A creator knows best what his creation is suited for; what can corrupt it and what can propel it to the fulfillment of its full potential. What can be said of an inventor is not just one who brings forth something into existence, but one who made an object with the intent of the object working perfectly in accordance with the motive for which he created it. The inventor does not just invent, he gives the object an objective. Therefore, the inventor ought to be sought in the pursuit of the purpose for which his invention was made. Speaking of inventors, it is made clear in John 1:3 that the word made all things and without him(the word) nothing was made. It follows that, for everything that was made, its divine purpose cannot be found outside the boundaries of the word and God’s will. So as part of His creation, it is necessary that man subdues all his desires to seek God, His word and His kingdom, if he is to be a success. It is worthy at this point to note that, after reading about the life and ministry of the Archbishop; Nicholas Duncan-Williams, the greatest lesson I took home was that, all our efforts to attaining success would be futile if the Lord is not sought first. It is a reflection of the passage in Matthew 6:25-34 with emphasis on the 33rd verse which suggests that seeking first the righteousness of God and His kingdom is a sufficient condition for attaining wealth, health, happiness and every other thing that is a need.
THE GREATEST LESSON LEARNT FROM THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF ARCHBISHOP NICHOLAS DUNCAN-WILLIAMS.
THIS LESSON STEMS FROM FACT
This lesson stems from the fact that, though the Archbishop had a desire to climb the rungs of the ladder of greatness, he was never successful until he had an encounter with God on the bed of affliction. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he worked, no matter how clever his schemes were, everything he tried to build was tumbled down by a gentle push by the finger of God. Decades on, he has one of the biggest ministries in Africa and the world at large due to his loyalty to God and His kingdom. Submission to God’s will is all that we need to fulfill our divine mandate and have true happiness in our endeavors. In some detail, I will show that his failures and successes led to my conclusion on this lesson.
Though he did live with a single mother and it was quite evident that this resulted in his deficiency in financial resources, it was never a hinderance to his work ethic but a fuel to ignite an attitude of resilience in the Archbishop during his youth. Resilience however, was never enough as he was forced to relinquish a short lived stint juggling a newspaper sales job with wooden food carriage truck-pushing due to circumstances beyond his control. It was God’s plan that until He got his attention, his(Archbishop’s) will and determination to succeed would come to nought.
I would have to mention that, the major influence on my lesson was young Nicholas’ visit to a fetish priest who asserted that the only one who could help him was the almighty God. This in my opinion was unusual and it raises the question of why someone who belongs to the forces of destruction would give advice that brings glory to Jehovah. Such an occurance is a clear indication of the fact that without God, it is impossible to find your purpose in life. If we shall be willing to throw our hands up and surrender all our efforts to God and believe in the finished work of Christ, we have taken the first step to discovering our purpose and faith in any other god would be detrimental to our progress. To come to God, one must know that He is, and that He is a rewarder of they that diligently seek Him.
The ministry of the Archbishop has grown from glory to glory mainly because he has set His sight on the living God and is persuaded that He is the foundation of everything. In the midst of storms, trials and betrayal by men, the ministry stands firm because the focus has never been on the success defined by humans but that which is defined by God. True success is defined by God and if only we would humble ourselves and seek him first, we shall find fulfillment in our purpose in life. Ideally, the inventor is the most knowledgeable about the purpose of his invention.