Nigeria ‘celebrated’ Nigeria’s Independence day in a relatively sober and low – key manner earlier a few days ago.
Federal Government Budgetary expenditure records of Independence Day for the past 5 years being circulated widely on social media claims that between 2011 to 2014 FGN spent approximately N64 Billion ( a figure now disputed by the former President Goodluck Jonathan who through his media aide puts the figure at less than N500 million*.)
The increasingly wasteful spending of government in recent years is symptomatic of a nation who has declared Independence from the King of Kings – God Almighty!
Any nationality is not just a geographical expression in physical space, but the sum total of the nation’s citizens.
‘Independence’ is defined in Wikepedia as “a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof exercise self-government and usually sovereignty, over the territory.” It also adds, “Independence does not necessarily mean freedom.”
The Merriam-Webster says independence is ‘freedom from outside control or support.’
Therefore a Krishna conscious person would advise that this is the appropriate time each of us as individual Nigerians should reflect and ask ourselves the following fundamental pertinent questions:
“Am I really independent of the impurities of my heart e.g. lust, anger, greed, envy and pride?”
“Am I independent of my bad habits, e.g. alcohol, drug and tobacco consumption, gluttony?”
“Am I independent of serving my uncontrolled senses who like thankless masters keep demanding to be served year after year?”
“Am I independent from the miseries caused by my ever-agitated mind?”
“Am I Independent of additional miseries caused by other beings like armed robbers, kidnappers, boko haram, mosquitos etc?”
Am I independent from the miseries caused by natural calamities which are a threat at any second?”
If the answer to the above questions is NO, then what really is the Independence we celebrated on October 1Bolognese.
This physical body of ours is the real country in which we are living and this is giving us so many troubles. The authorized scriptures of the world explain how to become really independent.
“Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors as sent by Him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.
For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.” 1 Peter 2:13-16.
Here, Apostle Peter gives guidelines for freedom – the foundation of which is to acknowledge that we should be “bondservants of God.”
A bondservant in Roman times was a slave. The translation of the Greek word doulos means “one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master; a slave.”
In those days the term bondservant could refer to someone who voluntarily served others, but it usually referred to one in a permanent position of servitude.
The Hebrew word for “bondservant” – ebed, has the same connotation, however Mosaic law allowed an indentured servant to become a bondservant voluntarily (Exodus 21:5-6).
Nowadays people do not like referring to themselves as servants, everyone wants to be a master – even those without any tangible assets! Therein lies the problem. Many times we hear our brethren especially in the so-called “New Generation” Churches proudly proclaim, “I am no more a servant of God, I am a Child of God, a joint-heir with Christ!”
They amazingly forget that many prominent men of God in the Bible were referred to as servants – Abraham (Genesis 26:24; Numbers 12:7); Joshua (Joshua 24:29), David (2 Samuel 7:5), Isaiah (Isaiah 20:3) and even the Messiah Himself (Isaiah 53:11).
Jesus Himself taught that the greatest in God’s Kingdom would have to become “the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35).
This was unthinkable in Roman times, just as it is to us carnally minded Nigerians today in 2015 who pride ourselves on being called various appellations – “Your Excellency”, “Honourable”, “Distiguished Senator”, “Chief”, “General Overseer”, “Apostle”, “Bishop” etc.
The paradoxical concept of attaining real freedom and independence by becoming bound to God has been heralded when He Himself instructs us 5,000 years ago in the ancient Vedic text Bhagavad-Gita (Song of God):
“In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.” – BG 18:57-58
The conclusion is that real independence means complete dependence on God!
We are born in a great country Nigeria where this knowledge of becoming independent from every material weight and encumbrance in our lives by becoming FULLY dependent on God is available through God’s revealed knowledge known as Veda in ancient Sanskrit, Yeda in Hebrew and Oida in Greek.
When we take this revealed knowledge of God to heart and ACT on it in our daily lives Nigeria will factually attain Independence…at last.