sundayword:BY PROSPER TINGINI
God created us as equals but of different roles in life and each with a distinct identity. Whether male or female, rich or poor, doctor or bricklayer, black or white and etc, we are born equal in the eyes of our Lord. The life breathed into each of us at conception is of an equal status, and comes in equal measures. All life emanates in a similar environment, in the womb at fertilization. The ‘breath of life’ takes place at birth, coming from the One God. The life in us is from the same origin and similar in nature, thus we are all born equal.
It is our destinations and identities that then differ because that’s how things should be. In our similar human form, there are different parts each performing different functions to produce some desired results. Eyes assist us to see and ears to hear. Hands and feet assist to feel, work, walk and many other various tasks. The nose can smell things and helps in the breathing process; and the mouth to speak and chew food. The stomach is the digestion chamber.
Yet within each of the above mentioned is another web of different inter-linked parts each geared to achieve a particular purpose. Despite the numerous intertwined parts, the human form is referred to as one body. The same applies to many other similarities of other objects of nature.
Likewise God purposefully ensured that although born as equals we are created to perform different roles in life so that we can work together as one unit for the common good of mankind. Life would come to a standstill if we were all made to follow the same path, or if all of us were to be created for a same destiny.
He created us for different roles and for different times so that we could fit in perfectly within our societies. This meant that our individual paths in life had to differ to stimulate the variations of occupations and periods necessary to sustain human life.
The Lord our God at first created one individual, a man called Adam. He recognized that, alone, Adam could not function well; neither could he multiply the human race. Eve was created to complement Adam. The two were equals meant to act as a single unit. Genesis 2 verse 24 reads; “And they become one flesh”. Man and woman thus represent the complementary unit of humanity, with distinct identities and corresponding functions. The womb was placed in the woman, for reproductive purposes. The man was made more muscular so that he could work harder for ‘human dominion’ and survival, as assigned by the Lord: “In toil you shall eat of the ground all the days of your life: thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat of the plants of the field” (Genesis 3:17-18). The different features of the human specimen thus originated at creation. No two people are the same in every sense in the word. Our fingerprints are a classic example of our differentiation of features and identities, among many other variations engineered for specific reasons. There would be confusions if we all looked exactly alike in every sense of the word. Differentiations are necessary for identity.
I have received a social media posting from a sister of mine which can add value to this topic. I pray that I will be allowed by all concerned to copy it in almost its entirety. It is headlined: We are classmates only in school, after school everyone finds his or her class in life: Destiny is customised!! It says; I was thinking this morning … about our speed in this race of life. Last Sunday, I was privileged to attend the wedding of the daughter of my good friend and former classmate in the college. As I sat as part of the guests at the reception, listening to the proud mother of the bride giving her speech, I reflected on how far we have come as former classmates in school.
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I considered how her children are of marriage-able age, while mine are still teenagers. I recalled another classmate of ours whose son just graduated as a medical doctor, but mine was just about entering the University. As I pondered on why it seems I am lagging behind, the fact of another of our classmate flashed by and I was reminded that his children are still in primary school.
At this point, it dawned on me that though we were all classmates and graduated together in 1991, life has shuffled us and placed us in different classes today. We were classmates in school, but not classmates in life. Everyone has his unique class in life. I concluded that in school of life there are no classmates, because ‘life’ is a class of one. Ten years after I got employed in my dream job, getting a second promotion became a prayer point. One day, a colleague whom we started work together on the same level walked up to me and said; ‘We came in together and I have gotten three promotions, and you, just one! Is there something you are not doing?’ I felt bad for myself, but not for long because soon after, I realized that in the school of life there are no classmates. Life is a class of one. He is on his path while I am on mine.
Have you considered why, from the same branch of tree you have both the ripe and unripe fruits? The seeds were released same time, exposed to the same nutrients and environment conditions but yet some ripen before others. Identical twins that deliberately wait for each other to be in the same class, and even wed on the same day, will not get their wives pregnant on the same day (if they are males).
It is true that in the school of life there are no classmates, because life is a class of one. Then why do we look at another and feel inadequate, like we are not where we should be? Why would someone that has been privileged to be in a somewhat lofty position look down on others like he is superior in some way? Life is a class of one. Do not sweat over the class others are in, because there are no classmates in life. Do not compare yourself with anyone, because you are in a class of one. There are no classmates in life.
2 Corinthians 10:12 reads; “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise”.
In my personal opinion and conclusion, I have come to terms that I will never be intimidated by another person’s success. I can only be inspired and challenged! I can only rejoice with their successes, but will never feel sorry for myself on the account of another person’s success. Success is relative and proportionate! Even gifting and beauty in life are in portions. You may have what someone else don’t have, but don’t forget you also lack certain things he has!! The last thing I can ever suffer is inferiority complex! God forbid!!
Lastly I will never look down on any of my schoolmates because of my physical achievements that life has given me now over him or her for now . . . I have also discovered that tides do change in the school of life. Amen.
l Prosper Tingini is the president of the Children of God Missionary Assembly. Registration in progress for those who wish to undertake Bible Studies or train as Ministers of Religion. Contact 0771 260 195 or email: [email protected]
