COURAGE

PAUL MAJOLI
The KEY RING is a monthly publication by the Kampala Baptist Church Mens Ministry that seeks to provide an avenue where men can share knowledge and understanding of the word of God, experiences, encourage one another as the older men also perform the act of paralambano to the younger men. Our prayer is that the Lord will speak to you through these publications.

Issue 17 - Sept 2013

I read about courageous men in the Bible: Moses, Joshua, Joseph, Paul and JESUS CHRIST the most courageous man that ever walked this earth. Pain is a common denominator in the lives of those we regard as courageous - Deuteronomy 31:6 Not only for me but I think most people who have the guts to face their fears and pains have good shape to their character. 6. Besides those you have mentioned, are there other areas or situations in a mans life where you think courage is a must have virtue? It is the way God wired men. You can decide to be courageous or to surrender; it is inescapable! He created a battle for every man, be it spiritual or physical battles require courage. And of course in our world today we have many men that surrender which triggers moral and ethical decadence in every sphere of life. We get exposed in the world, rise to certain levels in terms of education, social statusmarriage included, face crises and the final resolution through it all is to BE NICE! For some reason, we do not want to take on courage. We prefer cowardice. Marriage is a tough decision but, before or after, a man must pick up his AK47 and go to the frontline. Not to go to the kitchen to cook for soldiers (metaphorically speaking).

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What would you like anyone reading this issue to know about Paul Majoli? I am married to Barbara a Mukiga lady. I am a hybrid of a musoga father and a tutsi Rwandese mother. I come from Wanyange, Jinja and I attend Kampala Baptist Church. I am in the couples class for Bible study. I enjoy a good cup of coffee and reading-almost anything. I cook and wash dishes. I like the beautiful game of football. I am attentive to current affairs in the world and I have a strange sense of humour. For example, I want to start a rumour around KBC that scientists have discovered a picture of Pastor Magaya planting trees on Mars and they are requesting anyone at KBC to help with information on how it got there!!

7. In your opinion, is courage inborn or developed over time? I think it is both and this is how: when you are born, the sense of fear is very 2. On your way to where and what you are today, have you encountered any minimal but, as we go along in life encountering incidents that cause fear, we fears or pains? turn out to be cowards or courageous depending on how we are guided Well, because of the unfortunate discourse between Eve, Adam and Paul and Barbara Majoli on how to deal with fear and that is the development part I allude to. It the serpent in the garden of Eden, fear and pain became permanent can be inborn and stunted or developed. It is like a gift or a talent in an pavers of the expedition we call life. All humanity must experience it. It was painful growing up in a polygamous home. I encountered many social ills but one that is individual. always memorable is the anti-tutsi diatribe from my step mothers who were Basoga. This The same thing with men; God has wired us to be courageous but that courage has to be (anti-Tutsi sentiment) by the way was a national scandal in this country especially in the nurtured for positive purposes and I say positive because to be a robber you also need 1980s. I remember vividly during the December presidential and parliamentary election courage. But it has to be fed. Like King David, when he was a young person, he was tried when my mother was not allowed to vote at a polling station because the state agents felt out. He faced off with bears and lions before being lifted to the level of facing and slaying that as a Mututsi/Munyarwanda, she was not supposed to vote in Uganda. That incident Goliath. triggered a political consciousness in me at such a tender age and up to today, I harbour the 8. You mention that courage can be developed; can the older men then help the younger beware of the state and polygamy kind of feeling. A polygamous home has a plethora of men achieve this development? sins but, the positive about it for me is that it taught me NOT to do polygamy. I joke about it Yes. There is a role that the older men can play. If they can be courageous enough to realise with friends that if I ever run for the presidency in this country my platform would be NO TO that to everything there is time. There is a time for the older men to play their role as courageous people and then move on, not necessarily off the stage but trying out young POLYGAMY. There are many things I have feared in my life but the one that stood out most is the fear of people on the stage. failure. God Almighty in his divine wisdom wired me as designer/developer by temperament. It requires courage to risk trying out the I want to see things done. The problem with that kind of temperament I discover is that I young because sometimes they can be an embarrassment due to inexperience and tend to be insensitive to peoples feelings sometimes but I am working on being better. I believe that fear and pain can be converted into positive forces if there is good spiritual other factors. Unfortunately, even well intentioned older men may fear to bring nurturing and mentorship. 3. How would you define cour- up the young men because from a psychological stand point it can be a false age? It might have many definitions but, indication that they are fading away. The I can simply say that it is the ability need is not only in the Church but in or determination to do the right secular or contemporary society as well for thing regardless of what might be the older men to encourage the young. popular with the status quo and it 9. What are your final remarks to the has a cost. church of Christ today on this subject of 4. So from your definition, do you think courage helped you in any way to overcome the courage? Well, I think we need to understand that the God we serve today is the same God that pains and fears you mentioned in 2 above? Yes. Not only then but even now. One of the ways through which one can overcome certain talked to Joshua and said "be strong and courageous", Deuteronomy 31:6. He is the same fears or pain is by being courageous to face them head on. By the way courage I might say God that worked with Moses, and many other Godly leaders through the various stages of has a spiritual element to it. People that slay lions have to come face to face with them; you history that the church experienced. The apostle Paul was courageous to face the Jewish don't run away! You look at your weaknesses and ask God to give you wisdom on how you legal establishment and the Roman government. God also worked with Martin Luther during the time of the reformation in Europe and he came face to face with the Roman can face those fears and pains. Sometimes courage can make you look stupid, silly or unwise but to face issues of life one has Catholic Church leadership to bring about the necessary positive change. to just take the risks and say I am going to do this and you go for it. Sometimes it can look Of course courage has got its costs and we must bear that in mind. The church needs to know what God has called it to do and that there is a cost to it and rewards as well. The like a game of chance but you have to face it. 5. Could the pains you faced have played a role in shaping you to become the courageous knowing part might be easy but the doing is hard. The Church must know the troubling truth that there are voices calling for the church to modernize, adjust and conform to the man you are today? Well, that is if you indeed believe truthfully that I am courageous. Yes. Pain has been a world. These are emboldened by the worldly culture, ideologies and the misplaced refining agent for me I believe though that most of my acts of being courageous are in the advantages of science and technology. It is therefore imperative for the church to wake up

future.

People that slay lions have to come face to face with them

from slumber and claim its place in the world.

Upcoming Events 7th SeptemberSunrise Prayer Walk

L ink to full inte rv ie w: http://kbc me n.blog spo t.co m/p/1 _28.html

13th SeptemberWorship Night 4-6th October Boot Camp

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