₦airaland Forum

Don't know if Apocalypto would be action enough?

Make Your Children Proud Of You

Wed, 9 Dec 2020

‘A child’s glory is his father.’ Proverbs 17:6

Your child is already in the process of becoming the kind of person he or she is eventually going to be. So to bring them up right and to make them proud of you, live by these six principles:

(1) Assure them of your love. They need to know your love is given, and it will never be withdrawn because of their appearance, achievements, or actions. Let them know they are loved for who they are, and that their worth in your eyes is never in question.

(2) Build strong character and godly values. ‘Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.’ (Proverbs 22:6 NLT)

(3) Establish clear boundaries. And be consistent in maintaining them. Do children like rules? No. But your first goal is not to make your child happy, it’s to teach them responsibility, and happiness will follow.

(4) Help them to discover their potential. That means listening, observing, and once their talents are identified, helping to develop them. ‘We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.’ (Romans 12:6 NIV)

(5) Don’t try to duplicate yourself through them. God gave each of your children their own unique makeup and personality. So don’t try to make them something that God and the rest of us don’t need one more of.

(6) Encourage them to pursue their life’s vision. ‘Your young people will see visions.’ (Joel 2:28 GNT) Don’t pour cold water on the fire of their enthusiasm, fan it. Get out of the critic’s seat and become their greatest supporter. If you do, you will make them proud of you.

What YouN’T Sent To Do!

Tue, 8 Dec 2020

‘As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.’ John 20:21

Jesus said, ‘As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.’ Notice, it’s about how God wants us to share the Gospel, not the rules, regulations, and dictates of various denominations. Understand this:

(1) We were sent to serve, not be served. ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.’ (Matthew 20:28 NIV) Ever notice that when we are the last to be served at a restaurant we get angry? We think we deserve better. But in God’s Kingdom the power is at the bottom, and it’s from there Christ governs and conquers. We must come to the end of ourselves. We don’t represent Jesus unless we are willing to put on the apron of humility and wash our brother’s feet, even if his name happens to be Judas.

(2) We were sent to do God’s will, not our own. Jesus said, ‘I have come… not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.’ (John 6:38 ESV) When we’re young and people inquire about our plans for life, we sometimes say, ‘I’d like to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a nurse.’ But we really need to add ‘the Lord willing’, because unless He’s in it, you are on your own. Choosing the wrong occupation will put you in the wrong place, with the wrong people, and consequently everything in your life will be wrong.

John said, ‘The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.’ (1 John 2:17 NIV) To miss God’s will—is to miss the purpose for which you were born. Don’t let that happen to you.

BaddieFreak:
My step dad is maltreating my mom. What should I do?

He comes back home very late and drunk and beats my mom almost everyday. I have told my mom to leave him but she is adamant, I even rented a house for her at a point so that she can leave him but my mom only spent about a week in the house before going back to my step father's house after my step dad called her and was crying on the phone that he will change.

Yesterday I went to meet her and I saw her face swollen. When I asked her what happened she dismissed it saying it's nothing, I knew my step dad has done it again. I have reported the case to the police several times but all to no avail. I don't know if my mom and my step father made a covenant reason why they can't leave themselves.

Why are men like this? I am confused and heart broken

what do you mean by men? Why not "why is my step dad like this?"
Most men are not like your step dad.

Think God Picked The Wrong Person?

Mon, 7 Dec 2020

‘We are well able.’ Numbers 13:30

One Sunday evening, Mary Southerland was in church when a stranger tapped her on the shoulder and told her she was called to be the music and youth assistant for the church. She thought he had lost his mind! She had just graduated with a degree in primary school education, and a friend had invited her to attend the church and sing in the evening service. That’s all—or so she thought. When the service ended, her friend said, ‘You should at least pray about his offer.’ She did. ‘Here I am thirty years later, an unlikely servant, who lives in constant amazement at God’s plan for my life.’

We let our weaknesses and insecurities dictate the course of our lives, when God is looking for ordinary people to do the extraordinary. We’re always making excuses for why we can’t get involved in volunteering or helping others. Chances are, on your own you don’t feel capable. Few people do. But Paul points out that God’s power works best in our weakness. (See 2 Corinthians 12:9).

When Moses sent out twelve spies to assess the opposition, ten reported that going forward was impossible because the giants were too big (see Numbers 13:28). But the other two disagreed with the majority report: ‘Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able.’ God sees you as ‘well able’, not because you are powerful, but because He is. With Him on your side you can rise up with confidence, knowing you are well able to overcome. God sees you as a winner, and an overcomer who can accomplish great things because of the talents and power He has placed inside you.

Impressive. This are kind of story that make me happy.

Old Echoes

Sun, 6 Dec 2020

‘In Him we might become the righteousness of God.’ 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus called the devil ‘a liar and the father of lies.’ (John 8:44 NIV) Yet it’s so easy to fall into the trap of listening to past voices condemning us, as old echoes reverberate in our minds. The enemy’s accusations can leverage off past hurts to make us hide from God: ‘You’re not good enough. You don’t pray enough. Nobody could ever love you if they knew the real you. What you’ve done is unforgiveable. You’ll never receive God’s blessing.’ These are lies. Don’t let your past mistakes define your relationship with God. He doesn’t!

Paul said, ‘I do not do the good things I want to do… I do the bad things I do not want to do.’ (Romans 7:19 NCV) Like Paul, recognise that you’ve sinned but don’t get mired in guilt. Repent of the wrong you’ve done and repent of believing the lies of the enemy. Ask Jesus to empower your words and then press forward into a new day. After all, you can’t change the past. But Jesus is the One who offers you the chance to change the future. If you’re still thinking, ‘I don’t have a future. I’ve messed up too often,’ that’s the enemy, not the Lord.

God says your accuser been ‘cast down.’ (Revelation 12:10 KJV) So stand your ground, and remind him that ‘God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.’ Like all of us, you’ve probably made your fair share of mistakes. But positionally God sees you ‘in Christ’, so you’re ‘complete’, ‘justified’, and ‘accepted’. Conditionally you’re a work-in-progress—and He won’t give up on you!

frowland:
That actress father inlaw.

yes. Dakore

‘The Martyr’s Contest!’

Sat, 5 Dec 2020

‘Whenever they measure themselves by their own standards or compare themselves among themselves, they show how foolish they are.’ 2 Corinthians 10:12

Does this sound familiar? ‘You think your day was tough? I dealt with thirty customers before lunch!’ It’s easy to get sucked into ‘The Martyr’s Contest’, where your problems are worse than everybody else’s. And if you’re not careful, it can creep into your home.

Alicia Howe writes: ‘At day’s end when workplace frustrations are fresh and domestic tasks are looming, the setting is ripe… Spouses who desperately need each other to recognise their efforts, battle it out for the title of hardest-working person… We have a fundamental need for recognition from our spouses, and if we don’t get it, we devise strategies to evoke it.’ The problem is, when we compare ourselves we can damage our relationship. So with that in mind:

(1) Be alert for unspoken pleas for encouragement. When your mate expresses frustration, don’t counter with one-up-manship. Jesus said, ‘Listen… if you have ears!’ (Mark 4:9 GNT) What your mate needs is assurance that they can handle the problem.

(2) Express appreciation often. Envision your mate wearing a sign that says, ‘Appreciate me!’ The fact that society is inclined towards assigning gender-specific roles doesn’t give you the right to take your partner for granted.

(3) Reinforce your spouse’s efforts to help. Don’t criticise the way they fold laundry or rake the lawn. When you do, you guarantee they won’t try to do it again. Think of a four-pronged fork:

(a) Be respectful of one another’s work.

(b) Recognise that while your jobs are different, they can both be difficult.

(c) Be sensitive, and flexible enough to help when it’s not ‘your job’ or ‘your turn’.

(d) Outlaw the complaint, ‘I’m tired.’ It’s counter-productive, and chances are you are both tired of hearing it!

One of the General that I respect. RIP General Domkat Bali.

Training Leaders Who Can Train Others (2)

Fri, 4 Dec 2020

‘If God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.’ Exodus 18:23

In Exodus we read: ‘Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said…“What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone… But select capable men… Have them serve as judges… That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain.”’ (Exodus 18:13–23 NIV)

When Jenni Catron was the executive director of a fast-growing church, she said: ‘As a performance-based people-pleaser, I know how Moses must have felt. Quick growth and multiplying campuses put me in a situation where I was trying to lead and manage everything. In the process, I’d become worn out and frustrated. What I was doing wasn’t healthy for our team and the church. In the weeks that followed, we reorganised our staff, empowered leaders with more authority, and developed a pipeline for training and development at all levels. As leaders we must resist the temptation to be heroes and handle it all ourselves. It’s critical to re-evaluate your leadership structure at least once a year. Ministry leadership is tough… but there are things you can do to develop others and spread the responsibility.’

It takes prayer, humility, and patience to develop the right people. But if you delegate wisely, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people around you will benefit. It’s a win/win for everybody!

grim33:
Of death?
Never .
I look forward to it with peace of mind...
it’s the ultimate equalizer that comes for everything that is unfortunately to be born into this world, I’m very conscious of it . And that in on it’s self is peace of mind.
He who is unfortunate enough to live shall die period.

Impressive.
Learn few things from your reply.

God bless you.

grim33:
Garbage...

are you afraid?

Training Leaders Who Can Train Others (1)

Thu, 3 Dec 2020

‘Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on.’ 2 Timothy 2:2

Most church leaders would concede that people are their greatest resource. Which raises the question, why isn’t more time devoted to training new leaders? After all, by neglecting to do this, the effectiveness and growth of ministry is curtailed. Barnabas raised up and trained up Paul who in turn raised up and trained up others. He told his protégé, Timothy, ‘Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on.’

When you devote time to developing leaders with a caring attitude, they learn to pass the same level of care on to the people they minister to. There are proven principles that apply to leadership in any organisation, and the church is no exception. For example, Jon Gordon says: ‘Great customer service begins with being employee-focused first and customer-focused second. Too often organisations focus all their energy on the customer while ignoring the people who serve. This may work in the short run, but eventually employees become tired, burned out, negative, and resentful… Organisations who deliver the best service have a culture where employees are valued, listened to, and cared for. In turn these employees value, care for, and serve their customers… If you model great service, your people will share it. If you want your team to serve, serve them. If you want your people to care, care about them. If you want your team to love their work, love them. If you want your employees to be their best, give them your best.’

So are you training people who can train others?

YoonSung62:
The rate at which Tanks and Gas stations explode these days are alarming

the heatwave is contributing to it though.

Facing Death Without Fear (2)

Wed, 2 Dec 2020

‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ 1 Corinthians 15:55

When Carolyn Arends’ father lay dying in the hospital, an oxygen mask made it virtually impossible for him to communicate with his family. So they were surprised to hear him humming an old Sunday school song: ‘With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm, as we go sailing home.’

Just hours before he went home to Heaven, a boyhood chorus he had learned sixty years ago gave this dying man comfort and strength. Arends writes: ‘I hope I go down singing, speaking, and thinking about Jesus… Death unaddressed is the bogeyman in the basement; it keeps us looking over our shoulders and from entering joyously into the days we’ve been given. Dragged out of the shadows and held up to the light of the Gospel, death not only loses its sting, it becomes a reminder to “use wisely all the time we have” (see Psalm 90:12 CEV)… A race toward the finish line has a different sense of purpose and urgency than a jog around the block. When a believer acknowledges he’s headed toward death [tomorrow or in 50 years], he or she can stop expending the tremendous energy it takes to deny his mortality and start living into his eternal destiny here and now. He can be intentional about investing in the things he wants to be with him at the end… Death hurts, but it’s not the end… we don’t mourn as those who have no hope… I don’t know how many days I’ve got left, but I want to use every one to get the truth about who Jesus is—and who I am in Him—more deeply ingrained.’

uptimum123:
When I saw the headline I immediately knew it was from Sahara Reporters Sowore.

Believe them him at your own peril.

who else do you believe in? I wondered if we must continue to play politics with the dead?

Facing Death Without Fear (1)

Tue, 1 Dec 2020

‘In Your presence is fullness of joy.’ Psalm 16:11

Ask twenty people to describe Heaven, and chances are you’ll get twenty different answers. But there’s one thing that’s not open to speculation: ‘To leave this life and be with Christ… is much better’ (Philippians 1:23 NCV) than anything we can imagine.

Recalling a conversation with her mum before she went to Heaven, Billy Graham’s daughter Anne writes: ‘I told her about my recent visit to Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens are crowned and royalty are married. The door for tourists that leads to the cathedral entrance is a dark, cramped space. Opposite is another door that opens into the magnificent, glorious, cavernous sanctuary of Westminster Abbey. The dimly lit narthex is just a place to purchase your ticket and guidebook before transitioning to the cathedral. I can’t imagine anyone clutching a ticket or leafing through a guidebook being satisfied with staying in the [entrance hall]… We pick our ticket to Heaven when we’re born again through faith in Jesus. And we familiarise ourselves with the “guidebook” to Heaven—the Bible… My mother left the narthex and moved into the sanctuary on June 14, 2007… It’s unimaginable that I can no longer see the sparkle in her eyes, or hear the wisdom of her words. Yet despite my aching heart, I know her whole purpose for being—and ours—is to transition into Heaven. The psalmist said, “In Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” One day I too will move, to live forever in the sanctuary. In the meantime, I want to show others a glimpse of our Father’s house, so they’ll look forward with hope to moving there.’

Iya aiye......lol

Slow Down (3)

Mon, 30 Nov 2020

‘Does it mean nothing to you, all you who pass by?’ Lamentations 1:12

At a Metro station in Washington D.C. on a cold January morning in 2007, a young violinist played several classical compositions as people rushed by. After three minutes, a middle-aged man slowed briefly, then hurried away. Thirty seconds later the young man received his first dollar; a woman threw it in his case without stopping. Six minutes later a man leaned against a wall to listen for a few minutes, then looked at his watch, and walked on. After ten minutes a little boy stopped, but his mum hurried him along. Other kids did the same, but every parent, without exception, rushed them on.

The young musician played for forty-three minutes. During that time seven people stopped and listened for a while, and twenty gave money as they walked past. He collected a total of $32, and when he stopped playing nobody noticed or applauded. What’s remarkable is this: the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the world’s greatest musicians, and he played some of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $US 3.5 million. Two days before, he’d sold out a Boston theatre where seats averaged $US 100 to listen to him play the same music he played at the Metro station that morning, where only one person recognised him.

So here’s the question: if you’ve no time to stop and listen to one of the world’s best musicians playing the finest music ever written, on one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, what else are you missing as you barrel through life? It’s worth thinking about, isn’t it? (Note: Joshua Bell played incognito as part of a social experiment conducted by The Washington Post.)

Congratulations!

But you will be forever damn if you or any of your family is found eating imported rice and other assorted meals.

A won oloribuku gbogbo.

......under pressure? Nigeria is such a joke.

Slow Down! (2)

Sun, 29 Nov 2020

‘Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world.’ Romans 12:2

Our high-tech society is producing stressed-out people. Next year we will have even less time because statistically for every hour technology saves you, it consumes two more. Author Keri Wyatt Kent writes: ‘Every time you say “yes” to something, you’re saying “no” to other options. Activity cloaked in “Christian window-dressing”, is still activity. Don’t copy the behaviour… of this world; our world is hurried. Take time to listen and care. The hallmark of a Christian is love, and you can’t love in a hurry.’ So to slow down you need to:

(1) Simplify your life. ‘Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.’ (Matthew 6:25 NIV) Put God first and everything else will follow. When Marlene Eissens decided to switch careers, she set out for university with only the stuff she could fit in her car. Today she’s in ministry. She has a house, but resists filling it, and anything she hasn’t used for six months goes to charity. She says, ‘I feel real freedom because with less stuff I’m free to focus on God.’

(2) Keep the Sabbath. Set aside at least one day a week to spend time with God, talking with Him about the purpose of what you’re doing. Rest, be with your loved ones, and fellowship with your church family.

(3) ’Be satisfied with… [what you have].’ (Hebrews 13:5 AMPC) You’ll still be tempted to hurry and wish for more or nicer stuff, but you’ll grow closer to God by making more space in your life for Him. As J.I. Packer says, ‘We dishonour God when we proclaim a Saviour who satisfies, and then go around discontent.’

Nakanda:
The security situation in the country is out of hand and most of crimes these days don't make headlines because no space to fit them all in .
State of emergency should be declared before it's too late .
In fact yesterday 2 people were kidnapped in Calabar ,it's no longer news. On monday 1 person was kidnapped.
Communal clash in Akwa ibom - 8 people died last sunday .
There's serious cult wars ,deaths and rapes going on in Ibesikpo Asutan , Onna, ibiono, Nsit Ubium and Ikot Abasi in Akwa ibom ,Ogoja and Ugep in cross river , Aba,Onitsha, rivers state , etc. you won't find these news on the headlines only from family and friends in those places and on facebook.

I learnt same is going on in Ijebu-Ode since yesterday. Nigeria is in a mess.

Slow Down! (1)

Sat, 28 Nov 2020

‘Focus on this one thing.’ Philippians 3:13

We live in the day of multitasking. We talk on the phone while having lunch, read text messages while feeding the kids, and even drink coffee while driving.

Dr Richard Swenson says: ‘In some instances we are more productive… some people crochet while watching the news. And in certain jobs it’s considered necessary; clerks on the Stock Exchange floor are required to run around doing five things at once. But isn’t it bizarre that when a 48-year-old broker drops dead, his colleagues keep working around the lifeless body receiving CPR? The dramatic escalation of busyness has given us too much to do in a short time. The standard strategy… instead of refusing to take on more… is to do two, three, or four things at once. It’s an extension of the do-more-and-more-with-less-and-less philosophy. But someone forgot to do the math! By doing two things at once you divert 30 percent of your attention from the primary task; you sacrifice quality for quantity, which leads to more errors. You may end up finishing more tasks, but with poorer products and frazzled nerves. The downside of multitasking isn’t well-advertised… so we keep experimenting to see how far we can push the envelope. However, when it comes to relationships, multitasking can be disastrous. We don’t listen… it takes too much time. Families need focus… babies need what they need when they need it. You either parent them or you don’t. Paul didn’t live like that. He focused “on this one thing.”’

A dog has four feet, but it doesn’t try to walk down four roads! So slow down and establish a pace that’s sane and sustainable.

Shun Unhealthy Self-Focus (5)

Fri, 27 Nov 2020

‘Is this the kind of fast I have chosen?’ Isaiah 58:5

God never commanded you to examine your emotions, experiences, or sins. What He did say is, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29 NASB) Victory over sin comes from focusing on Christ—not beating yourself up! In the Old Testament the Israelites reached a place of despair.

They’d fasted and ‘afflicted’ their souls, yet God ignored their efforts. They sought spiritual restoration in their own self-directed way, and God rejected it, saying: ‘Is this the kind of fast I have chosen… for people to humble themselves… bowing one’s head like a reed… in sackcloth and ashes? Is that… acceptable to the Lord?’ Clearly, God is not pleased with the misery that comes from self-focus! He has a more effective way to liberate us.

Rather than have us weighed down with remorse, He said: ‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice… set the oppressed free… break every yoke… share your food with the hungry… provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not… turn away from your own flesh and blood?’ (Isaiah 58:6–7 NIV)

God’s way eliminates the ‘paralysis of self-analysis’ by commanding you to forget about yourself completely; to stop dwelling on your imperfections and get involved in the lives and needs of others. His four-point plan for overcoming your flesh is:

(1) Acknowledge His grace and see yourself as ‘righteous’ in Christ.

(2) Fix your eyes on Jesus.

(3) Shun obsessive self-focus.

(4) Serve God by serving others.

When you do all these things, ‘Your light will rise in the darkness…The Lord will guide… and… strengthen you.’ (Isaiah 58:10–11 NIV)

Shun Unhealthy Self-Focus (4)

Thu, 26 Nov 2020

‘My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.’ Psalm 25:15

It’s no use for us to shine a spotlight on ourselves, find some faults and tinker with them in the hope of making improvements. The Lord wants total and radical replacement of ‘old’ with ‘new’. Your old nature is determined to hold your attention; it would rather be thought of badly than not at all. In the process of examining your flesh and feeling miserable, you’re apt to think you are being humble, honest and spiritual. But the only spiritual and safe way to handle your fleshly nature is to consign it to the ‘ignore file’, and anchor your attention and expectations exclusively on the Lord.

David understood how this principle worked: ‘My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.’ Looking at your own ‘clay feet’ (weaknesses and failures), and the ‘snare’ (your unregenerate flesh) you’re tangled in, won’t free you from the trap. You’ll just end up further entangled. Only God, together with your cooperation, can release you from the trap of the flesh. Keeping your ‘eyes… ever on the Lord’ is His way of giving you the victory.

Listen again to what David said: ‘I keep my eyes always on the Lord… I will not be shaken… You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.’ (Psalm 16:8–11 NIV) Your job is simple, though not necessarily easy. It’s to ignore your fleshly cravings and stay focused on Jesus. His job is to transform you by His mighty power!

Mouth Gig:
PERVERT EVERYWHERE









SMH

You meant MAD PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Shun Unhealthy Self-Focus (3)

Wed, 25 Nov 2020

‘Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life.’ Ephesians 4:22

Does God expect us to work on growth and self-improvement? Yes! But just as examining yourself is futile, so is trying to change if it keeps you self-focused and defeated. The Bible’s path to change is to turn away from self and focus on Christ. Paul says, ‘We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory… by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)

God isn’t interested in improved flesh. In His eyes ‘improved flesh’ is still flesh. He’s in the character-transformation business, not the self-improvement business. All your self-improvement strategies can’t transform your old self-nature. Only God, ‘by the Spirit’, can make you more Christ-like. As you ‘behold [look at and study] as in a mirror [the Word of God]’ you become ‘transformed into the same image [the image of God you’re looking at] from glory to glory [grade to grade]’. It doesn’t happen because of your grit, but because of His grace.

‘So what will happen to my flesh?’ you ask. God’s ultimate plan is to replace it and give you a new heavenly body. That’s why Paul writes: ‘Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.’ No altering, adjusting, and patching-up allowed—you must ‘throw it off’!

Like a lobster growing and shedding the confinement of its old shell, as you focus on and fellowship with Christ, you are released from the dominance of your old nature and grow into your new one. You’re transformed—from the inside out.

Shun Unhealthy Self-Focus (2)

Tue, 24 Nov 2020

‘Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.’ Luke 12:37

When dealing with self-focus, you may ask, ‘What about those Scriptures that specifically tell us to “watch”? Aren’t they all about keeping an eye on ourselves?’ That’s a good question, so let’s take a look at some of those ‘watch’ passages in Scripture.

In Mark 13:34–37 NKJV we read: ‘A man going to a far country… left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!’

What Jesus was teaching here is the exact opposite of self-focus. The doorkeeper wasn’t to watch himself, but to watch for his returning master. Jesus expects us to forget ourselves, work conscientiously for His Kingdom, and be watching and prepared for His return. He said, ‘Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself… have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.’ Far from an obsessive self-introspection that leaves you exhausted, discouraged, and disappointed with yourself, Jesus wants you to be excited and involved in His work here on earth, to actively watch for the coming again of your Lord and King.

‘Look to Me [not to yourself!], and be saved… For I am God, and there is no other.’ (Isaiah 45:22 NKJV) So focus more on God—and less on yourself.