04/11/2025
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned during my time at my Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) is this: many Nigerians have an earn-it mindset.
Let me explain.
It’s not that hard work is bad. In fact, there’s something admirable about determination and grit. But over time, we’ve built a belief system where nothing is truly valuable unless it comes with pain, sweat, or sacrifice. If it’s free, it’s suspicious. If it doesn’t require effort, it must not be worth much. We’ve embraced what I like to call a “labor-for-worth mentality.” And trust me, I’ve seen this play out firsthand.
At the office, I’m responsible for registering people for a certain process (let’s keep it coded 🌚). Here’s the catch: the process is absolutely FREE. No physical payments, no secret charges, just show up, get registered, and go home to wait.
Simple, right? Well… not for everyone.
Despite explaining clearly that registration is free and everyone’s name will be uploaded once we get the go-ahead from the higher-ups, some people still refuse to believe it. Instead, they go looking for someone who will charge them—just so they feel something is happening.
They’d rather pay money for “24-hour sharp sharp work” that won’t actually speed anything up. The process remains the same, whether they pay or not. But for them, if there’s no hustle involved, it can’t be real. If their money isn’t involved, nothing would be done.
Sometimes, when I try to reassure them, they look at me like I don’t know what I’m saying. 😂
And that’s when it hit me—this is exactly how many of us behave as Christians.
We carry that same earn-it mindset into our walk with God. We don’t trust grace. We believe we must do something to earn our salvation, our healing, our miracles.
You made a mistake, so now you think you have to fast for 100 days to earn God’s forgiveness. Emphasys on EARN! You want a miracle, so you believe you must “sow a special seed” or buy special oils and mantles to convince God to move on your behalf. You want to prove to God that you deserve it.
But here’s the truth: you don’t have to hustle for what’s already yours.
