At ‘The Well’ (a ministry I have presided over for a little over a year now), we decided over the weekend to make some changes in our structure. One of those changes included a change in our sitting arrangements to accommodate our growing numbers. The effect of that was that we had to block the alternative entrance behind the building (Usually it’s those who come late that use that door) to avoid distractions and unnecessary movement.

As I watched those, who were setting up the new sitting arrangement it got me thinking, how so often we find it convenient to use the ‘back door’ in our everyday lives simply because it’s there and it helps us avoid realities we would rather not face or deal with.

Maybe to give a bribe so that we will make the list for whatever reason or give the policeman a ‘tip’ rather than go through the rigor of renewing our driver’s license or car insurance.  Government officials who harass other road users with their sirens, in a bid to get somewhere on time when they could just have factored the time in traffic into their travel time.  Drivers and such like who think because their bosses are rich they should never retire monies disbursed to them properly, after all, the boss won’t need it.  But of course there is also the boss who thrives in taking what isn’t his, and so the vicious cycle continues unabated and in some cases even unnoticed!

How about those who use the Word of God and all other spiritual disciplines, as a means to an end; as keys to fame and fortune rather than access to a relationship with a loving heavenly father.  The stuff we wink at simply because there are alternatives even if they are less stellar.  Sadly, the backdoor is so powerful that for some it has become the default door.

Nearly everywhere you turn, someone is cutting a corner. What is interesting is that these activities are now so popular that they appear normal and what is normal now the abnormal and you almost look and are viewed as crazy when you try to do things the right way. The thing is that even though this has become a reality, it is never a permanent solution. Using the back door, is at best, a fix that offers temporary distraction and maybe relief from what the real problem is. As a matter of fact, when the problem resurfaces (and it always does), it does so with more force and keeps growing till one is sucked into a cycle they didn’t plan for.  Because while we see it as a spur of the moment decision, it is actually an indication that something is wrong and requires attention.  If we will go back to those who use the back door at The Well, and they do so consistently, without judging it is indicative of the fact that they do not have a rein on their time management.  Until maybe their attention is called to it, they may never even realise that the back is not the front!

One thing that using the back door does is that it puts you in the company of an unlawful people and locks you in such that you are always seen as an unlawful person regardless of if and when you change. That haunts! Then you realise you start getting comfortable in that rot and less concerned about putting in the effort because you have it at the back of your mind that the back door is always there even if you miss the mark.

It’s time to shut the back doors in your life. Cut out the malice and tell the other person what you feel went wrong. Do the right thing and pay your taxes as at when due. Say the truth regardless of the benefits of telling the little lie. Live your life like everyone is watching even when no one is watching (heaven is always watching anyway). Clear out all the guilty pleasures dangling around you (whether it’s a game of candy crush that makes you ineffective at work or something else) and shut out the company that pulls you in the direction of the back door.  When you do, you sleep better, your head is held higher, and of course, you can live your truth without worrying about the skeletons in the wardrobe.

Embrace Your Super Power!

Bidemi