Standing Before Kings And Great Men And Women (Part 4) by Caleb Ajagba
PROTOCOL 4: DON’T BE DESPERATE
The greatest mistake you can make when you are face-to-face with Kings and great men is to appear desperate. For instance, don’t sit down except they tell you to. Kings and great men have ways to subject people to tests without them knowing. They are conversant with protocols and know when their guests come visiting they are to be seated. When they tell you to take a seat, sit down quietly, gently and thank them. When you do, look in their direction to signify that you are ready and attentive to receive instructions from them.
Also read: Standing Before Kings And Great Men And Women
Don’t appear desperate to receive favour or honour from Kings and great men. In Dan 5:16-18, we can see the scenario that played out between King Belshazzar and Daniel. In verse 16, the King said to Daniel “…now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the Kingdom” (KJV).
However, look at the response Daniel gave to the King in relation to his offer of promoting him in verse 17, “Then Daniel answered and said before the King, Let your gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the King and make known to him the interpretation” (KJV). Daniel could not be swayed by the promises of the King so as to give the King a favourable answer, especially when he had promised to promote him and make him the third in command.
Also Read: Standing Before Kings And Great Men And Women (Part 2)
Many of us who have unique opportunities of standing before Kings and great men, should be careful how we communicate the untainted truth especially about God’s mind to those placed in authority. We should at all times subdue personal gains and tell the people in authority the truth even though it might be unpalatable to them.
Our inability to understand and appreciate our root as Christians is the major hindrance to becoming who God has ordained us to become. The depth of our understanding of the truth of the privileged position we occupy in Christ, is what determines the height of our attainment and triumph in life.
Also Read: Standing Before Kings And Great Men And Women (Part 3)
A look at successful and influential people who had changed the course of history, even from Bible times will show that they were not desperate. When Joseph came face to face with Pharaoh, he focused on the problem confronting the nation of Egypt, interpreted the dream and thereafter told Pharaoh to go and look for someone that could handle the project. He neither appeared desperate nor tried to present his personal agenda or problem before Pharaoh. Joseph could have resorted to begging Pharaoh to grant him state pardon as a prisoner. However, he was confident that with the kind of solution he was bringing to the nation of Egypt as inspired by the Holy Spirit, there was no way Pharaoh would think of someone better to undertake the supervision of the project. This should be an eye opener to those looking for jobs…
Nelson Mandela was offered ‘freedom’ several times in the course of his struggle against apartheid on the condition that he renounced his demand for equality for the rest of black South Africans but he rejected any form of personal freedom that excluded all black South Africans. He ended up spending 27years in prison, but achieved his aim of abolishing apartheid, and in the process became the first elected black President of South Africa.
If you appear too desperate the tendency is that your bargaining power will be low and you will end up getting less than what you are supposed to get. If you are conscious of who you are and are walking with God and not just working for Him, you must constantly renew your faith and trust in His ability to manage your life in your best interest by constantly declaring that “Whatever God cannot give me, may I never have it”.
Written by Caleb Ajagba
