The papal visit is finally here and there is excitement and hype in every country that he is to visit . Kenya declared a public holiday and thousands of people crooned to see the pope ; i wonder if this day will be celebrated in Kenya next year .
In my beloved country -Uganda; construction of roads, martyrs shrines and anything else that has to look perfect has been ongoing .Sadly, this is always the state of affairs when “vvips”(very very important people) are visiting a country. Suddenly the country is in a state of panic to construct the roads and block portholes that have been evident throughout .The coming of such figures reveals the culture of Africa-“doing last minute things” or working when there is need but if no need then no work will get done.
This culture is evident in market places, homes, churches, government institutions and schools; when i was at the university ,i read when i had an exam and when i did n`t have one i did n`t see the need to read . This caused panic during exam time and this is the sate of many campus students who half the semester are not in class and they appear suddenly during tests and exams.
This culture breeds laziness, frustration and produces mediocre work and there is no excellence in it yet our God is a God of excellence.
The bible says,2 Timothy 4:2“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.”
As individuals and also as a country we can borrow those words ; be ready in season and out of season by practicing personal development , planning for the city and executing those plans properly, consult masters in various fields so to get the most excellent way.
Personal development is a crucial aspect emphasized by John.C.Maxwell in his book the 15 invaluable laws of growth. The best investment you can make is to yourself as an individual and the country has to invest in its people, infrastructure among other things.
As individuals let us do way with last minute things and pursue the most excellent way through planning, prioritizing, practicing personal development in order to grow.