Give To Others What You Expect From Them
Recently, I was privileged to be shortlisted for a high-powered committee to plan the year for an organization.
While the chairman of the committee was addressing us, a member stood up to interrupt and cut short the chairman’s address. The interruption took us by surprise, even the chairman was taken off guard, because ordinarily, one would have expected everyone who made that list to be refined, courteous, and enlightened enough to know basic rules of public engagement.
After he ranted for about a minute, we all got off the shock, perhaps due to the rubbish he said.
Being an elderly person with respect to my age, as I was the youngest there, I politely told him to sit down and allow the chairman to finish. Before I could tell him that it was rude to interrupt someone like that, more importantly, the chairman for that matter, he started claiming his rights.
“Don’t tell me to sit down”, he said, raising the tone of his voice.
“It is my fundamental right to express my opinion.”, the rant continues. “Are you people trying to shut me up?”
Other members of the committee tried to prevail on him to apologize to the chairman, but he refused, claiming he has done nothing wrong.
In my mind, I said, “oh oooh, na dem”!
There is a class of people who expects from others what they, themselves, cannot give.
Did you remember when Cain killed Abel in that popular Bible story?
God was displeased and placed a curse on Cain.
Do you know his response to the curse?
He said the punishment was too great for him, as anyone who sees him will kill him.
This is someone who murdered his brother without a second thought nor a show of remorse. You will want to ask, “if he valued life, as it is obvious himself doesn’t want to be killed, why then did he kill someone else?”
The same goes for Saul. He dishonoured God by disobeying a clear order to go and wipe out the Amalekites. But when Prophet Samuel came to reprimand him and staged a walkout from him in the presence of those who were with him, Saul held to his skirt, pleading that he should honour him this once because of the people who were there.
Now, Saul being a King, knew he deserved some honour, yet he refused to give the same honour to the one who chose him to rule over the people.
In this life, know that the person next door deserves the same thing you wished for yourself.
Do you want to be successful? Your neighbour wants to be successful too.
Do you want to enjoy your luxury in comfort? Your neighbour wants the same too.
You want the best for your kids and family, the same way the man next door wants the same for his family.
In all your doings this year, make sure you have the interest of your neighbour at heart.
If you do, you won’t go about struggling to succeed at the detriment of your neighbour.
You won’t maximize gains to cause your neighbor pains.
Do unto others what you want them to do unto you, remains the golden rule!
Have a fruitful day ahead as you look at for your neighbour.
Idede Oseyande
(c)2022
08035216938
(Whatsapp)
