Olayinka Ekenkwo - Are You an Asset or a Liability?: Tips for Living Life as an Outstanding Youth

Are You an
Asset
or a
Liability?

Tips for Living Life as an Outstanding Youth

Olayinka Ekenkwo

Are You an Asset or a Liability?

Tips for Living Life as an Outstanding Youth

Copyright 2016 Olayinka Ekenkwo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-9633-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-9634-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016907054

iUniverse rev. date: 07/13/2016

CONTENTS

I humbly dedicate this to all the Christian teenagers and youths in all walks of life, and I extend my support and voice to say you can be all you ever dreamed to be! You belong to the topmost top!

To your success!

The challenges facing todays youth are enormous and are amply compounded by the advent of technology, which has in some way become the conduit for distraction. It is often said that the youth are tomorrows leaders, but the preparation for leadership begins today, with the inculcation of Christian values, standards and ethos that will be instrumental in their service to civil society and to the body of Christ, the Church.

But for the Christian youth, it is a continuous struggle to conform to the word of God and live within His will with the constant pressure from the media and their dwindling supply of spiritual and moral capital. They are submerged in a world of convoluted messagesone that accentuates rebellion against parents and authority while extolling immorality and lewd lifestyles.

With religion failing to inspire confidence in the youth, and with adults around them neglecting their responsibilities, this book is not only timely but meticulously written to provide godly counsel to the youth on their journeys. It integrates vignettes of real-life experiences that resonate with readers, providing unique opportunities for genuine reflection.

By citing appropriate verses from the Bible, the authoritative source that holds the principles to our destiny, this book seeks to encourage, support and endear Christian youth to their faith when lifes challenges seem insurmountable. The role and importance of wise sayings and proverbs are generously emphasized at every instance, which represents the theme of each chapter, providing truth, wisdom, warnings, direction and motivation to forge ahead and overcome the obstacles.

By recognizing the duality of humans as spiritual and physical beings, the book appears to mandate education, which in todays world has become the gateway to success, the pathway to disillusionment and the basis for social mobility. It strongly encourages youth to seek knowledge, acquire the capacity to contextualize notions in real-world settings and make a critical difference in their communities.

Are You an Asset or a Liability? is inspirational and thought-provoking, and it asks pertinent questions that inspire the Christian youth to find biblical truths in their journeys to fulfill their God-given destinies in becoming assets to humanity and His kingdom.

If you are a teenager or a young adult feeling susceptible to peer pressure or facing other life challenges, this is a must-read.

Dr. Phil Tam-Al Alalibo and Dr. Trudy Ala libo

There are not enough words to appreciate and give honour to the multitude of people I am compelled to acknowledge. Many people have contributed in various ways to my life and to this book. I am grateful to the many women and men of God who have inspired and mentored me and whose prodding has consequently motivated me in writing Are You an Asset or a Liabi lity?

I adore and worship my saviour, who gives me grace daily to exist and hope for a brighter tomorrow. I wholeheartedly acknowledge and cherish my family and friends, who encouraged me in my journey of life, and I owe a deep gratitude to them for being there for me.

I desire to express special appreciation to Rev. Dr. Johnson Adesina and his amiable wife, Rev. Mrs. Margaret Adesina, of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, from whose ministry the idea of this book originated. To the numerous youth who graced and attended the Young, Free and Single Forum I organized while living in Lagos, Nigeria, and to all the sponsors and donors of the programs, such as Rev. Tunde and Deaconness Yemi Lemo, the late Francis and Adenike Odunuga, Charles Eke, Wole and Tola Rotimi, and all the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria. Also, thanks to my current pastors, Phillip and Yemisi Aladesua, of Jesus House Scarborough, Redeemed Christian Church of God in Canada, and to my friends, among whom are Segun and Molara Mojeed, Professors Phil and Trudy Alalibo, and Zefe Osime-Fakolade, I say God bless you richly.

I thank God Almighty for my husband, James, who allows me to spread my wings as an eagle and fly as far as the Divine allows. I love my God-given children, Udochuckwu, Chioma and Ozioma, and I pray that each of you will fulfill your God-given destiny.

I give honour to those who honour and where credit is due.

Olayinka Eke nkwo

Are you an asset or a liability? You probably are wondering after reading the title. For youth who do not like mathematics and wont talk about calculus or other subjects that deal with calculations and figures, I encourage you to continue reading and not be discouraged. It is not a mistake or by coincidence that you are holding this book in your hands. Are You an Asset or a Liability? has the potential to fulfill that dream of a successful life and can impact you by causing you to experience a major paradigm shift.

I have this passion for the youth that compels me to want to share what I have learnt and impact lives. I grew up without much instruction or direction in life, and therefore I learnt from my experiences mainly through trial and error. As I was growing up, I discovered that no one really cared about whether I became successful or not. I was provided the basic necessities of life, such as clothing, food, housing and education. I developed the habit of reading when I realized that I was learning a lot from the books I read. The books exposed me to a world I did not know about, and I became an avid reader. This habit has turned out to be my greatest asset. Knowledge from books tremendously shaped my thinking. As I studied some youth I had the opportunity to interact with, I came to the realization that I owe it to every youth to reveal the secrets that I learnt through books, if they care to listen. I had the strong obligation to transfer my knowledge and experience, thereby helping a youth chart a course for his or her life. I began by organizing seminars and created an avenue to not only transfer knowledge but also inspire and motivate youth to take their destinies in their own hands and run with it. I charged them during those seminars to become who they want to be. I encouraged them to not be mediocre and to dream big. It was such fun that word went round, and future sessions were usually fully packed.