A Broken World

Let’s face it: we live in a broken world. The systems are broken; governments are broken, infrastructure, economies, and notably, people. Yes. People are as broken as the name sounds. We have broken dreams, broken ambitions, broken relationships, broken marriages, broken communities and societies at large. I believe firmly that no man was created in vain. The very existence of a man (here, man denotes a human being; all genders inclusive) is an encapsulation of a greater purpose, a greater path, a greater will that is way beyond selfish and malicious human intents. Yet no single man can proudly thump his chest and claim to be the savior of the world; no. Of saving the world is the sole responsibility of God. Yet He uses every man as He wills. No single star can light the sky. Thousands of galaxies light the sky with relentless brightness and shine. Similarly, every man has a shine from within that can snuff out any form of darkness, if only he can master the light that he possesses and directs it willfully for a greater selfless purpose.

So the brokenness that the world has can be salvaged by the united efforts and sacrifices of men who have consciously decided to stand out fearlessly and allow themselves to be used for service. But how, you ask? I consistently ask myself this, and in my little experience, study, observation and research, this is what I discovered.

1. Be Selfless

The purpose for which you were created goes beyond your comfort. Selflessness is a necessity if you are to sufficiently live your purpose for the greater good of mankind. This can be really tasking and you’d think, what about my comfort, my needs, my fun, my rewards? Somehow, I have come to realize that life has a system for rewards. The tears, sweat and blood you shed in private all in a bid to serve and address the brokenness of the world never goes unrewarded. If anything, your reward has an eternal significance. This means your reward will/may be in this current world or the world to come. Selflessness is allowing yourself to be stepped on if that means others crossing to the other side of the river. It is being a voluntary voice to the voiceless, breaker of chains to the bound and enslaved, courage to the fearful even you have fears of your own; in most cases your acts and sacrifices may go unnoticed and unrewarded, but the war you fight in is greater than the small battles you encounter daily. Your reward will surely come; God never forgets.

2. Be Fearless

Fear is inherent. From close observation, you will notice that a young baby, say 1 or 2 weeks old has fear. How so? Have you ever sneezed so loud when a baby is nearby? In almost all occasions, the baby will be startled, scared and probably start crying. The inherence of fear is doubtless. Yet as we grow and advance in life, we realize the significance and imperativeness of courage and boldness of heart. In the bid to address the various issues in this broken world, being fearless implies standing up to your peers who want to influence you in doing something that goes contrary to your set of values. Being fearless denotes saying no even when consequences are bound to emanate from such a stand. Being fearless may mean going beyond your comfort zone to do a crazy thing selflessly for others. The repercussions may always haunt you but the beauty of fearlessness is a significant climb in the ladder of life’s purpose. The things you fear today, you overcome them by using love- selflessness in service to mankind.

3. Understand your purpose

How do you fit in the matrix of life’s purpose? I am more than convinced that we were created for each other. How do I mean? Well, the common phrase ‘no man is an island’ is actually true. No one was created for themselves- being born, getting an education, fending for your needs, paying bills, then die? Absolutely meaningless and shallow! I believe our purpose is to serve one another; offering solutions to meet the needs of your fellow mankind. I believe in the purpose of showing love to those neglected or hated in the society, helping others out of their bondages and chains, offering timely solutions to life problems; economic, social, physical, and psychological problems. So how do you fit to life’s purpose? What solutions can you garner and offer to the world? What needs can you meet? Do you understand your purpose?

4. Act. Just Do it!

More often than not we do not know what to do next, especially when we hit a wall. The journey of accomplishing your purpose in life is full of meanders, bandits, valleys, mountains, harsh conditions and bewildering setbacks. It’s just the way of life. But selflessness and fearlessness will be your drive in this journey. The understanding you have of your input to life’s purpose will fuel you to do all you can, and all you should. Just do it! Do you at times cringe in fear and doubt not knowing what lies beyond your comfort zone? Then just do it! I remember a story told of a man who was set to be executed. He definitely had to be executed and all plans had been made. This was his end. He was given two choices: one, to walk into the door before him, or choose to be executed by bullet, shot by the best shooter/sniper at the time. Due to fear and uncertainty of what lay beyond the closed door, the man chose to be shot. Quick way to die, he thought. Just before he was executed, he asked ‘what is there beyond that door? ‘Freedom,’ he was told.

Do we fear what lies in the unknown? Do we cringe at the thought of what will happen to us if we go against all odds, and defy what systems, people, leaders, friends and families have made us believe? They say you can’t get a decent job unless you study a particular subject in a particular way for a particular set of time. They say you can't be creative and make it in life- you have to take what has been chewed and handed over to you. They say you can’t follow your passion when you have bills to pay. The system makes us believe that you need to know someone who knows someone who has further knowledge of another someone who can connect you and probably meet your needs. Well, I ask, do you believe you have all it takes to be accomplish your purpose in life? Remember, every day above the ground is a bold assurance that you still have a solution to offer this broken world.