Don’t evaluate the ‘fig tree’ from afar

About twenty-two (22) years ago, I appraised and evaluated someone from afar and painfully, I ended up being completely and wholly wrong! Since that time, I have learnt the hard way that without knowing people up, close and personally, what I think I know about them may not be true and accurate. This error has caused many people to run away from those they are supposed to be very close to.

Also, it is wrong and incorrect to evaluate and assess people based on second-hand information about them, because you may be listening to a hater! I remember a young man who wanted to propose to a lady. To be sure he was making the right decision; he spoke to someone about the lady he wanted to ask her hand in marriage. But unknown to him, he was asking the wrong person. The person he was asking hated the lady he wanted to get married to. The person I am talking about poisoned his mind and stopped him from getting hooked to the lady. A few years after, the truth jumped out of the bag of time, but it was too late for the young man! He missed out on a beautiful lady with a very beautiful heart, because he acted on second-hand information which is not always true!

We live in a day when offences are flying everywhere and every day, so relying on folks to help you evaluate people will not be a good idea. Also, the rate at which people are looking for people’s mistakes, so they can hang them is a major cause of concern for every right thinking human being. Remember, helpers of destiny are not without mistakes. They are not perfect people. If you ask someone I probably have offended on me, he or she may not tell what’s true about me. My stepping on his or her toe is going to becloud and envelop his or her sense of judgment.

Also, in this day and time, on the condition that you are not careful, social media will cause you to hate and abhor those whom have been sent to help you fulfill and accomplish destiny. Social media consistently and successfully makes ‘devils’ look like ‘angels’ and ‘angels’ like ‘devils.’ This is the major reason why many mediocre are in the corridors of power in Nigeria. Through the tool of social media, Nigerians assessed GEJ from afar and branded him a second-rate leader and equally assessed Buhari from afar and labeled him a savior! Are Nigerians rejoicing today? Next time, do not evaluate politicians from afar. Get close to them for first-hand information on them. This will help Nigerians to make better decisions come 2023.

People are not who you think they are, evaluating them from afar. What you think they are having, they may not have it. They may not be who you think they are. Judging from afar, the strength of character you think they have, they may not have it, when you get very close to them. Many thought some relationships would satisfy their hunger for real and genuine people, but when they get close to them, they found out they were dead-wrong!

The greatest leader (the man Jesus) ever lived was hungry and seeing a fig tree afar, he thought it would have some fruits on it, but on getting close to it, it was only full of leaves. And what he needed were fruits, not mere leaves! Have you ever moved very close to folks, thinking they would have ‘fruits (character)’ only for them to have ‘leaves,’ gifts? And what you need are ‘fruits,’ not ‘leaves.’ Remember, there are too many charismatic people on earth today, but very few people have rock-solid character.

Everyone appears like an angel from afar, but when you get very close to them, they may not be who you think they truly are. Those who assess people from afar always end up being totally disappointed, getting their hope and expectations dashed and crushed. To avoid being disappointed, you are strongly advised to stop rating and scoring people without knowing them intimately! As long as you take breaths, do not forget this truth.

You do not choose a mentor or father/mother, assessing him or her from afar. If you do, you would regret it like I did regret it. Many years ago, I did burn my fingers and it was very painful. I chose someone as a mentor without knowing him intimately! When I got very close to him, what I saw was not what I thought I would see. I was expecting to see ‘fruits,’ but what I ended up seeing were mere ‘leaves.’ I am teaching you this profound truth; because I do not want you learn the hard way like I did learn many years ago.

Last of all, on the condition that what people say about someone is all you know about him or her, then you do not truthfully know him or her. Before you can say that you truly know someone, it must be said of you that you have first-hand information on that person. You must know him or her beyond the surface. You must not evaluate him or her from afar. You must know him up, close and personal. Till I come your way again next Monday, see you where great leaders are found!