The rise and fall

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The 2015-16 EPL season has certainly sprung a few surprises our way, not least among them is Leicester City. The foxes, as they are otherwise called, survived relegation after a late surge last season. Not many pundits could therefore have foreseen that after 13 rounds of matches the following season, the foxes would be sitting pretty at the top. A string of eye-catching displays, featuring a lot of attacking verve has wowed many, with Newcastle United being the latest to be on the receiving end of their attack.

The prolific form of their star striker, Jamie Vardy has been of huge significance. The league’s top scorer has been in blistering form, spearheading  Leicester's charge  to the top. He recently matched Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 10 consecutive league fixtures and could better it by scoring against Van Nistelrooy’s former club, Manutd in his next fixture.

This is your real-life underdog story. The premier league leaders were playing in the championship only two seasons ago, while Jamie Vardy was playing non-league football a few years earlier. The foxes are now above Manutd, Mancity, Arsenal in the league. Leicester are really punching above their weight.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, nobody could have predicted the fall from grace of Chelsea. Last season Chelsea were streaks above everyone else. They coasted their way to the league title. This year they are streaks below everyone else, flirting with relegation at 15^th place. Relegation from the top flight is surely improbable but Chelsea’s decline has been shocking.

The whole of last season, Chelsea lost only 3 times, almost halfway through this season they have lost 7!!! They are nine goals away from their overall tally of 32 goals conceded. Hazard, Costa, Ivanovic, Terry, Matic have seen their form nosedive. The champions are really in disarray and Tottenham could pile more misery on the beleaguered blues come this Sunday.

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The stories of these 2 clubs this season mirror the lives of those humble before God and the proud. God loves the humble and elevates them despite their perceived weaknesses while he detests pride and brings the proud crashing down in spite of their perceived strength.

Let’s start with the humble. You can’t talk about humility without starting with Jesus. He stands out the most. Philippians 2:5-11 states, “ Your altitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself  nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeliness, and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross, therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name ,that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven  and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.” Jesus was the embodiment of humility.

It doesn’t stop  with Jesus. Gideon was the least of all in his family who came from a clan that was among the least yet God elevated him to a mighty warrior who delivered Israel from Midian with only 300 men.  Even more humbling, was that those 300 men drank water like dogs (Judges 7).David was the last born in his family, the lowly shepherd yet it was he who defeated Goliath and was elevated to the Kingship.

It is through the seemingly low, insignificant people that God uses to do extraordinary things. Woe to the proud though, those are the ones he humbles and causes them to fall. David made the fatal mistake of taking a census in 1 Chronicles 21. In modern times it wouldn’t be such a big deal but at the time, by doing what he did he was depending on his own strength, attributing the victories over his enemies to his own might instead of trusting God. The command to take the census was evil in the sight of God and God intended to punish him using either of these 3 undesirable options; 3 years of famine, 3 months of being swept away by his enemies  or 3 days of a plague.(1 Chronicles 21:1-12) Quite the predicament and the epitome  of being caught between a rock and a hard place. He chooses the plague and promptly 70.000 men take the fall for his pride.

Moral of the story, don't try to take away credit that is reserved for God. Pride was seen in many other men and led to their fall. Nebuchadnezzar had to be driven away from people and eat grass like cattle (Daniel 4:33) Jonah had to stay 3 days in a fish because of his pride. (Jonah 1:17) Herod was put to death in an instant for not giving praise to God (Acts 12:22-23). Saul had to undergo 3 days of blindness (Acts 9:1-9).

Proverbs 27:21 wisely reads “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold but man is tested by the praise he receives.” Too often, we fail the test. Our heads swell with pride when we achieve something and are praised for it. It could range from graduating to getting a job, being promoted, moving out or getting a car. Suddenly we feel accomplished, we believe our own hype.

We quickly forget that it was God’s grace that got us there not our own strength. Sometimes it may require a fall from grace to put things in perspective. A crushing loss can stop the Sports team from being complacent or overconfident.  An unexpected sacking, being bypassed for a promotion, loss of material possessions could be the fall from grace that sends pride packing, making you aware of your numerous inadequacies and God’s abundant grace.

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I thank God for my falls. Constantly being top of the class made me feel that I was a world-beater only to be the sole person in the class to miss doing an industrial attachment did I sober up. God caused me to rise from that and get a first class degree. Then my head swelled up with pride, and it’s been almost 2 and a half years since and no job, The humbling experience has served me well and made me realize it was God who got me the degree. I will give him glory because he has been my strength. My papers, my internships, my awards were all his doing.

It’s so easy to forget God and think we did it, to chest-thump and take pride in our success. Truth is were it not for God; you would be stuck in a perpetual rut. You can take so much pride in your job and think you are entitled to the position. You conveniently forget the interview you aced to get the job is the very same one you should have missed in the first place for being late but were allowed to do, because on that day the recruiters were patient and just let your lateness slide.

You can take so much pride in your degree, masters or PHD. What of  those many exams that you passed because by God’s grace what you read, came in the paper and the many problematic topics you didn’t study for were absent?

How about the time you had that major presentation to do which got you a promotion.  A power blackout ensured you had to do an oral presentation, something you were far more confident in. Your mediocre PowerPoint  for the presentation, which could have seen you demoted, never saw the light of day.

God has intervened more times than you would care to admit and he deserves the glory. You can get lost in the success and take those saving graces for granted. After much pride we can fall from grace but as David found out after the plague, God is merciful and says, “Enough!” and relents. (1 Chronicles 21:15). Enough and Nebuchadnezzar was restored to his position (Daniel 4:34-36). Enough, and Jonah was out of the fish (Jonah 2:10). Enough and the scales were removed from Paul's eyes (Acts 9:17-18). In your fall you have to wait patiently before he removes you from the slimy pit, the mud and the mire and sets your feet on a rock, and gives you a firm place to stand. (Psalms 40:2). We eventually rise because of his mercy.

Like Isaiah 57:15 says, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Your pride may take you to the depths but when you cry out to him, he is able to revive your lowly spirit and your contrite heart and make you rise again.

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Be strong and courageous

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We place emphasis on what we say through repetition.  Therefore, whenever you hear somebody saying something over and over again, take note.

When this repetition is in the bible, then one’s levels of caution should soar to unparalleled heights. Examples of this abound, take Song of Songs 2:7 for instance, “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field; Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” The exact replica is found in Songs of Songs 3:5, the same verse appears in chapter 8, verse 4 minus ‘by the gazelles and does of the field.” Error? I doubt it. In modern society today, how many times have ladies given their love promptly only to have their hearts broken? Too many to even count!!!Any surprise then that the wise king is repeating this verse? Surely not.

King Solomon is at it again in Proverbs 21;9 with this caution, “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.” The same verse, word for word, makes up Proverbs 25:24. When you consider that he had many wives and concubines, and that it was women who were his downfall, then you really get why he repeats this.

Solomon wasn’t the only one who repeated words, God did and he had to because of how quickly Israel forgot or lost faith in him. “Do not fear.” That appears more than 300 times in scripture.  It’s a big emphasis bearing in mind that it is often our fears that hold us back and prevent us from truly living the God he desires for us.

One though stands out more than others in the book of Deuteronomy.God says it, Moses says it too and Joshua would later speak those same words which were, “Be strong and courageous.”

I believe those words are being spoken to men today repetitively begging for a response. Being male is natural, but being a man is super-natural because it takes strength and courage. I don’t mean the biceps kind of strength but the strength to persevere, to hold firm amidst adversity, to be true to oneself. The courage to overcome opposition from all quarters, yourself included.

Man, be strong and courageous to take the initiative, to engage in a difficult activity, to reject passivity and act. Adam was passive when Eve was being tempted and look where it got us. Many men are passive to this very day with women and children suffering as a result. Don’t be one of them. Take the initiative and engage in that difficult thing that needs to be done. Act on your conviction; don’t wait for someone else to take initiative for you.

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Take the initiative by being decisive. Make decisions promptly, beforehand, don’t wait till things spiral out of all control to decide what to do, by then it could be too late.

Man, quit stalling and take the initiative in relationships with women. Ask her out if you’re interested; don’t play mind games, hizo wachia Mourinho. If words fail you, take courage from these guys’ attempts and have lived to tell the story.

” Hey I was looking in the book of numbers and I saw that I didn’t have yours.”

“My name’s Destiny. I have faith that God has chosen you to be my destiny”

“Hi I’m Will...God’s will for you.”

I wish to state that never in my right mind would I attempt any of this, I admit though some are downright hilarious .For these and more click here, if these guys can pull it off and live to tell the story, what should stop us who do it normally? What’s the worst that could happen, just her saying no? Whoever died from rejection even those final fantasy movies couldn’t engineer a death like that no matter how hard they tried. Man be strong and courageous and take initiative in dating or courtship.

Conversely, take initiative by being strong and courageous to admit to a lady that you are in the season of singlehood. Don’t lead a lady on to nowhere, if you aren’t ready for a relationship.  Why give the impression that there is a future when there is none? If a lady shows an interest in you, don’t be passive by saying nothing. Silence won’t end her persistence. Take the initiative and politely tell her you aren’t ready for a relationship.  Some of these calls to Maina and King’ang’i would be stopped if some men could just put their foot down and said, “No.” There’s a time for everything, a time to be in a relationship and a time to be single, when it’s the latter, take the initiative and communicate this clearly to the lady, don’t waste her time.

Man, be strong and courageous to take responsibility for your actions. Work diligently to be a provider not only of material things but a vision for the future. Be the selfless leader of integrity. Be the example or the model for others to follow, coach others through your own experiences in life. Be the dependable and trustworthy man to your work mates, family and friends.

Once in a while, you won’t always do what is expected of you. Don’t play the blame game, if you mess up, own up. Don’t hide in lies or point the finger to everyone but yourself. Nobody is infallible.  Accept you mistake, confess it, rectify it however painful and move on.

Man, be strong and courageous to admit pain or hurting. We are not invincible, Arsenal eventually lost to Manutd after 49 games not out and so will Gor Mahia, it’s just life. We lose, we stumble, we bleed, we cry, it’s ok to be vulnerable once in a while. The loss of a father, mother, brother, sister, friend or anybody else close can be painful. It’s ok to shed a tear.  As we fight in this battle of life, it is inevitable that we will sustain wounds and not just the ones of death. A failed exam, a business deal collapsed, rejection by the lady whom you fancy, betrayal from a close friend, diagnosis of a terminal illness, they come in all shapes and sizes.

It’s funny how words may seem to be the smallest but strike a massive blow to our confidence. We may hurt so bad because of what people say to us or about us. Our self-esteem nosedives to depths even Chelsea hasn’t reached and we become a shadow of our former selves. You just have to look at the way some men seek affirmation in all the wrong places to massage that bruised ego.

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Some seek it in prostitutes or numerous casual flings. Others find it in a gang or a group of friends who give them that sense of identity they have never had. They are loyal to the group even if the group engages in wrongdoing. Some men try to mask the pain through alcohol, drugs, gambling. Others just lose the will to fight and easily surrender to the slightest adversity or opposition.

Man, be strong and courageous and deal with your wounds. Have the strength to move on from a loss of a loved one through the support of others and God.  Admit your hurts and confess them, it’s a starting point, hiding them or living in denial will only suppress them for a while. Let go of the hurt of a failed relationship and forgive, free yourself and the other person, if possible seek reconciliation, would you rather be right, bitter and alone or be restored and at peace because you chose to let go of the right to feel aggrieved.

Be strong and courageous in the face of adversity or a sudden downturn in your fortunes. It isn’t always the end of the world. It’s a marvel how tough situations bring out the best in people. Be courageous to put on a brave face and keep on persisting, your life of persistence may become a testimony of hope and inspiration to others in a similar struggle.

Man, be strong and courageous to lead. Whether it’s your class, workmates, family, lead well. Be strong and courageous to sacrifice privileges for the sake of those you are leading. Have the strength of mind and heart to put your followers’ needs above those of your own.  It’s not about you but them. Be strong and courageous to fight the temptation to use your position to enrich yourself, instead, enrich your followers at your own cost.

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Be strong and courageous and break free from the Rat race. Life is more than just getting a bigger pay-cheque, accumulating possessions and living as per people’s definition of success. Be strong and courageous to pursue what you are called to do even if instant riches aren’t forthcoming. Be strong and courageous to do what you are passionate about, to fill a gap or address a gnawing need that will impact the community and then you will leave your mark on this world with others eager to follow in your footsteps.

Man, be strong and courageous to love. You would think that would come naturally but it doesn’t. Be strong and courageous to be faithful to your lady and say no to a lady when you know she is not right for you or you are not right for her. Be strong to remain chaste for your future wife, that’s a far better gift than a Samantha bridal wedding. All around you may be goaded to sex by constant displays of cleavage, thighs and yet another socialite flaunting their derriere, may you resolve to be sexually pure at all costs even if it means ditching TV , your tablet or simply just run.

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Determine what you desire in a lady beyond just looks and establish clearly thought out boundaries when it comes to a relationship. Virginity, monogamy are not impossible standards, you do not have to feed your eyes, your mind and sexual organ through ogling, porn, masturbation or sex. You’re a man, not an animal, muster self control when need be. Be strong and courageous and resolve to be the man who takes the fight to lust and loves his woman for who she is not just what she looks like.

Be strong and courageous to love not only a lady but a male friend as well. David and Jonathan didn’t have a bromance, but a deep friendship that every man should have. It takes a lot of strength to forge such a friendship because you need to be candid, open, share similar values to connect. Man, be strong to share your vulnerable spirit as well. Confess your shortcomings or hurts to a friend because friendship is not about sharing happy moments but difficult ones as well. Life is never meant to be lived alone, you need a friend.

Be strong and courageous when it comes to money.  Be strong and fight the urge to live in opulence, in the end extravagance only impoverishes.  Sometimes broke-ness hits you hard. You may not be able to take a lady out, ride a matatu home or even just buy a smokie because the pocket has simply refused. Don’t keep on borrowing or gambling, you will only enlargen your cycle of debt rather than get out of it. Be strong and courageous to accept your humble position, work hard to get out of it and then use your money prudently when you get it. Live within your means, save and invest, otherwise your pocket will keep on refusing.

Be strong and courageous to fight for your values and integrity. We live in a society that tends to glorify impunity and mock the few people who dare to be upright, yet incredulously complain about corruption. Be courageous to defend your values, practise them even when the majority want the easy way out of compromise. Be the one man of integrity, with the high standards who believes in honesty, discipline, temperance and other virtues. Do right even when you’re the only one doing it.  Society is crying out for men of integrity, be strong and courageous to answer that cry.

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Be strong and courageous, because before you, there was a man who was. His name was Jesus and he was strong and courageous to go 40 days and nights without food and still resist temptation. He was strong and courageous enough to criticize hypocritical spiritual leaders. He was strong and courageous to pursue his Godly calling that did not earn him riches galore but a led to suffering, excruciating pain and ultimately death on a cross so that you may be reconciled to God and receive the gift of eternal life if you believe him and surrender your life to him.

Man, be strong and courageous and chose him, because through him it’s much easier being a strong and courageous man. When you do, be strong and courageous to tell others about him so that through him, more will be strong and courageous.

Man, be strong and courageous.