 70’s, the “one thing” theory began to find its way into the body of Christ, erroneously backed up by Phil 3:13, “…this one thing I do…” not realizing that Paul was talking about goal setting and not character building. So, we began to hear of the one thing that mattered most which just incidentally happened to be giving.

We compartmentalized the principles of God and decided for ourselves that one was more important than all the others and therefore disregarded all the others and focused on that one thing and look where we are today. Where on earth did we get the idea that we would live the complete life by focusing on just one thing?

Ask the average lady today what sort of man she wants and the answer most probably would be “a God fearing man.” But who is a God fearing man? Is he the man who goes to church? The man who reads the bible? The man who prays? The man who loves children? Or, is he the man who is a giver? What really does God fearing mean? And so that lady gets involved with the first man she meets who is “God fearing” and what do we hear in a few years time? He wasn’t the man I thought he was. Of course, he wasn’t. He never was.

The principles of God were not meant to work in isolation. Yes, if you got the engine, the battery, the wheels, the steering wheels, the chassis and you couple them together, whatever it is you end up coupling may move from point A to B but are you safe in that kind of car? Haven’t you ever been in a car that took you from point A to B and by the time you arrived at point B your clothes were torn? How did that experience make you feel?

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall. 2 Pet 1:5-10 KJV

The principles of God were not meant to work in isolation. It is either all or nothing. Well, I know you have questions. I have questions, too. But I choose to believe what the Word says. Isn’t that what we call ourselves? Believers! Even in the midst of questions we choose to believe the Word. The word says “if you do these things, you shall never fall.” Not if you do one of these things or if you do some of these things. I think it’s high time we returned to the basics. If the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do? If you have an aspiration for significance you cannot but make sure you get it right at the basics. And guess what? Foundations are not inherited, neither are they transferrable. They have to be laid for every building. And it begins with personal Leadership.

Thanks,
Mute Efe (www.facebook.com/mutehimself)
+234-803-874-9796