Be A Generational Thinker

Generations come and go. Some people set the pace for hundreds of years while others destroy the future for many. Our actions are a direct proportion of what we sow for our immediate, near, and long term future. Blessings flow through generations because of acts of obedience and curses flow because of acts of disobedience.

When I think about Abraham, his decision to live his family and follow what God had told him to do that is something of great faith. He left and went to a place the Lord would show him. Getting to the unknown by a God who knows, is a pure act of faith, He trusted in God's ability to lead him to the promise that would come after many years.

We have seen corruption eat up the wealth of many people, it has disadvantaged and ravaged the lives of many. Many of the corrupt decisions have left many hungry, poor, and with services broken down. We have seen over the years that our direct actions have a bearing not only on our lives but on the lives of those attached to us (family) and to the community and nation at large. When a road is made where there was no way, it doesn’t only benefit one person, it benefits generations. When a well is dug, it benefits generation (Case in point are the wells Abraham dug, Isaac came and had to dig them up again and found water). Reflect on every decision you make; it can shape or break the future.

While checking through my WhatsApp messages, Andrew Odoch Umahtete sent me an audio message. It was I think one of the best messages I could listen to as I ended the month of January. I am passionate about re-writing family history and doing things that will enable the future of not just my family but those I come in contact with being better. I am sold out to share my life with young people and tell them that they don’t have to repeat my mistakes but learn from the lessons of others. I am about Impacting, Empowering, and Transforming.

The message I listened to was about generational thinking. I searched the internet to find out who spoke about it and found out it was Dr Mensa Otabil, He is a man from Ghana who leads the International Gentral Gospel Church. The message was so empowering I thought I could write an article to highlight a few things that caught my attention.

A Story About Tetteh Quarshie

In his Sermon, he talked about how Ghana became the leading exporter of Cocoa.

•  In the early 1800s he went as a plantation farmer (almost a slave), left the shores of  Ghana, undertook a voyage to the Spanish colony Fernando Po (now Bioko in Equatorial Guinea). About six years later he returned to Ghana with several cocoa beans (the Amelonado) and made history.
• Dr. Mensa said that he wasn’t a mid-level or high-level worker, he was just a worker 
• With the few Cocoa seeds with him, he settled in Mampong,
• He planted his first seeds in 1879 but did not have much success very early. At that time two bags were exported. The export of Cocoa from Ghana began in 1891, and the official export in 1893 (two bags exported – source Wikipedia)
• It is written in Wikipedia that soon other farmers followed suit and that Basel Missionaries stepped into the picture by importing large quantities of the cocoa seeds into the country.
• Between 1910 and 1980 Ghana was the world's largest exporter.
• In Ghana Cocoa industry became foundation of the economy
•  More than 40% of export earnings come from cocoa

He said the reason why he was giving these statistics is because One Man Carried the Economy of the Country On His Shoulders

In regards to what is written about, Dr Mensa Otabil Points out that

A Generational Thinker (Visionary): -

•          Is able to sow seeds for the future.
•          Is not only someone who is committed to what he wants to enjoy today but someone who says if I run with this race, I must make sure the next generation doesn’t run my race but its race in a better way.
•          Doesn’t think only of his personal needs.
•         Must plan for four generations ahead of him or think of the next person on the line.
•         For everything he or she does, he must think of the person coming after them. They should find it easier and greater than the way it was.
•          Invest in the future – he talked of things like saving for your children so that they can have a starting point.
•         Buys land, not just for themselves but for their children and children’s children.
•         Carries their own burden, so that someone else doesn’t have to carry theirs.

He said, “If we are going to take charge of the future, we have to be generational thinkers”. He also mentioned that “We cannot neglect personal responsibility in building the future of our families, society and the nation at large, if we all play our part, we can prepare the future in a better way for many.” Mensah said that we wouldn’t be fighting some of the battles that we are fighting today. Fights of unemployment because of decisions based on corruption, fights like not renting for a long time but leaving a rental after 5 years and going to your own place or buying your own apartment.

You could be a generational thinker and a hero like Tetteh Quarshie. Be The Hero of Generations to come just like Martin Luther King Jr, Billy Graham, Wright Brothers, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Henry Sampson, Kwame Nkrumah, Arch Bishop Janan Luwum, etc. Please listen to the video over here