Series on Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions: Resolution #6

 Living with All Your Might

By Rooted Africa (

@kateyakli

)Jonathan Edwards had resolved to redeem every moment (Resolution 5) and to make every action serve God's glory (Resolution 4). Now he intensified the call: don't just use time—pour yourself fully into life while it lasts. At nineteen, he grasped the brevity of life and the urgency of wholehearted living.

Resolution 6
Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.In simple terms: Edwards resolved to live with maximum energy, vigour, and intensity for as long as he had breath. No half-measures, no holding back—full engagement in pursuing God's purposes every day.
This resolution builds on the previous ones. Since time is fleeting and every moment should glorify God, Edwards determined to seize life actively and purposefully, not drift through it passively. He wanted a life of fervent devotion, diligent work, and joyful service—giving everything he had while he had it.Why This Matters TodayLife is short. Days blur into weeks, years pass quickly. It's easy to coast, to give partial effort, or to save energy for "later." Edwards challenges us: Why hold back? Give your full strength now—to God, to relationships, to the tasks before you—because tomorrow is not promised.This isn't about burnout or frantic activity. It's about wholeheartedness: living intentionally, with passion and focus, for what truly lasts.Applying Resolution 6 Practically

• Engage fully: Whether praying, working, loving, or resting, do it with all your heart.
• Fight passivity: When you sense drifting or minimal effort, stir yourself to greater zeal.
• Channel energy wisely: Direct your "might" toward what honours God—diligence in duty, love in relationships, faithfulness in trials.
• Rely on grace: True vigour comes from God. Pray for strength to live this way.

Reflection Questions

• Where in my life am I giving only partial effort?
• What would change if I committed to living "with all my might" today?
• How can I depend on God for renewed energy?

Edwards reviewed his resolutions weekly to keep this fire alive. Regular reflection helps sustain wholehearted pursuit. Resolution 6 calls us to vigorous, purposeful living—giving our all while we live, for God's glory.
What does "living with all my might" mean to you? Share in the comments or on X
(

@kateyakli

).Next we continue tomorrow with Resolution 7.This is Day 6 in our daily series on Jonathan Edwards' 70 Resolutions.References for Further Reading

• Full text of Edwards' Resolutions: https://www.jonathan-edwards.org/Resolutions.html
• "The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards" (Desiring God): https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards
• Ligonier Ministries overview: https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/resolutions-jonathan-edwards

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Leadership duality— Encourager vs Challenger

In my recent article on leadership in which I made a point about the difference between effective and efficient leadership, I pointed us to effective leadership as the better option if change was desired. This article is a necessary installment intended to deal with the next stage of leadership i.e. guiding others (or leading if you like) through the new territory. This is based the premise established in the previous article; that leaders set the pace or lead the way in a particular area—it is what makes a leader. It is in this realm that such matters as leadership styles become worthy of the microscope.

Any reader of Lee Roberson is familiar with the expression; everything rises and falls on leadership. It is also a well-accepted notion that Leadership is cause and everything else is effect. Whiles much has be written and taught about leadership styles with so many different theories being thrown about, I find two attitudes showing up in my own experiences and observation; challenging and encouraging. 

To most people it is always the nice guy who is the most attractive. In many success stories, there is always that leader who encouraged someone to do something and how lucky they were to have met that individual. The encourager is loved because of his seemingly calm and loving nature. He is accepting of people’s weaknesses and encourages them to do what they think they can. People want to be treated nicely, feel loved and respected—the encourager model serves this purpose perfectly.

In a recent attempt to teach a lady friend how to drive, I found myself failing woefully simply because, I was not using the encourager model. You see I am more the bad guy type. The kind of guy who will throw you a challenge and expect you to rise to the occasion after having sold you the idea that I wouldn’t ask you to do it if didn’t think you could. The challenger doesn’t want what you think you can do, he wants what he believes you can do. The challenger wants to work with people who have a will to do things (transcend themselves) not those who need to be convinced to do thing. That’s the challenger guy and he is not the most popular.

The challenger is usually (not always) quite low on socio-emotional competence. He is more performance oriented and less people sensitive. He is not concerned that you havn’t had lunch and that your child has a headache. Nobody likes people like that but the fact remains, it is results that make great people and for that reason alone a focus on performance instead of comfort may be the winning formula. The larger point however, is that leadership is not for everyone (don’t look so shocked).  A leader is a game changer—he charts a course —a new course and from all indications a majority of people do not do that. Those who change the game are constantly in the face of challenges. It is the ability to rise above a challenge that sets them apart putting them in the lead creating something that others will emulate. A person who has trouble with challenges can therefore only follow such persons with pain. Yet a leader cannot be a leader unless he has followers who he must guide on this path. People have needs and that includes comfort and love. We also know that people are their best when they are comfortable in what they are doing. So that it is clear that the two models have merits and demerits. The most versatile leader will know not only how to throw a challenge but also how to encourage followers to take them up without threatening their self-esteem.

If you are an encourager, then encourage more while recognizing the need for throwing a challenge. On the other hand a challenger must challenge while encouraging where it is needed. As is always the case; one may be stronger in one area than the other, this is fine and decides what kind of followers he assembles. If John C. Maxwell is right, then a leader must aim to raise other leaders. What kind of a leader will you train, how will you do it and why? Go lead with high performance!

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Low Sexual Performance and the Okro Myth

''Madam, I can't take Okro'' the man exclaimed in objection to my suggestion that Okro was beneficial to his health.  I made sure to extol the benefits of Okro as a wonderful vegetable he could include in his healthy diet plan. He looked at me perplexed as though I had threatened to harm his mother. The stark reality of how much people had bought into the misconception about Okro stared me in the face.

'Why?' I asked concerned, waiting to hear the usual tale of ‘Okro and low sexual performance.' I wondered how much nutrients people took for granted at what is frankly one of my favourite vegetables. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and whispered in embarrassment.

''I have heard it gives excessive phlegm, waist pain..and...hmmm affects performance.''

Okro or Okra (aka Lady's Fingers) is the stuff a Dietitian's dreams are made off. To say Okro is nutritious and offers numerous health benefits would be like saying 'the sun is hot' you simply can't do enough justice to the statement. Its health benefits read like something out of a Nutrition book's ‘Hall of Fame’

From its anti-diabetic properties, rich nutrient value ( high vitamin C, foliate, potassium, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals), excellent weight reducing properties (due to its rich fibre content and low calories) to its cancer preventing properties ( rich in antioxidants), promotion of colon health (prevents constipation) and relief from respiratory problems ( such as asthma). The list is endless. Surprised? Just read on.

www.dooneyskitchen.com  |   www.foodstantly.com

It also boasts of its ability to boost one's mood and prevents depression and is also known to give a smooth and beautiful skin with protection from pimples. Ancient history has it that Cleopatra; the ancient Egyptian queen who was celebrated for her beauty was noted to be a great fan of Okro. (Oh spare us. You like Sources too much, everything Source! *laughs*)

Okro is found in dishes and cuisines all over the world. It is consumed in the US, Western Europe, Caribbean, Greece, Turkey, India, South America.  In Ghana, it is eaten mostly in stew or soup preparations and found to be engrained in the traditional dishes of most Ghanaian tribes. However, in spite of its versatility and benefits, Okro has not entered into the good books of some people, chiefly to blame is the myth surrounding it.

It's slimy nature has served as a turn off for some people and had led to negative speculations about its nature. Interestingly, it's slimy (mucilage) nature lowers cholesterol and serves as a lubricant and laxative for the intestinal tract.

Still in doubt? Then you account for a part of the school of thought that supports the notion that Okro has negative implications on reproductive health and result in impotence.

Below is my last set of facts about Okro. If you still are not convinced, then …

Okra’s high level of vitamins notably vitamin C and folate help prevent birth defects and it's highly beneficial for a pregnant woman and her baby. Okro has also been recommended for years for use as a natural aphrodisiac and researchers have found that the folate in Okro as well as its other numerous minerals and vitamins enhance sperm quality.

Well....let’s just say the jury is out there...as well as hard scientific facts. Let conduct a purely subjective exercise. Shall we?

1.      Make a list of all the Ghanaian tribes who have had Okro as part and parcel of their traditional dishes for centuries.

2.      Have we noticed any desirable traits about the indigenes that we could link to the benefits of their regular intake of Okro? and finally

3.      Do you eat Okro?

4.      What has been your experience?  We will be happy to hear from you

Meanwhile, as you to ponder over these questions, I am off to get a huge bowl of Okro Soup with 'Banku'. You are surely invited.

www.globalsportsgh.com

The Writer is Dede Kwadjo, a Dietician/Nutritionist and a member of the Ghana Dietetics Association. She lives in Accra, Ghana. You may reach her directly via Dede.kwadjo@gmail.com

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When big is not better

There are two kinds of people in the world. Actually that’s not exactly true. How many kinds of people there are in the world or the whole of the universe is directly dependent on the system you use and there are countless number of systems that attempts to categorize people.  In this article however, I am concerned with the big picture and small picture people idea. For me any attempt to bring structure  to anything (or systematize it)is a fantastic idea. And it is not necessarily because the structure is a good one but I have a firm believe that a bad system is by far better than no system as an existing system makes for easy trouble-shooting. You can fix something that doesn’t work well because it exists and it is identifiable.  

A typical Big Picture person sees things in large pictures. But of course it is expected. They are visionaries who see the larger system than the small details. If you are a big picture person;

You can quickly see patterns in complex problems
You like to come up with new ideas and new projects
You have a low tolerance for busywork, tedious errands, and filling out forms.
You are great at outlining what needs to be done, but filling in the details can feel painfully exhausting.
You are a visionary in fact as you can see far into the future

Small picture people also referred to as details thinkers are almost the opposite of the big picture people. Whiles big picture people tend to be messy, small picture people see the details and like to keep things tidy. They are orderly and are good at running systems. What big picture people find difficult to do, this bunch will do with incredible ease. It is in their very nature to dot the Is and cross the Ts even when it seems unnecessary. If you are a small picture person then

You think about things in great detail and sometimes miss the big picture.
While you are certainly smart, others may joke that you lack common sense.
You would prefer to edit or tweak a plan than to come up with it from scratch.
Highlighting study notes doesn’t work for you, because you end up highlighting everything.
You have excellent attention to detail and you always spot the small errors that big picture people miss.

While the two may seem like opposites and may lead to conflict when working together, they work incredibly well when people understand their nature and how they complement the nature of others. One is not superior to the other although big picture people may often be the leaders because of their visionary nature. Nevertheless, they need the details to be filled in by small picture people in order for the mission to be accomplished.Small picture tidy up things and make them work. The dynamics of the two are called into play very often in entrepreneurship. Many people have not understood the fact that creating a venture is significantly different from presiding over the day-to-day detailed administration of it. And that in fact the two task may not manifest at their best in the hands of one person.

This is one of the many reasons why self-knowledge is an important component of the SPiD-UP® workshops. The many systems you are tested in reveals you in new ways and allows you to understand yourself better. So whether you are a big picture or small picture person is really not important. What is important is that you know which one you are and how to apply your strength whiles tapping into that of others. Understanding which of the two you are will have a great influence on your performance as it will point you to the strength which you must function by. Don’t forget peak performance is possible only when you are more of what you already are.

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