Ask Chuka

  A few months ago, I came across a story online about a pharmacist who invested in cryptocurrency and, overnight, believed he had become a billionaire. Perhaps it was friends who told him the coins he bought for a few cents had suddenly risen by over 5,000%. Without verifying, he quickly handed in a resignation letter, rudely too, ready to live the “new rich life” he thought awaited him. Only hours later, the coin collapsed and became worthless. Imagine waking up to the reality that your “fortune” had vanished, and the only thing on your mind was how to beg the same boss you had insulted publicly to take you back. Stories like this remind us why many people lose faith in planning. After all, don’t we hear that “plans hardly succeed”? Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Many take that as an excuse to live without structure, just taking life as it comes. But I believe differently: we must plan . And as Nick points out in one of the devot...

While waiting in the conference room for a scheduled meeting with the MD, I overheard a small argument between Ayo and Ola. Ayo was complaining about how Ola kept leaving most of the departmental work for him to handle. He said he had reported the situation to HR in the past, and though things briefly improved, they soon relapsed. But his greatest frustration was how other managers made him feel like a snitch, an unsupportive colleague trying to get Ola into trouble, even though the department was expected to deliver top-notch work within tight deadlines. This time, Ayo had decided to take it up with the MD directly. He couldn't take it anymore and was already job-hunting, hoping for a drastic change. As I listened to the MD’s intervention and warning to Ola, I quietly wondered: Why do some people feel comfortable not carrying out their responsibilities? Their discussion reminded me of a talented pianist I met at a Catholic church in Port Harcourt. Every time he played, the music d...

I am not sure if King David had another war to fight, because it was not stated. But I read that God was angry with Israel, so He incited David to take a census of Judah and Israel and enrol the fighting men. Now, this was the same David praised in Scripture, Saul killed thousands, but David tens of thousands. When did statistics (the number of fighting men) suddenly become more important than trust in God, who had been guiding them to victory irrespective of numbers? Scripture records that David was incited to do wrong because God was angry. Please don’t ask me what David did oh 😊 but I am certain he did not take another soldier’s wife this time 😊. Not long after, the prophet Gad visited David. David already knew he had sinned, and Gad told him to choose his punishment. Wise David chose God’s punishment over man’s. (If you think he was wrong, try remembering a time when someone decided to “deal with you.” If men were gods… hmmm 😅). Even with mercy, the punishment was great, 70,000 ...