Day 7: Work & Diligence
*OUR FATHERS’ WISDOM*
_Day 7: Counting the Sacred Kola_
*The Proverb:*
_”You don’t use your teeth to count kola nuts that belong to all.”_
*What Our Fathers Meant:*
Kola nuts represented communal trust, covenant, and shared heritage. To put one in your mouth while tasked with counting them meant you were secretly consuming shared resources under the guise of service. Integrity in managing collective wealth requires absolute personal restraint.
*Today’s Twist:*
In modern business, politics, and ministry, stewardship of public or company assets tests our character. It is easy to blur the line between personal privilege and fiduciary duty.
– The executive who pads expenses or uses company resources for personal vanity—that is using your teeth to count the kola.
– The official who diverts public funds allocated for community infrastructure—that is using your teeth to count the kola.
– The committee member who quietly takes a kickback from vendor payments—that is using your teeth to count the kola.
Diligence is worthless without uncompromising honesty in stewardship.
*Scripture Connection:*
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” — Luke 16:10
*Reflection Question:*
In what area of your work or ministry have you allowed personal interest to compromise your stewardship of shared resources?
Grace and peace,
*OUR FATHERS’ WISDOM*
_Day 8: Respecting the Foundation_
*The Proverb:*
_”You don’t point at your father’s farm with your left hand.”_
*What Our Fathers Meant:*
In traditional culture, the left hand is reserved for personal hygiene and is considered disrespectful when used to point, especially at sacred or ancestral things. Our fathers taught that even when your father’s farm is small, humble, or outdated, it fed you. Despising or dishonoring the work, sacrifice, or institution that raised you reveals a flawed character.
*Today’s Twist* :
It is easy to become successful or educated and suddenly look down on the humble origins, small beginnings, or older generation that made our journey possible.
– The professional who mocks the legacy business methods of the parents who paid their tuition—that is pointing with the left hand.
– The employee who publicly discredits a former employer or mentor who gave them their first break—that is pointing with the left hand.
– The leader who disdains foundational, low-level operational work once they reach the C-suite—that is pointing with the left hand.
True diligence includes honoring the platforms, people, and early sacrifices that laid your foundation.
_Scripture Connection: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” — Exodus 20:12_
*Reflection Question:*
Is there a person, early opportunity, or humble beginning in your career that you have started to look down upon instead of hono *OUR FATHERS’ WISDOM*
_Day 9: The Single Finger_
*The Proverb:*
_”One finger cannot lift a load to the roof.”_
*What Our Fathers Meant:*
Our fathers understood the physical limit of individual strength. No matter how long, strong, or clean a single finger is, it lacks the leverage to raise a heavy beam. Substantial work requires deliberate collaboration and division of labor.
*Today’s Twist:*
We often glorify the solo founder or the lone genius, leading to burnout and stalled enterprises. Isolation limits scale.
– The manager who micromanages every task instead of building a competent team—that is lifting a load with one finger.
– The visionary who refuses to share equity or credit to attract strong partners—that is lifting a load with one finger.
– The professional who suffers in silence rather than asking for help—that is lifting a load with one finger.
True diligence includes knowing how to leverage the capacity of others.
_Scripture Connection: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9_
*Reflection Question:*
What heavy responsibility are you struggling to bear alone that requires you to build or trust a team?
Grace and peace,
Rev. Samuel Arowosafe
30 Days of Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living
*OUR FATHERS’ WISDOM*
_Day 10: The Value of Battle-Tested Experience_
*The Proverb:*
_”A young person may have many new clothes, but cannot have as many worn rags as an elder.”_
*What Our Fathers Meant:*
New clothes represent temporary appearance, fresh enthusiasm, and style. Worn rags represent years of labor, field experience, mistakes survived, and seasons weathered. Our fathers taught that enthusiasm and modern tools cannot replace the depth of battle-tested experience.
*Today’s Twist:*
In today’s fast-moving work environment, we often mistake certification for competence, or speed for seasoned judgment.
– The junior strategist who dismisses a senior colleague’s caution during a crisis—that is choosing new clothes over battle-tested rags.
– The entrepreneur who trusts flashy trends over time-tested financial fundamentals—that is choosing new clothes over battle-tested rags.
– The professional who thinks a quick online course replaces years of hands-on problem-solving—that is choosing new clothes over battle-tested rags.
Talent gets you into the room, but the wisdom earned through seasons of hard work keeps you there.
_Scripture Connection: “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.” — Proverbs 19:20
_
*Reflection Question:*
Are you relying solely on your energy and modern tools, or are you actively seeking the hard-earned wisdom of those who have weathered the storms before you?
Grace and peace,
Rev. Samuel Arowosafe
30 Days of Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living
