Uphold Her Glory!

Isa.54:¹⁴ “You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near.”

Today, we are taking a break from our study to focus on our Nigeria. Sometimes, when we think about Nigeria, particularly for those who are vested in this country, it is a sweet and sour experience. Some people wonder if anything good can come out of this nation. A lot of people do not even think there is anything worth thanking God for. Some say everything that can go wrong has and is going wrong, and very often blame it on bad leadership, bad governance. People appear clueless and resources are not properly utilized. Some passionate Nigerians have their hearts broken, some have exited the country, and those that have returned are wondering why they made the move at all.

However, despite all that has happened and all that is happening, we cannot give up on Nigeria. This is our only country. Even if you have dual citizenship, the only country you can really call your own is Nigeria. I was having a conversation with a friend who lives abroad, and he was insisting that Nigeria is hopeless because of all the obvious reasons. I am not oblivious of the fact that Nigeria has challenges but my point to him and to us is this; the only country where we are not second-class citizens is Nigeria. Even for those with dual citizenship, it is only in Nigeria that you can be a first-class citizen. So, for these reasons and more, we cannot afford to give up on Nigeria.

There is so much to be grateful for when we take a closer look at Nigeria. For instance, it is a great footballing nation. Nigeria has won three Nations Cup competitions, three under seventeen gold medals, two silver medals and an Olympic bronze in soccer. If you do not know history, you will think other countries are better off, but that is not necessarily the case. If Great Britain, for instance, wins the world cup, a Nigerian living there who is now a citizen of Great Britain will rejoice. But the depth of rejoicing will be different if Nigeria wins that same competition. We must appreciate what we have and not let others rubbish it. Know who you are and walk tall; we are Nigerians!

Independence is one thing, but freedom is another thing all together. You can be independent and not free. Nigeria has been independent for decades but is Nigeria free? The bridge that connects independence to freedom is responsibility. Someone says, and I totally agree, there should be a statue of responsibility beside the statue of liberty in the United States. We have a generation of people that have liberty but do not understand responsibility and are therefore in bondage. When you take responsibility for your life and nation, you experience true freedom and independence.

Prayer: Father, we bring Nigeria before You and we pray that Nigeria will fulfill its potential. Fight against everyone fighting against Nigeria and grant us peace, in Jesus Name. Amen!