Positioning Yourself In The Crowd

By Caleb Ajagba

We are divine products and God's ultimate desire for us is to see us mount our thrones in order for us to reign as Kings and Priests on the earth. However, many potential Kingdom giants and world changers have chosen to hide themselves in this 'crowded' world. The crowd is a comfort zone that is relished by people who have chosen to remain docile and at ease with the status quo. The crowd belongs to those who have by their actions and omissions, expressed their choice to remain voiceless and unnoticed in a world that has been eagerly waiting for the manifestation of the sons and daughters of God. In the crowd, you will have no opinion of your own, but will be forced to flow with what is contemporary and trendy.

This book, is therefore a wake-up call for you to come out of obscurity and from every situation that makes you lose your identity and self-worth in order to step into limelight. It challenges you to come out of your comfort zone and to stand out as a show-piece and a reference point in your field and vocation so that your uniqueness can be a touchstone for the world to appreciate the value and solution you are bringing on the table to the glory of God. The book posits that the top is where you belong and you must position yourself to move away from the crowd in order for you to come on stage. It concludes that now is your set time to manifest excellence and uniqueness in all that you do by carving a niche for yourself today if you don't want to be left behind tomorrow!

• Language: English
• Publisher: COMMUNE WRITERS INT'L
• Release date: Nov 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9791222020600

Book preview

POSITIONING YOURSELF IN THE CROWD

Dr. Caleb Ajagba

POSITIONING YOURSELF IN THE CROWD

Written by

Dr. Caleb Ajagba

[e-mail]

COPYRIGHT (C) 2022

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author or publisher.

Published by:

Candidlife Books

(Candid Suite)

Saviour’s House, Plot 7, Block 18d,

Festac Link Road, Apple Junction, Amuwo Odofin Industrial Layout, Lagos, Nigeria.

[phone]; [phone]

Published in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all those who will by reading it take divinely inspired steps to be the best God has ordained them to be in spite of the challenges of life.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I remain eternally grateful to God for the inspiration to write this book.

I deeply appreciate my Father in the Lord and mentor, Dr David Oyedepo for being the instrument that God has been using to impart Kingdom knowledge and principles to me on a daily basis.  Sir, I deeply cherish your prayers and wise counsel each time I am opportune to meet you. 

To my fathers in faith Bishop David Abioye and Bishop Thomas Aremu, you are simply unforgettable in my life. I also must acknowledge the untiring inputs and mentorship of Pastor and Pastor Mrs. Dele Bamgboye.  Knowing you and being part of your family has been one of the best things that has happened to me.

To Bishop Joseph Ebhohimen and his lovely wife, Pastor Mrs. Christiana Ebhohimen (my twin Sister), I deeply appreciate you and your ministry.  The bulk of the messages you granted me opportunity to preach during the time you were the Bishop of Living Faith Church Port Harcourt Diocese created in me the enabling motivation to write this book. 

To my Spiritual Fathers and Mentors: Pastor David Ibiyeomie, Pastor Yinka Folorunsho, Pastor Peter Ogbondeminu, Pastor Isaac O. Folaji, Pastor Joseph Ajibade, Dr Sam Adeyemi, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Pastor Poju Oyemade, Dr Olumide Emmanuel, Pastor George Izunwa and Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Eze,  you have continued to inspire me in ways too numerous to mention. To Apostle Joshua Selman Nimark and Dr Mensa Otabil, you are simply inspirational in your teachings.

To all my Pastoral colleagues, the Ordained Workers and entire membership of Winners’ Chapel, DLine Port Harcourt, thank you for your immense support.  I cannot forget the unique support of my on-line friends and colleagues at Candidlife Group. You all rock! Nothing will stand between you and the fulfilment of God’s plans and purposes in your lives. I will be alive when you will all mount your thrones in Jesus name, Amen!

To Queen Oluomachi Anyiam who painstakingly read through the original manuscript and made very useful contributions that helped to improve the content of this book in its present form, I say thank you so much.

To my dearly beloved wife, Arinola, thank you for your patience, tolerance and love.  You have endured with me and cared so much with immense sacrifices…we will never miss out of God’s best for our lives together.  Your inputs and corrections to the content and style of this book are greatly appreciated.

To all our children and God’s eternal gifts to us: Prince, Precious, and the twin boys: Victor and Vincent, Daddy appreciates all of you. Several times I had to lock you out of my study to enable me concentrate in writing this and other books according to divine illumination, God will bless you all.  You all have never ceased from being a source of joy and immense inspiration to me. In your life time, your children will also be supportive of you and be sources of enduring blessings to you.

Thank you all and God bless you.

AUTHOR’S PROFILE

Dr. Caleb Ajagba is a Pastor and an ordained Minister of the Gospel serving God in Living Faith Church (Winners’ Chapel) D/Line, Port Harcourt.

He is the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Candid Logistics Nigeria Limited. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Political Science from Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria as well as B.Sc., and M.Sc. degrees respectively in Political Science, from the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba where he graduated as the Best All Round Student. He equally holds Masters of Business Administration (MBA, Marketing) from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria. He has several Professional qualifications and has won several National and International awards and recognitions from Universities and Organizations in Europe and the USA.

Caleb is an accomplished teacher and Conference Speaker. He is a revered trans-generational thinker and a believer in Integrity, Honesty and Transparency. He is committed to using the principles and teachings of Jesus Christ in raising a new generation of leaders for Nigeria and the rest of Africa in Business, Politics, Entertainment and Community Development under the auspices of Candidlife International Resources Centre.

He is happily married to Arinola, a Gospel Artiste and they are blessed with four lovely children: Prince, Precious, Victor and Vincent.

INTRODUC TION

Positioning Yourself in the Crowd

Christians are a called-out people. By their nature they are supposed to stand out for the world to see. Jesus described a Christian as the light of the world and a city that is set on a hill that cannot be hidden. However, many Christians lack this understanding and have gone into hiding thereby making it impossible for the world to take notice of them and the good works that God has been doing and continues to do in their lives as well as through them. The world that has been eagerly waiting for the manifestation of the Sons of God needs to see these signs in order to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are divine products and God’s ultimate desire for us is to see us mount our thrones in order to reign as Kings and Priests on the earth. However, to be able to do this we need to position ourselves adequately and to refrain from operating in obscurity. As divine products, we must embrace product positioning. Product positioning is the creation of a clear image in the minds of consumers within the targeted segment about the nature of the product and the benefits to be gained from purchasing the product. Positioning is the compliment of segmentation.

Product Positioning therefore draws largely from the brand’s objective (functional) attributes in relation to other brands. Product positioning also involves creating a unique, consistent, and recognizable customer perception about a firm’s offering and image. A product or service may be positioned on the basis of an attitude or benefit, use or application, user, class, price or level of quality.

Product positioning seeks to target a product for specific market segments and product needs at specific prices. Once the market has been segmented and attractive segments have been identified, the next task is to work within a targeted segment to position the product in the minds of the consumers and develop a marketing mix that will satisfy the consumer. Positioning is something that is comparable to perception and happens in the minds of the target market. It is the aggregate perception that the market has of a particular company, product or service in relation to their perceptions of the competitors in the same category. It happens whether or not a company’s management is proactive, reactive or passive about the on-going process of evolving a position. But a company can positively influence the perceptions through enlightened stratifications.

The questions therefore are, what is the implication of the above mix for us as Christians? How can we strategically position ourselves for the world to see our distinctive characteristics as world changers whose relevance can be appreciated? Does it mean that everyone that professes to be a Christian should be accepted hook line and sinker without some further probing to unearth his or her underlying claims?

The world is passing through a very challenging phase and Christians have a key role in providing the pathway to address the numerous challenges facing our world presently. However, not all that profess to be Christians are truly Christians. There should be some ways to differentiate those who claim to be Christians from those who are actually practising Christians.  There should be some peculiar and time-tested Kingdom principles that will be the basis to assess compliance to Kingdom ideals for one to approximate what Christ came and died for.

Thank God, the Bible did not leave us in doubt as to how to separate the sheep from the goat. This means that for us to be adequately appreciated and valued on the earth, we must bring something unique on the table that will make it clear for the world to know that we are a different set of brands. In other words, there are clear indicators that will make it easy for all to know indeed that even though we are in the world, by our uniqueness, it will be clear to all that we are not of the world and therefore we come with impeccable capacity to re-brand the world and rid it of its present decadence.

All through the Bible, all the people who mattered and did great exploits in the Kingdom for God were people who discovered their uniqueness and accepted the challenge to step out of their comfort zone.  From Abraham in Gen 12:1-3, to Joseph, Moses,  Joshua, Caleb, David, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, the 3 Hebrew Boys, Jesus, Peter, and the other Apostles to Paul, these were people who were determined to step out in line with God’s mandate for their lives. 

The Heroes and heroines of faith as chronicled in Hebrews 11 were all people who were determined to step out of their comfort zone and today the world bears them witness that they did great exploits for God.  God ordinarily cannot accomplish much with people who cannot dare to be different as well as to devise strategies that they can creatively use to overcome their challenges.

Usually operating in a known environment comes with the usual ease and comfort associated with routine practices where ingenuity is subjugated or relegated to the background.  However, breaking new barriers which is an indication of stepping out of your comfort zone would require a whole lot of courage, creativity, wisdom, doggedness, perseverance and everything that will challenge the status quo thus bringing out your hidden potentials.

Stepping out of the comfort zone could range from making a career decision, marrying outside your tribe or country, resigning from a fairly good job to delve into the murky waters of business, and getting involved in politics to shape policies that will impact lives etcetera.  Whatever it is, it never leaves you the same way!

Jesus had to step out of His comfort zone when He left His abode in heaven to take the form of a Servant in order to redeem mankind from sin and its consequences. Today, He is seated at the Right Hand of God with all powers and authorities both in Heaven and on earth bestowed on Him, and on the mention of whose name everyone knee bows.

Life is therefore a product of choices. A choice for an ordinary and mediocre life which entails remaining at one’s comfort zone, means remaining on the same spot like the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-5), but if you choose to be a man or woman of impact that God has made you to be, you cannot achieve that by remaining at your comfort zone.  Time has therefore come for you to come out of hiding and step out of your comfort zone in order to conquer your world in every facet of your life to God’s glory.

In life, except we are willing and able to embrace a life that mandates us to come out of the crowd, we may not be adequately positioned to take delivery of what God has packaged for us. It takes courage for you to step out of your comfort zone and to position yourself in the crowd.

This book therefore is a wake-up call for you to come out of every situation that spells compromise in order to be what God has ordained for you to be.

Caleb Ajagba

Chapter One

THE CROWDED SPACE

The crowd is not a place to be. It can be choky and uncomfortable. If you find yourself in the crowd and you are comfortable to remain there, with time you will undoubtedly lose your identity. The crowd belongs to those who have chosen to remain voiceless and unnoticed in a world that has been eagerly waiting for the manifestation of the Sons and Daughters of God. In the crowd, you will flow with the trend but lose your sense of worth. The crowd is a comfort zone that is relished by people who have chosen to remain docile and at ease with the status quo. You will have no opinion of your own if you comfortably locate yourself and make your abode with those who dwell in the cities inhabited by the crowd.

However, once you choose to leave the crowd, you have purchased for yourself a garment that may be scorned and vilified by those who are comfortable to dwell in the crowded regions of life. Your choice to depart from the crowd and be separate, will be misconstrued and may earn you demeaning names and scores of enemies. You will be branded as proud and ambitious. However, leaving the crowd is not just a worthwhile option but the way to go if you ever hope to amount to anything in life.

In Numbers the thirteenth chapter, Moses sent out twelve spies to search out the land of Canaan. Ten out of the twelve spies that were sent to spy the land of Canaan, returned with their majority opinion. The crowd accepted their views and analyses as being consistent with the situation on ground. They vilified Joshua and Caleb who took a contrary position, as lacking in common sense and understanding of the prevailing issues of the time. Their minority opinions were drowned by the majority opinion of 10 spies against 2.  However, God sided with the minority opinions of Joshua and Caleb and demonstrated His displeasure over the majority opinion of the rest of the ten spies.

So it can be seen from the above narrative, that all through the scriptures, the majority opinions hardly reflected the opinion of God. God never achieved anything meaningful with those who held majority or popular opinions.

In Judges Chapter 7:1-7, when God wanted to rescue Israel from the Midianites, He told Gideon to tell those who were fearful to go back, and a whooping twenty two thousand out of Thirty Two thousand men that initially came out to fight, went back due to fear. Yet God still went further to reduce the number and achieved His purpose with only Three hundred men who understood the need to stand out and to flow with God.

Accordingly, God does not believe in the democratic principle of majority carrying the vote. In essence, when it comes to accomplishing certain feats in the Kingdom, God is not a Democrat. He wants people who can make the sacrifice of standing out to be counted when the chips are down. God wants those who are on His side to be men and women who are fearless and can stand their ground irrespective of popular hostile opinions. This explains why God commands us to come out from amongst them and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). Accordingly, any time God wants to accomplish great things in the midst of His people, He calls for separation from the Comfort Zone.

In your comfort zone, you are at peace and contented, and naturally have no urge for change or to do anything that is not a product of the status quo. In your comfort zone, there is no strong feeling for sustained internal push. There is no urge to soar. There is greater tendency to be stuck in the mud of inertia. In the comfort zone, apathy is celebrated and the urge for change in life and destiny is considered an outgrowth of pride and an ungodly ambition. In the comfort zone, you find it difficult to embark on any new venture or project especially if such ventures and projects don’t enjoy the tacit approval of the obstreperous majority. The comfort zone is inhabited by vociferous crowds and you are never lonely there.

Your comfort zone is a place where laziness and inertia are like the Siamese twins; they try very hard to maintain their close bonding.  However, those who dwell in the comfort zone of life are unaware that life transforming opportunities don’t reside within such neighbourhoods. In the comfort zone, poverty, lack and want close in on the inhabitants and entrap them so as to make them remain on the same spot.

The comfort zone is not just a physical location as some may want to think, but also a behavioural state where a person desires to operate in an atmosphere that is free from every form of pressure and anxiety. In this condition, maintaining the status quo with minimized risk is the prevalent behaviour. 

A person's personality can be described by his or her comfort zones. However, highly successful persons are those who must have of necessity stepped out of their comfort zones, to accomplish what they wished. Those who operate in their comfort zones have created mental boundaries that have given them a false sense of security. This implies that a person who has established a comfort zone in a particular axis of his or her life, will tend to stay within that zone without stepping outside of it. To step outside a comfort zone, a person must experiment with new and different behaviours, and then experience the new and different responses that then occur within their environment.

Your comfort zone could be made up of people, places, things, and habits that are familiar