AWARENESS - from the Book 'Pillars and Precepts of Life'

Awareness is mental and spiritual.  The aspect I am addressing is a mental realisation borne out of God’s wisdom.  This is because a renewal of mind plays a very important part in the success of man.  No matter how spiritual a man is, if there is no mental transformation, he still remains caged under the whims and caprices of his foe; the devil.  Therefore, man has got to be aware, in order to beware, and to also be well.  Awareness captures and retains knowledge.  It is the concern, perception, notification, information, and realisation about a situation, fact or development that spurs you to take action.  Ignorance drains, but awareness grants you the access to understand things.  Awareness is the main weapon that defeats ignorance.

2 Corinthians 2:11 (New International Version)

‘In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.’

2 Corinthians 2:11 (Amplified Bible)

‘To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.’

2 Corinthians 2:11 (New Living Translation)

‘So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.’

2 Corinthians 2:11 (New King James Version)

‘Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.’

If you are unaware, you will be outwitted, outsmarted, and taken advantage of.  Unawareness could be spiritual, mental, or even physical.  There are always schemes, intentions, and devices ready to be dished out to those who are unaware.  The person who is unaware is a wanderer.  He’s like a child who has lost his way in the middle of the forest.  Awareness is knowledge.  Awareness is familiarity with your beliefs, goals, future, and purpose.  If you’re not aware of where you are, and where you’re going, people will draw up a plan for you.  Peoples’ plans may not be God’s agenda for you.  Yes, sometimes their schemes may give you some results, but they do not actualise your destiny. It is awareness that will bring you back to your destiny and your purpose.

Luke 15:17-20 (New International Version)

‘When he came to his senses, he said, ‘‘How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.’

Awareness is ‘coming to your senses’. It will instigate you to act and seek restoration. Awareness never dies in pride. It is the power of realisation.  It is the only life questionnaire that results in true self-assessment.  It is honest with you about where you are, where you’re supposed to be, and what you should do in order to get to your desired destination.  Awareness is like a bright light shining in thick darkness.  It makes you humble, and draws compassion, even from those whom you have deeply offended.  It opens the door of acceptability, and gives you favour where you don’t deserve it.  Awareness gives you the belief that if you can realise it, you can do it, and if you can do it, you can achieve it.  It will give you the wisdom to manage opposition.  (Despite the elder brother of the prodigal son feeling disdain, there is no record that he had an issue with him.) Awareness is a life saver that draws the roadmap back to derailed destiny.  It gives you words in season wrapped in the envelope of wisdom.  It quickens your steps, so that you can run back to purpose in a hurry.  It puts the best robe on you and an undeserved ring on your finger.  It celebrates you, when you should be an outcast.  Awareness makes you pause, mutter words of wisdom to yourself, and warns you of the danger ahead if a corrective action is not taken.

Proverbs 1:6 (New King James Version)

‘To understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. ‘

Wisdom is always aware.  It unravels puzzles, and digs into the depths of meaning. 

It is wrong to read information only on the surface and expect to expose its true meaning.  People, who show the attitude of mental laziness, end up being sectioned in the mental institution of mediocrity. Meaning give you insight, insight gives you better awareness. The stronger your awareness, the stronger your wisdom.  You can’t wish away a word, pretending to understand it, or hoping to look it up later.  Awareness acts NOW! You cannot separate a man’s faith from his understanding. His understanding is his awareness, his awareness is his understanding. Foolishness is procrastination. Procrastination promotes delay; it doesn’t want you to dig out the precious treasure of understanding.  Understanding is far more precious than silver and gold, because the one who understands controls treasures.  The wise make decisions that are eternally founded.  The decisions of the unaware are either no decision at all, or they are detrimental. Awareness knows, perceives, and receives the proverbs that control, and direct you towards a positive destiny.

Proverbs 27:23 (God’s Word)

‘Be fully aware of the condition of your flock, and pay close attention to your herds.’

Usually, our definitions are sometimes very narrow.  We put a small door where there should be a wide gate.  When the reality of our mistakes dawns on us, we blame God for not alerting us; meanwhile, we never gave attention to awareness.  In the above passage, our mental picture of ‘condition’ may be narrow, but condition has a wide variation.  Your flock will sometimes take advantage of you, if you do not know the condition they are in.  Your flock are people you manage in whatever capacity you occupy.  Within a flock are people who know what you don’t know, and if you don’t seek to know, leadership will be stripped from off your shoulders before your very eyes.  When the one who gave you the responsibility to lead, realises that there’s someone else in the flock who has the knowledge that you do not have – your end in that position really is nigh.

Partial awareness is biblically unacceptable.  The above passage says, ‘be fully aware …’ If you partially understand a condition, you create room for abolition.  Condition means the state of something with regards to its appearance, quality and working order.  It also means well-being, term of contract, requirements, circumstances, a clause in a will, security by training, and agreement.  If you bungle any of these definitions, or wish it away when you’re in a management position, you should expect a great fall.  I’m not being negative, this is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  The flock knows its condition.  The flock know the strengths and weaknesses of the condition, and knows how to use them to their advantage.  Be aware.  If you’re not fully aware of the condition, the flock will give you a result that favours them.  Be fully aware!

When you’re fully aware, you can pay close attention.  There is a difference between a flock and a herd.  Flocks are organised, humble and controllable.  Herds aren’t.  In any organisation, you have a mix of both.  With respect to humanity, herds are the people regarded as a mass, acting from contagious impulse, or merely in contempt.  They are also known as ‘the rabble’, which means a disorderly gathering or crowd, a mob, or the lowest class of people.  God save you, if you have a herd and not a flock under your control.  The Bible recommends that you should pay close attention to the herd.  If you don’t, they will topple your leadership.  Paying close attention requires wisdom.  To ‘pay’ means to incur expenses.  Hopefully, your wise approach will convert some members of the herd to being part of the flock.  Your attention must involve a steady application of the mind, care, consideration, noticeability, observation, courtesy, and civility.  It will also need you to be alert.  Attention requires self-discipline, and promptness.  Do not allow carelessness to misguide you.  Awareness will make you diligent, acquainted with facts, and knowledgeable.