The Man's Standard

 

The Man's Standard

This year let’s begin by talking a bit of a man’s standard. One of the things we got to continuously pay attention to is our standards. Either you gotta maintain or raise your standard.

By literal definition, a standard is a state of excellence or quality. Excellence never is without what guides its being. Thus, a standard is further defined as a set of rules, pattern or principles agreed upon. It is this set of rules that produce excellence or quality when followed through.

Now, rules or say principles help man to be singled out. Standard guards man. From the very beginning, God gave man a standard to function by. In man God fused excellence, quality of being and at the same time God guided man in a standard; principles by which man would sustain the excellence in him.

🪔There is a way man is supposed to function, such that he malfunctions when he functions out of this supposed way. It’s for this reason that you cannot do things anyhow as a person, you need a standard for yourself.
“Chagwa m’mbale ndi ndiwo” no brother, not every meat is for your stomach and your stomach is not for every meat. It’s hard to be of standard when you have no standard yourself. You have the right to do anything but not everything is beneficial; you gotta single out. The emphasis is: standard is important. But which standard?

Now there are two things that happen: either you make your standard God’s standard or you make God’s standard your standard. To say, there are two standards: your standard and God’s standard.

Now, it’s either the two standards will synchronise or not. If they are synchronising, again the issue is: which standard is fusing into which standard? Because there are two things that can happen: God’s standard fusing into your standard (making your standard God’s standard) or your standard being married to God’s standard (making God’s standard your standard).

In other words, it’s an issue of what is submitting to what. It’s about what starts first, that which starts first is what has mastery over the other.
The former (making your standard God’s standard) is putting your standard mastery over God’s. In the latter, it’s God’s standard that is taking the lead and that has been allowed to then become what you function by. And this is what we will be talking about: God has to be the man’s standard. In this standard, we will talk two things for now in the next days. It's my hope that God will help us through whatever word He has in store for us.

 

Day 2: 10 January 2023

Now, I want us to understand that standard is chosen: whatever you choose, that’s your standard. But the matter is in the components that make up your standard: is it you or God? You can either have you making up your standard or have God making up your standard. You cannot have the same, it’s just one. Relational wise, we all have a standard of the person we want to have and spend our rest of lives with. That’s nice, but don’t let your standard lose you a person of your standard just because he or she seems not of your standard now.

You being able to see through a person truly and realise that this person is exactly your standard, uhum, this ability is what requires you to humble yourself and say, “God, I know I have my standard, my preference of the kind of the person I want. But I submit all that I see to you, may I begin to see through your lens…” I can’t lie to you, on our own our standards fail, our standards overlook, at some point our standards are limited. It’s fusing your standard into God’s standard that dresses you with the lens that your standard alone cannot have. It’s not easy to find a person in who your everything finds comfort in. You will need something beyond your standard to do this, you will need the unlimited God who can take your standard, filter it and customise it into what uniquely fits you, just you.

Deuteronomy 30:19 God says “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witness against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”

This utterance makes me believe that mavuto ena umadzisankhira wekha ndithu and not kuti mavutowo amachitika poti tili m’dziko. Life unfolds at your choice called life, and death unfolds too at your choice callled death. A good marriage, a good family doesn’t just happen; it takes a deliberate good choice. Kusankha mukusankha lero ku is both for you and your children, says God. Wow, some of us the things we go through is not out of our choices but the choices that our parents made even when we were not there. Hear me, your choice is that strong to penetrate into the future and hover over your next generation. What if that choice should be life, isn’t that good news both for you and your kids? Choose life, says God.

It’s for this reason that am saying make God your standard, He’s got life in Him. I said we will talk two things of this amazing standard, more like principles that you go by when you make God your standard.  I would love to just say, the Bible is your standard, go read it, you will discover the principles and you are good to go. However, let’s still highlight the two principles as you discover the rest.

1. God is the Only God

It’s a principle to know God as the source of your existence and sustenance. In all the times that were, that are and are to come, God is the only One, He doesn’t have a friend. So, put God where He needs to be put: FIRST. In all that concerns you, see Him first, in all around you, see Him first, in all within you, see Him first. Not because He needs it, no, He is that. It’s you and I who need it because if we don’t acknowledge Him as He is, something else other than Him is given authority over our lives. 

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; He’s the way, the truth and the life, all knees bow at His name, tongues confess that He is Lord, One God and father of all, through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made...and it goes on. You cannot serve two masters, it’s either God or not. Everything you do, glory unto God, it’s His. There are matters that fall into place just because you honour God. There is gold that is magnetised to you just because you follow God. You cannot put God first and God never putting you first in what He defines as life for you. Ask yourself this question: who is first in your life? Rearrange the order if you need to and I pray that may God honour your himility and reaarange the order of things pertaining to your life.

Day 3: 11 January 2023

We will spend a couple of time on the next point but before we do, I want to say: the priority you put on someone is also influenced with how you know that person. You cannot priotitise what you do not know. You hold some people in high regard because you know them. There is no way you can pay attention to what is not known to you. It is said, those who know their God shall be strong and shall do exploits. You cannot prioritse the God who is not known to you. It takes knowing God for you to come to a place where God becomes your first. 

Ponder on your heart, you might find out that the things that are on your priority list are the things you have known for a while. Some of us hurt is what we have known for a while and it has become what we are serving without us realising it even. If you had known that this good good good Father has you first on His heart, on His eye, on His mind,,,you would have known to have Him first on your list too.

May I submit to you this one thing: even when you are far away, He’s near you. Even when you’re silent, He hears you; even when you’re insane and crazy, you make sense to Him. I mean, this God loves you so much. If you wanna know and begin to prioritise HE who values you, let go of some things. Let go of your distorted attitude, let go of pride, let go of bitterness, let go of your pain, let go of your past...I can't say I understand your pain but I know you have been hurt and disappointed, and am sorry for that. But what am more sorry for you is what you're missing as you're holding on to your pain and past. The more stable you are in pain and the more focused you are on the pain, the further you push your joy. The pain and your past are part of the story, don't make it the story. 

Someone said, may your struggles keep you near the cross; may you troubles show that you need God; may your battles end the way they should; and may your bad days prove that God is good. Let all these at the end of the day draw you near God. You’re beautiful in God buddy.

He’s called Alpha Omega, I call upon this God into the tinniest hidden parts of your life, may He begin in you cutting loose every stronghold that is binding you to anxiety, sorrow, bitterness and pain you have no explanation about. He’s said you shouldn’t worry for He knows what you need, may He anoint you afresh with His oil of gladness, hah may He fill you with laughter that confuses your enemies. 

May  He be the beginning, the ending of your joy. You are a testimony, may the God who knows to turn things around restore your glory; may this latter glory be greater that your former glory. He has favoured you, we subscribe to heaven’s registry tonight that no man therefore shall withhold favour from you. You are of God, you are of standard that the world cannot ever produce, you cannot be resisted. Of all that God is and can do for you, as He wills may He do it for you. May this good Lord bless you, and keep you, and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He turn His face towards and close you, and give you peace. You are dwelling in the house of God and you are serving Him better with all these.  In Jesus’ name we agree and receive, AMEN.

Aha amen to that, I rest my case here but may God finish up with you. 

Day 4: 12 January 2023

Hie y’all, I thank God we are here again, it’s amazing to have lived today.I bless God for every word He’s been feeding us with all this time, am enjoying every moment of it. I believe you do too and you will find the rest of the word fruitful to your life.

So, shall we proceed like this: it’s wisdom to know and understand what your God, the I AM is able to do and what your God is supposed to do. Aha God is able but He’s got what He does. Remember God has a standard where He’s able to do anything but His standard doesn’t allow Him to just do anything and everything of what He’s able to do. As children that take after God, we should know how to engage our God to work. Because if we don’t, we will put God to work in the things that He isn’t supposed to do and He really won’t do. Yoh your God is good at working by His standard; you can’t ask Him to do what is not in His jurisdiction and you can’t keep Him out of what He’s supposed to do. It doesn’t work either way.

What am I saying? God created and made you as a god, as a co-worker with Him. Now, Know how you co-work with God. Co-working is not you working alone or God working alone. So, what do you mean  when you pray saying, “God, am leaving everything in your hands…” wait, whose hands? Don’t you think you always got something in your hands that you gotta keep offering to God to work with? Of course you do. In matters concerning man, God has respect for the authority He attached to your purpose or function on earth. He has respect to what you can offer towards the job at hand. That’s what co-working is all about. 

You can’t pray that God should bless you with a good man, and you never making yourself look good and show yourself out there. Kuti chani? Mwamuna wa bwinoyo angolota kuti iweyo mkazi wa bwinowe uli pomwe ulipo? Never. Atsogo pempherani inde koma osayiwala kutsekula maso anuwo, kafunsireni mwamkondayo. Kapena mudikira mngelo Gabrieli akapereke uthenga kwa mwanayo kuti inu mumamva naye mtendere. Am not saying God will not send Gabriel, He will if your issue is hard to explain like Mary and Joseph’s. Palipo pomwe Mulungu amalowererapo.

Zinthuzitu kumapemphera bwino: masukani, tamuuzeni kuti Ambuye ineyo zuvuta kuti kufunsira ndiyambira pati, mthandizeni. Ehedee apopo nde mwapemphera bwino, osati Ambuye mulowlele chonsecho mu ground sunapondemo. Ambuye mpirawo akucrossera bwanji uli ku ma stand?

Anthu a Mulungu tumvana? God loves working with you and that’s how He functions. Know your work that engages God to work. God will not answer a prayer if there’s no man to pray. God will not substantiate an answer if there’s no man to receive the answer. God will not move on earth if there’s no man to move through. God’s will will not be done if there’s no man to receive it. Hear me, there was no need to create a man with free will on earth if God wanted to do everything by Himself. No, God manifests Some of His ability through you, realise that. Co-work with Him. It’s a standard If you are saying God is your standard: you co-work with Him, don’t just drop issues on His table but also know your take in the issue. Learn to say God this is the thing, what should I do? Don’t just give Him what to do because some of it it’s you who is supposed to do it while His hand just rests on you.

Day 5: 13 January 2023

Eylo there, thanks to God we are good again today. It’s day 5 of our talk: The man’s standard. So far we have looked at what standard is and why you need it; As far as man is concerned, we have seen we need God as our standard. We have looked at several principles that God’s standard is comprised of and we have wrapped all these in the principle: God is the only God. We have said those who know their God shall be strong and shall do exploits: know your God and you shall know to give Him the priority He deserves. Such prioritisation will make you strong to do; to co-work with God in exploits. 

You doing exploits also means exploits in relationships or marriage. You can do vama love your way or God’s way, each of it has its own ends. However, my one advice is: God is the one who started za ma relationship zi and so, if we can’t learn from Him, it’s inevitable that we may learn it wrong outside Him. All this while we have been talking relationships and all these talks from day 1 to now, I have been trying to take you to this principle in the standard of God that we will begin talking about. Yeah we will spend quite some time on it. It’s something we need to take our eyes back to if we wanna do exploits in relationships. I will not speak to you what you want to hear, but per the word of God I will speak to you what you need to hear. The principle is:

2. The honour in Old Keys

Last year we started a bit of this and I said this has to be for some other day, well this is the season and we will take our time, no rush. I know some parents you are reading this, am grateful let’s stick together.

I remember saying it's really surprising when you are in a relationship and the key figures in your life know nothing about it. I also remember saying if your parents can't know of your relationship, you don't need one. If you can't tell your Pastor or your father in the Lord, you don't need one. If your friends know but not your parents or guardian nor your religious leaders, you don't need it buddy. ✍️This should be for some other day, but realise there are some wisdom only hidden in your parents and not your pastor, some in your pastor and not your parents. When you dishonour this wisdom, it may not end well with you.

You see, sometimes when I sit down and look back to the days I was young and further back to the days of our parents, I kinda miss those days. There’s a way of life from back then that our generation has discarded in the name of modernisation. We have always believed that it’s a sign of maturity when you start making decisions on your own. Well that’s right but I feel like that ideology misses something. May I suggest to you that maturity is not when you start making your own decisions, but maturity is when you know who to make your decisions with.  

Aha we will back this up later but hear me, just because you can make decisions without some people in your life doesn’t really make you mature. It’s good to understand that immaturity is also seen when you are alone, so, careful. Get honest with your life, how many of the decisions you made on your own have lived with admiration?

A good number of us have tried relationships without engaging our parents. “They just don’t understand kuti stuff yi panopa ikuyenda bwanji” you speak that and you think you are making sense. Some of us the reason we keep trying relationships is very because we don’t engage or don’t know when, where and how to engage parents in our relationships. You are lying if you think you can make it  with disrespecting the authority that God placed to watch over you. You cannot dishonour what God has honoured and expect to be honoured, never. 

Who are parents and why were you given one? Let’s proceed from there.