First Published, November, 2015

© M. O. SALAMI

BY

MOSES OLANREWAJU SALAMI

B. A (Hons) (Ibadan), M. A. (Ilorin)
PGD Public Administration, PGD Public
Relations (ACIPM, MNIM, FCAI, JP) All right reserved. No part of this publication
REGISTRAR, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
KWARA STATE POLYTECHNIC,
or by any means without the prior written
ILORIN, NIGERIA
permission of the author.

Printed by:
Adesesan Graphic Press Ltd.
Off Asa Dam Road, Ilorin, Nigeria
0805-675-3560

DEDICATION
To the glory of God who enabled me to
discover my purpose in life and also
provided the avenues to fulfil the
purpose.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My utmost thanks go to the Almighty God
who has helped me, once again, to publish this
book.
I am also indebted to Pastor and Mummy D.
O. Adebiyi for their spiritual support at all times.
Equally important to me is Alhaji Mas'ud
Elelu, under whose leadership in the Polytechnic
as Rector, I have been able to carry out my
assignment without stress. Without a conducive
environment, this book would not have been
written.
Let me use this medium to also appreciate Dr.
(Mrs) M. O. Ajileye, who gladly assisted to proof
read the draft of this book and made useful
suggestions. I am really grateful to her.
The preliminary work of typing and vetting
of the manuscript were done entirely by Mr.
Olayemi Olatomi and Mrs Grace Bankole,
supported by Mr. Joshua Olalekan and Mrs.
Oluwaseun Animashaun. Others are Mr. Fatai
Saka, Mr. Olajide Babalola and Julius Oloyede. I
continue to appreciate them for their loyalty and
good work at all times.
Finally, I want to commend my wife, Mrs.
Modupe Deborah and my children, Joshua, Grace,
Mercy and Peace, who are always behind the
scene, giving all necessary supports that have
contributed in the publication of this book.
God bless them abundantly.
iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART FIVE: PURPOSE DISCOVERERS IN
BIBLE PERIOD ... 37
Title Page ... ... i Moses ... ... 37
Dedication ... ... iii Esther ... ... 38
Acknowledgements ... ... iv Peter ... ... 39
Table of Contents ... ... v Paul ... ... 40
Preface ... ... vii
Foreword ... ... xi PART SIX: PURPOSE DISCOVERERS IN
CONTEMPORARY TIMES 42
PART ONE: WHAT IS LIFE? ... 1 Thomas Edison ... 42
Living Stage ... 2 Henry Ford ... ... 44
Futility of Life ... 2 Pele ... ... 46
Fulfilled Life ... 3 Jim Reeves ... ... 48
Perspectives of Life ... 5 Bola Are ... ... 51
PART TWO: THE SEARCH FOR PART SEVEN: FULFILLMENT OF
PURPOSE ... 9 PURPOSE ... ... 52
Different Possibilities ... 10 Spiritual Purpose ... 52
Purposeless Man ... 12 Mary Slessor ... 56
The Black Man ... 13
Secular Purpose ... 57
Dilemma of the Black Man 14
Ralph Waldo Emerson ... 59
PART THREE: THE PURPOSE OF LIFE 17 Personal Experience ... 61
Creation's Purpose ... 17 References ... 70
Primary Purpose ... 19
Secondary Purpose ... 19
The Meeting Point ... 20

PART FOUR: DISCOVERY OF PURPOSE 24

Self Knowledge ... 25
The Four Trees ... 25
Obstacles to Discovery ... 28
Wrong Methods of Discovery 31
Right Methods of Discovery 34

v vi
 PREFACE
Rick Warren said: “If you're alive,
there's a purpose for your life”. Yes, that
is very true. The question everyone
having an opportunity to live should ask
are: “What should I be using my life to
do?”, “Why am I in the world?”, “What
should I live my life for?” An honest
personal answer to these simple
questions will guide you to know the
purpose of your existence.
There are three stages in life namely:
Childhood, Youth and Adulthood. Only
very few people discover their purpose in
life during childhood, few do when they
are youth, and some do at adulthood.
Many will regrettably do after they have
left this planet earth.
Samuel was reported to have
ministered before the Lord “being a
child”, girded with a linen ephod (I
Samuel 2:18). Samuel grew to become a
great and mighty Priest, Prophet and
Judge in Israel. Joash and Josiah
became kings in Jerusalem at the age of
seven and eight respectively. The
Scriptures testified that both Kings did
that which was right in the sight of the
Lord. While Joash reigned for forty-
years, Josiah did for thirty one years. (II
Chronicles 24:1-2; 34:1-12). Timothy
vii
who became a faithful companion of
Apostle Paul in ministry knew the Holy
Scriptures from childhood which guided
him into his purpose in life (II Timothy
3:15; Acts 16:1-3).
David, before he became a king, was
an accomplished instrumentalist as a
youth. He could sing and play well. The
Scripture described David as a “cunning
player on an harp” (I Samuel 16:16-18).
David was so successful in musicology
that whenever evil spirit was upon King
Saul and he played on his harp, he was
refreshed, became well and the evil spirit
departed from his life (I Samuel 16:23).
David was also described as “the sweet
Psalmist of Israel (II Samuel 23:1). In
addition, David was going to be a warrior.
This aspect of his life was showing when
he defended the sheep of his father
against the attack of lion and bear. He
also manifested this trait when he opted
to challenge Goliath of Gath. As a youth
also, he found himself in the palace as
the Armour Bearer of King Saul and later
the captain of his army. All these
occurrences were not accidentals but
pointers to David's purpose in life as a
potential military man. (I Sam 17:34-35,
50 – 51, 18:5,13, II Sam 16:21). Joseph
and Daniel were young men when they
discovered God had a purpose for them
viii
to fulfill in the government of their days. purpose in life but also show you how to
Timothy, as a youth had an fulfil it.
unambiguous ministry. Apostle Paul May you not be lost in the crowd.
counselled him not to allow his May you not be a spectator in the field of
youthfulness to affect him through life. May your life be purposeful,
unwholesome character. He should be satisfying, and fulfilling. Amen
an example of the believers (I Timothy The book is divided into seven
4:12-16). chapters viz: from an examination of
Finally, many of the people who what life is and human search for the
served God in the Scripture discovered reason for his existence, the purpose of
their purpose in life when they were life, how to discover your purpose,
adults. Examples include Moses different personalities who had
(Exodus 2:10), Amos (Amos 7:14-15), discovered the purpose for their
Peter (Luke 5:8-11). Barnabas and Saul existence, and how your purpose in life
(Paul) (Acts 13:2-3). When a person fails can be fulfilled when discovered. It is the
to discover his purpose on earth, he fervent prayer of the author that readers
discovers it with eternal regrets in the will be able to discover their purpose for
great beyond. The rich man was that living and fulfil it. Amen
kind of a person. Although he was great
in riches while on earth, he never M. O. Salami November,2015
discovered that he was to serve with his
riches. By the time he did, it was already
too late. (Luke 16:19-26). May you not
discover your purpose in life when it is
too late. Part of the purpose he was
meant to serve with his wealth was to
alleviate the poor condition of Lazarus.
My goal in this book, therefore, is for
you to discover your purpose in life early
enough so that you can have ample
opportunity and time to fulfil it. This
book will certainly inspire, guide and
motivate you not only to discover your

ix x
 FOREWORD
I have known Mr. Salami since 1993,
when I worked as a Lecturer, Department
of Legal Studies, Kwara State Polytechnic.
He has always appeared to me as a man of
purpose and clear vision and I am grateful
he has decided to share his wealth of
experience at this very critical time.
Peeved and distressed by the seeming
meaninglessness of life, pressed on every
side by overwhelming vicissitudes, many
have taken their lives, some resigned to
fate, while the teeming younger generation
have turned to diverse opiates, seeking
some sort of fulfillment.
A discovery of the purpose for living is a
sure panacea for almost all challenges
that bedevil the society, including
depression, insecurity, insurgency and
indeed corruption. As no one who has
grasped the true meaning of life and has
discovered his/her purpose will take to
any form of vice or be sunken in
depression.
Surely, there is no paucity of inspirational
literary materials on Life in the context of
purpose. However, the author, M.O.
Salami, has brilliantly married the
principles of discovering life's purpose
with the practical aspect thereof, thus
bridging the once widening lacuna.
xi
In chapter 1 of this piece, we are
confronted with the undisputable fact that
of the three stages of life of man, only one
is within his control 'the living stage'. How
he chooses to manage this stage
determines how and by what he will be
remembered.
We know as chapter 2 helps us realize,
that the search for purpose in the wrong
places can lead only to futility and vanity.
By chapter 3 of this Book, the writer using
the analogy of four trees shows the value
of life and the premium that should be
placed thereon.
Apart from unearthing, what life is, its
purpose and how to discover same, this
book in its chapter 4,5 and 6, gives us an
account of ordinary people from Biblical,
old and contemporary times, who upon a
discovery of the purpose of their lives as
individuals changed the course of the
world for good. Thus, inspiring us to make
a decision for greatness, by embarking on
that voyage of discovery that will lead us to
the realization of the purpose of our lives
as individuals.
Insightful, Inspirational, Spiritual, and
Holistic, I commend this book to you.
CHIEF DR KAYODE OLATOKE, SAN, FCIArb
PRINCIPAL COUNSEL,
KAYODE OLATOKE & CO.
xii
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PART
ONE
WHAT IS LIFE?
Life is an existence. Life begins at
birth and ends at death. There are three
major periods/stages in life, namely:
Birth, Living and Death. Of the three
stages, the most critical and crucial is
the living stage. Why? Before we answer
the question, let us first discuss briefly
the two stages of life viz: Birth and Death.
The Birth stage is the time we came
into the world physically through our
mother. No person has power to
determine his birth. It all has to do with
the prerogative of God. For instance,
nobody can determine the choice of his
parent, period, race, gender or colour of
skin. Birth is the beginning of the
human life.
The Death stage is the concluding
part of the human life on earth. Just like
birth, nobody has power on the period or
day, the place and hour of his death.
Death is also the prerogative of God, the
Creator. He gives life and takes it again
at will.
1 2
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
LIVING STAGE
As indicated above, of the three
stages of existence, the living stage is the
most vital. Why?
- It is the period when you can make
or mar the very essence of y o u r
existence
- It is the opportuned time you
determine your destiny or
eternity
- It is the time when you are privileged
to add value to the world or corrupt
it.
Every one born into the world has
been given the chance to live. What he
or she does with that only one life is what
is most important to him or her. What
then are you living for? How do you want
to be remembered? What do you want to
be remembered for?
FUTILITY OF LIFE
The statement, “Life is futile” or “The
futility of life” is not uncommon to many
readers of this book. Futility refers to
uselessness as a consequence of having
no practical result. Therefore, to those
who say that life is futile, they mean life
is useless because it has no practical
result. The same idea might have been
expressed by King Solomon, after failing
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
to find happiness and fulfillment in
many activities of life. He concluded by
saying “…behold all was vanity and
vexation of spirit, and there was no profit
under the sun” (Ecc 2:11).
However, life does not have to be
futile if somebody is able to discover the
purpose of his or her existence. If futility
means the consequence of having no
practical result, then something can be
done to bring good, great and glorious
result out of life. It is when purpose is
discovered and that purpose is fulfilled
within the period of human existence
that we disprove the statement – “the
futility of life”. Therefore, know the
purpose of your existence and fulfil that
purpose and your life will be satisfactory,
happy and fulfilled.
FULFILLED LIFE
Fulfillment is a feeling of
satisfaction at having achieved your
purpose or desire in life. It is the act of
consummating your goal, aim, purpose
and aspiration in life.
Life becomes meaningful and
profitable when one's purpose for living
is discovered and accomplished during
the period of existence. Unfortunately,
multitudes of people never got to the first
stage of discovery of their purpose in life
not to talk of fulfilling the purpose. Your
3 4
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
first crucial task is therefore to discover
the purpose of your existence, thereafter,
you can now strategize on how to fulfill it.
Apart from Jesus Christ, there is a
person I know who also fulfilled the
purpose of his existence. Paul said it
before his death “ I have fought a good
fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith”, (II Timoth 4:7).
Why do people fear to die? One of
the reasons is because they have failed
to fulfil the purpose of their existence.
Since that was not done, there is an
emptiness, a vacuum and a feeling of
lack of fulfillment in them. However, for
Paul he said. “For I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is
at hand” (II Timothy 4:6). A person who
is able to fulfil his or her purpose in life
does not fear death.
Furthermore, it is when your
purpose in life is fulfilled before death
comes that you can expect to be
rewarded hereafter. Again for Paul, he
did not only discover his purpose of
existence; he also fulfilled it hence was
sure of his reward. He confidently
declared “Henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me
at that day and not to me only, but unto
all of them also that love his appearing”
(I Timothy 4:8)
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PERSPECTIVES OF LIFE
Nobody has two lives. Unlike keys,
life has no duplicate. Unlike tyres, there
is no spare one. This means that what
you do with that one life matters a great
deal.
Another thing to know about life is
that life is brief. It is short and transient.
No one has the power to prolong his or
her life. Although it may be possible to
live for 100 years and beyond, that life is
still brief in relation to eternity. The Bible
says, “My days are like a shadow that
declineth; and I am withered like grass”
(Psalms 102:11)
Moreover, life is fragile, hence it can
break. Life is also delicate. Life is like a
clay-pot or a glass cup. To prevent it
from breaking, it must be handled
carefully. What you do with your life and
how you handle life determines whether
you will break, build, make or mar it.
Again, life is temporal. There is no
permanence here on the earth. There is
no durability of whatever we construct or
possess. As water destroyed the
contents of the world of Noah, so will fire
do to what man spends all his life to
acquire, amass or achieve on earth.
Life is sweet. Although there are
ups and downs in life, the fact still
remains that life is sweet if we handle it
in the right way. When you understand
5 6
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
life and give to it what is required, you
will have satisfaction and fulfillment
thus experience the sweetness of life.
Life is precious. Life is very
beautiful. What you do with your life
indicates whether or not you attach any
value to it. Again, what you do with your
life will determine what you get out of it.
Therefore, although God has made all
things beautiful, what you do with your
life will dictate whether it will be truly
beautiful for you.
Similarly, life is uncertain and
unpredictable. Describing the nature of
life, James says, “it is even a vapour, that
appeareth for a little time, and then
vanisheth away” (James 5:14). If this is
the nature of life, what you do with it is
very important.
In addition, life is complex, hence it
can be mismanaged if adequate care is
not taken. A person that takes pain to
study and understand his life handles it
with care.
In the same vein, life is war. Life is a
battle. There appears to be more foes
than friends, more conspirators than
confidants and more adversaries than
advocates. That is why those who will
fulfil their purpose for living must be
focused, determined, and dependent on
the potent power of God.
Discovering Your Purpose for Living Discovering Your Purpose for Living

Life is paramount: What does it As repeatedly emphasized by King

profit a man if he gains the whole world Solomon, Life is vain. There is
but loses his life or soul. There is nothing nothing in life. It is void and empty.
any man can give in exchange for his life. To set mind on this life is to end
Because of the paramount nature of life, one's life miserably. Life is vanity
you cannot afford to live it any how or do plus vanity equals vanity.
anything with it. You cannot leave it to
ii) Consecrate your life to God by
chance. How valuable is the thing you
surrendering your spirit, soul,
do with your life? How is what you do
body, family, ministry, career and
helping to contribute or adding value to
possessions to God. Lay y o u r
somebody's life?
life on the Altar of Consecration as a
Finally, life is purposeful. You may
living sacrifice in h o l i n e s s a n d
not have discovered it yet, but every life
righteousness (Romans 12:1-2)
has its own purpose for which God
created it. It is a big challenge for every iii) Dedicate your life to serve God with
one of us to discover that purpose before your money, material and might.
we depart from this world. It is worth all Whatever your hands find to do, do
the efforts in the world to discover your it heartily as unto God not unto men.
purpose in life. Unfortunately, many Therefore, serve God by serving
live their lives as if they gave it to humanity. Ecc 9:10; I Cor. 10:31)
themselves and can utilize it the way
they wish. We must, therefore, live the
life to please the one who gave it to us.
The ways to do it are:
i) Give your heart to the one who
created you by surrendering your
life to Jesus Christ, confessing your
sins, turning away from them
and accepting Jesus Christ as your
personal Saviour and Lord
(Proverb 23:26)

7 8
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PART
TWO
THE SEARCH FOR PURPOSE
“And I gave my heart to seek and
search out by wisdom concerning all
things that are done under heaven…….”
(Ecc 1:13).
Solomon once gave his heart to seek
and search out what is the real purpose
of a man's life. He tried many things to
see where man can find real meaning in
life. The instruments he used are his
Heart (Ecc 1:13,16-17), Wisdom (Ecc
1:13), Eyes (Ecc 1:4) and Legs (Ecc 1:16)
With the heart, he engaged himself
in deep thinking and meditation.
According to him, “communed with mine
own heart…” Ecc 1:16)
Through wisdom, he sought to know
all things that are done under heaven
which God has given to man to be
involved in. (Ecc1:13). His goal is to
discover what is the most appropriate
and profitable purpose in life.
Using the eyes, he looked at all the
works that are done under the sun to
find out which of them he could also get
9 10
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
himself engaged in order to find meaning
in life (Ecc 1:14)
Considering that he might not arrive
at what the real purpose of man is in life
sitting down in one place, he went out,
trekked to great estates, and observed
the environment (Ecc 1:16) According to
him, he acquainted his heart with
wisdom and folly so that “ I might see
what was that good for the sons of man,
which they should do under the heaven
all the days of their life” (Ecc 2:3).
DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES
In the process of searching for the
real purpose of human existence, several
possibilities occurred to Solomon.
Ø Entertainment Industry: This
involved mirth i.e happiness, fun,
laughter and merriment. The goal
was to have pleasure and fun.
(Ecc 2:1-1).
Ø Hospitality Management: This
concerns dealing in all kinds of
drinks especially wine (Ecc 2;3)
Ø Craftsmanship: He made great
works using his hands. This may
include basketry, pottery,
winemaking, wood making and
handcraft (Ecc 2:4)
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Ø Estate Builders (Ecc 2:4). He
engaged in building projects and
establishment of estates.
Ø Gardening: According to Solomon,
he planted vineyards, orchards,
trees bearing all kinds of fruits
(Ecc. 2:6)
Ø Irrigation Farming: This he did by
constructing pools of water to
water the trees bearing fruits and
other types of crops (Ecc. 2:6)
Ø Husbandry: He had great
possessions of great and small
cattle (Ecc 2:7)]
Ø Human Resources Management:
He had servants and maidens.
Some of the servants were born in
his house while others were
brought from outside (Ecc 2:7)
Ø Financial Management: He
gathered silver and gold. There
was the peculiar treasure of kings
of the provinces to enhance
currency exchange and
successful trading (Ecc 2:5)
Ø Music Industry: He established a
Music Industry where there were
men and women singers to the
delight of the sons of men. All
sorts of musical instruments were
11
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
also provided to produce the most
melodious music to the delight of
men (Ecc 2:8)
Such was the extent to which
Solomon went in seeking meaning and
purpose for living. At the end of his
search, his conclusion was “…. behold,
all was vanity and vexation of spirit…..’
Some people engaged in such quest
and discovered their purpose early
enough while others did after a long
period of searching. Unfortunately,
many never discovered their purpose in
life until they departed to the great
beyond.
The question is, are you concerned
about your purpose in life? What have
you done and are you doing to discover it?
PURPOSELESS MAN
When a person fails to discover his
real purpose in life, he becomes a
purposeless man. He merely lives
without fulfillment. Purposelessness
has certain consequences on an
individual thus:
i. He becomes a “follow follow” man
ii. He loses his originality and turns
into a ”carbon copy” or “photocopy”
iii. His personal identity is lost making
him to act the script for others
12
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
iv. He cannot attain his full potentials
and be of maximum benefit to
humanity.
v. He will never be fulfilled and
satisfied in that which he is doing
vi. He loses focus and direction in life.
In fact, he will never have any since
he is always depending on others to
determine what to do.
vii. He becomes an echo instead of a
voice.
THE BLACK MAN
When we were in primary school, over
five decades ago, we were told of what
was said by James Aggrey. He declared:
“I am black and proud. He who is not
proud of his colour is not fit to live”
Himself was a Blackman, born on 18th
October, 1875 in the Gold Coast (Ghana).
He died on 30th July, 1927. Before his
death, he was an intellectual,
missionary and teacher.
Solomon wrote in his book regarding
a man who said “ I am black, but
comely… as the tents of Kedar, as the
curtains of Solomon” (The Song of
Solomon 1:5). Despite the self
confidence of the black man in the colour
of his skin, like James Aggrey and
Marthin Luther Jnr, he was faced with a
great challenge of being looked down
13
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
upon with suspicion, disdain and
distrust. It is unfortunate to state that
an average white man still looks down on
the black with suspicion and distrust
today, especially when he sees him in
Europe or America. Nevertheless, the
black man encouraged himself in the
fact that he has received a better look
from the sun shining on him with its
radiance and glory. He said proudly:
“……..because the sun hath looked upon
me….” (Song of Solomon 1:6). The black
man should always remember that
nature is proud of him hence is always
“looking at him”. There is no reason for
the black man to exhibit inferiority
complex.
DILEMMA OF THE BLACK MAN
The black man in our Scriptural
passage observed that his siblings were
angry with him. Why? Because,
according to him, “…..they made me the
keeper of the vineyards, but mine own
vineyard have I not kept” (The Song of
Solomon 1:6)
There is somebody who has
discovered his purpose in life. He was
therefore committed to fulfilling that
purpose. However, the black man who
seems not to have discovered his own
purpose in life was drawn to help fulfil
14
Discovering Your Purpose for Living Discovering Your Purpose for Living

the purpose of that other man who has a of question that should be asked by
vineyard. The ignorance and pitiable anybody who realizes he has been
condition of the black man will be better fulfilling other people's purpose in life.
appreciated when he submitted to the Everybody needs to come to that
purposeful man thus: “Draw me, will run consciousness, self awareness and
after thee: the king hath brought me into realization in order to fulfil his God's
is chambers we will be glad and rejoice in ordained purpose in life.
thee…” (Song of Solomon 1:4)
The question is- whose dream are you
fulfilling? Whose work are you doing?
Whose purposes are you accomplishing?
Until somebody understands and his
eyes are enlightened like that of Jacob in
the house of Laban, he will think he is
having the best of life and making a good
living. The black man, although he has
his own vineyard, he was not able to
keep it.
Jacob in the house of Laban had two
wives, twelve children and several cattle.
However, when his understanding
was enlightened, it dawned on him that
he had been under servitude. He
specifically realized that Laban, his
father in-law, had not been fair to him
despite the fact that he had served
Laban faithfully and diligently. (Gen
31:6) Unfortunately, according to Jacob,
Laban had deceived him and changed
his wages ten times (Gen. 31:7)
The searching question of Jacob was
“…..and now when shall I provide for
mine own house also?” That is the kind

15 16
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PART
THREE
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
Purpose means objective, intention,
aim, design and contemplation. Purpose
is the driving force behind human action.
Purpose is a conception in the heart that
guides an individual and determines his
direction in life. Purpose is the target we
intend to reach in our life's endeavour.
Without purpose in life, a man's
existence becomes a mirage,
meaningless, a mere shadow and
aimless wandering.
For a person's life to be meaningful,
it must be directed towards achieving an
identified purpose. This means, he
must be able to discover why he was
created by his or her Maker. Once this
purpose is known, the person can then
devote his energy and resources towards
achieving that purpose.
CREATION'S PURPOSE
Human life is full of adventures and
activities right from his birth to his death.
The common and regular ones are:
17
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
- Go to school from Nursery/Primary/
Secondary to the Tertiary Institution.
- Secure an employment and earn
income
- Get Married
- Give birth to children and train them.
- Acquire additional academic and
professional qualifications.
- Learn a craft and acquire additional
skills.
- Eat, drink , sleep and wake up etc.
Considering creation's purpose, a
person should look beyond mental,
academic, professional, social and
physical attainment in life. Whatever a
person is in life, it is to achieve the
purpose for which he is created. That
purpose is often determined in relation
to a person's usefulness to his fellow
men or service to humanity. The purpose
is also linked to pleasing the Creator who
brought the person into the world.
Except a man's life glorifies God and is
spent to improve the fortunes of other
human beings, the purpose of creation is
defeated in the person's life.
18
Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PRIMARY PURPOSE
The primary purpose of life is
characterized by divine connection and
having eternity in view. The primary
purpose is connected with pleasing God
and doing His will in life.
It is unfortunate that human beings
often place little emphasis on the
primary purpose of life, and pursue
earthly things. Many people spend their
life on earth without discovering that
primary purpose. Once they have money
in their pocket, food in their stomach,
dress on their body and shelter over their
heads, they forget that life is more than
food, drink, good clothes, and looking
fine.
SECONDARY PURPOSE
It is disastrous to put the cart before
the horse. It is foolishness to major in
minor. It is only sheer ignorance that will
make a person to pursue the additions
of life while forsaking what is the first
and fundamental basis of existence i.e
the kingdom of God (Mathew 6:33)
While the physical body or flesh is
important, the spirit is much more
significant. It is the spirit that gives life,
the flesh profits nothing. It is, therefore,
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
unwise to focus all attention on
secondary purpose. Unfortunately, that
is exactly what many people do.
The question then is: What is the
secondary purpose to serve? It is to keep
body and soul alive in order to make
them to accomplish the primary purpose.
This is done as man is engaged in daily
work to earn income, to feed well, dress
fine, enhance his mobility, and to live a
comfortable life under a decent
accommodation. It is, therefore wisdom
not to elevate the carnal above the
spiritual, the earthly above the heavenly,
the temporal above the eternal, and the
lower above the higher.
THE MEETING POINT
There is the need to make some
clarifications on the issue of primary and
secondary purposes. As earlier said,
primary purpose relates to the whole
essence of human existence which
according to Jesus is “…to do the will of
him that sent me and to finish his
work” (John 4:34). Apostle Peter,
referring to the same vital issue of man's
purpose in life, said: “… that ye should
shew forth the praise of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light” (I Peter2:9).
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
On the other hand, secondary
purpose in life relates to the additions
and supportive aspects of man's
existence. The secondary purpose is not
an end in itself but a means to an end.
Yet it must be emphasized that the
secondary purpose is necessary to keep
the primary purpose in constant
perspective.
For instance, while Moses, Peter,
and Paul dropped their earlier pursuits
in life (secondary purpose) to focus total
attention on obeying the call of God to
lead and win humanity back to God
(primary purpose), they could not do
that without financial supply. Fund is
needed to
- Feed themselves and family
- Purchase clothing, shoes and other
personal effects
- Secure accommodation for
themselves and family members
- Finance the gospel by way of
printing gospel materials and keep
records etc
How will this fund come? In some cases,
the ministers may completely fund the
primary purpose while depending on
financial support of the church and
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
members through tithes and offerings.
On the other hand, the ministers could
be engaged in some revenue generating
work to support themselves, the family
and the ministry. In this case, we see a
synergy, blending and marrying of
primary purpose with secondary
purpose.
For example, Paul after quitting the
legal profession was still engaged in tent-
making job. (Acts of the Apostle 18:1-3)
The same can be said of Aquila and
Priscilla who were of the same
occupation with Paul. To further
buttress the involvement of Paul in
physical work to raise fund to support
himself and the Ministry, he indicated
that he has not coveted any man's silver,
gold or apparel. He went further “yea, ye
yourselves know, that these hands have
ministered into my necessities, and to
them that were with me”. (Acts 20:34)
From the foregoing, it becomes clear
that in some cases, primary and
secondary purposes can be
complimentary. The two purposes are
therefore not mutually exclusive as the
secondary purpose is required to
enhance the primary purpose.
Finally, the question can be asked:”
why then do some people resign
completely from the secondary purpose
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to focus fully on the primary?”. For
instance, why do some accomplished
University Dons, Professionals, Private
Businessman and Public Servants
forsake their physical means of
livelihood to pursue the primary purpose?
i.e on full-time basis. The reasons are:
- They are called by God to do so
- While primary purpose is an end in
itself, secondary purpose is not.
- They understand the supremacy of
primary purpose over secondary
- They give priority to the first thing
first; they are looking beyond this
life to eternity
- They have developed their faith
enough to trust God who never fails
to supply the needs of His
Messengers.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PART
FOUR
DISCOVERY OF PURPOSE
To make a discovery of our purpose
in life, we have to make conscious effort
to search for it. Discovery, therefore,
involves deliberate effort to unravel or
uncover what is hidden, not yet known
or partly known. As said earlier, some
people are very fortunate to discover the
purpose of their creation early in life.
Some do so at old age while others never
discover it at all until they die.
Furthermore, for some, the journey
to the discovery of purpose in life was
very long in the sense that it took them
several years of wandering in the
wilderness and beating about the bush
before getting to the right highway of
discovery. To others, they were able to
discover the purpose after a short time of
consecration to God, praying, fasting,
reading the Bible, meditating, and
getting themselves involved in different
activities.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
SELF KNOWLEDGE
One of the fundamental ways to
move towards the path of discovery of
God's purpose for your life is to know
yourself. The knowledge of yourself is a
vital key to identify your purpose in life.
To express the importance of self
knowledge, Waldo states: “you must
know yourself in order to know your
power and until you know them you
cannot use them wisely and fully”
Adequate knowledge of yourself will
enable you to know that you have
indefinite potential in you which can be
channeled towards achieving your
purpose in life.
THE FOUR TREES
According to the book of Judges
chapter 9:7-15, Jotham the son of
Jerubbaal stood on the top of mount
Gerizim and called upon the men of
Shechem to listen to him (Judges 9:22-
28). The parable he gave centered on the
trees that wanted to anoint a king over
them. They then approached the other
trees namely:
- Olive Tree
- Fig Tree
- Vine Tree
- Bramble Tree
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Olive Tree
When the Olive tree was approached
to come and rule over the trees. It
replied: “Should I leave my fatness,
wherewith by me they honour God and
man, and go to be promoted over the
trees?” (Judges 9:9)
The knowledge the Olive tree has
about itself is that
- It was fat
- God and man are honoured by the
fatness it possesses
The Olive tree considers that this
fatness that honours God is much more
important than accepting the call by the
other trees to rule over them. The Olive
tree has adequate knowledge of itself
hence it will not just fall for anything. It
was satisfied fulfilling the purpose for
which it was created.
Fig Tree
When the Fig tree received the same
invitation from the other trees to come
and reign over them, it quickly
responded with a question: “should I
forsake my sweetness and my good fruit
and go to be promoted over the trees?”
(Judges 9:11). The knowledge the Fig
tree had about itself is that
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
- It was sweet
- It had good fruit
With self consciousness of what the Fig
tree possesses, it had the strong feeling
that it should not forsake them to
answer the call of any trees to reign over
them. To do that would have meant
despising its own vital purpose in life.
Vine Tree
The trees went to the Vine tree with
the same request but the vine tree said:
“Should I leave my wine which cheereth
God and man and go to be promoted over
the trees?” (Judges 9:13)
The Vine tree had no doubt about
what it was created for. It was so
convinced and sure of the superiority of
that purpose than to accept to be king
over any other trees. According to the
Vine tree:
- It had wine
- The wine cheereth God and man
When man has adequate knowledge
of himself, he will not accept any
invitation even when it involves
promotion. He will not fall for anything
no matter where the advances are
coming from.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Bramble Tree
The Bramble tree is a rough thorny
shrub or plant. When approached by
the trees to come and reign over them, it
could not refer to anything to show that
it has self knowledge. Indeed, its
inability to know itself made it to quickly
accept to be king over the other trees.
In its words, “If in truth ye anoint me
king over you, then come and put your
trust in my shadow” (Judge 9:15). The
tone of the response shows personal
weakness, lack of inner conviction and
ignorance of personal value and worth.
This made the bramble tree to easily
accept the invitation while the other
trees which knew themselves did not.
Nevertheless, the author has observed
that the Bramble tree was not completely
empty. The tree itself made reference to
the shadow which it invited other tress
to come and rest under. Unfortunately,
the bramble tree knew it had something
but did not know the value and worth of
what it has. It is the same thing as if it
does not have.
OBSTACLES TO DISCOVERY
It is significant to know that it is
impossible to discover your purpose in
life when you are ignorant of yourself.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Except a person properly understands
himself, he cannot fully comprehend the
purpose of his existence. It is, therefore
vital for you to understand your
strengths and weaknesses, your likes
and dislikes, your talents, gifts, and
natural endowments.
Furthermore, where a person lives
from the outside in and not from inside
out, he cannot discover his purpose in
life. This means, it is only from the inside
that productive and profitable reflection
can take place. A person who focuses
attention on externals to the neglect of
the inward man may not be able to
discover his purpose in life.
In addition, important as career is,
it is wiser for a man to listen for a calling
than to look for a career. It is only in
realizing our calling that we can align
with our purpose in life. While career
gives man a professional satisfaction
and means of livelihood, only a calling
gives inner satisfaction and fulfillment
in life.
Again, people find it difficult to
discover their purpose in life because
they find it difficult to be silent for a
reasonable period of time. Many people
are accustomed to noise, always talking,
joking, listening to music and being
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
restless. Except there is quietness that
allows for meditation and reflection, the
purpose of your life may not be
discovered.
Similarly, it should be noted that life
is not a bed of roses. Life is a
composition of good and bad. As a
mortal man, mistakes are made due to
human frailty and limitation. However,
where a person does not want to live with
the reality that he has a dark side of life,
he cannot discover the purpose of his life.
Besides the above points, anybody
who devalues the unconscious mind
may find it difficult to discover his
purpose in life. It is through the
unconscious mind that we engage our
thought processes, memories and
motivations. The unconscious mind is
a reservoir of feelings, thoughts and
urges that are outside the conscious
mind. The unconscious mind is the
source of intuitions and dreams or the
engine room of information processing.
(Such an important part of man must
not be ignored).
The excuse of lack of fund hinders
many from discovering their purpose in
life. However, we should focus attention
on discovering our purpose first. The
question of funding will be answered as
time goes on.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Moreover, permitting the “voice of
reason” to come in often destabilizes a
person from discovering his purpose. At
another time, some develop inner fear
which scares them from taking action on
what they are capable of doing.
Finally, satisfaction with your life as
it is now makes you to remain in the
same spot. You will continue to remain
stagnant unless you become tired of
your lack of progress due to lack of
discovery of your purpose in life.
WRONG METHODS OF DISCOVERY
It is also pertinent to indicate at this
juncture that many people use different
methods and means to arrive at what
they regard as their purpose in life.
Many of such methods are misleading
and confusing. They only succeed in
taking one farther away from God's
purpose for one's life. Examples of such
wrong methods are discussed below:
i) Personal: This relates to personal
choice devoid of godly input. It is a
self-will decision that is based on
self-centered consideration.
God is never involved or brought
into the picture of the goal and
aspiration of the individual. For
instance, a person may just like to
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
be a lawyer and study desperately
to become one without prior
consultation with God to know His
will. That explains why many
lawyers are not successful today.
ii) Parental: There are parents who
want to force their will on their
children or one of them especially
the male, who is the first child
in the home. For instance, because
the father is a Medical Doctor or
Architect, they want their son to
also study Medicine or Architecture
so that he could inherit their books
and hospital or studio and continue
where they stop at death.
iii) Family: There are some families
where they map out the d i f f e r e n t
professionals they want to produce.
For instance, where they have three
children, they figure out that each
one must belong to either the
Medical Profession, Legal Profession
and Engineering profession. With
this preconceived idea, they pilot
and train their children towards
that family purpose.
iv) Friendship: Some people have very
close companions whom they refer
to as bosom friends. Having been
very close since their primary or
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
secondary school days, they may
decide and agree to continue their
friendship by studying the same
course in the tertiary institution.
This decision is regardless of other
relevant and necessary
considerations for success in that
particular profession or career.
v) Community: A particular
community may want a “son of the
soil” to be a barrister to help defend
their cases of land disputes with
their neighbours. The elders of that
community may shop for a student
whom they perceive will be a good
material. The community may then
decide to sponsor o r o f f e r h i m
scholarship to study Law in the
University. If the parents of the
student are financially handicapped,
he may because of the
community's sponsorship agree to
study Law contrary to the real
purpose of God for him
vi) Government: Many years ago, the
government established many
teachers training colleges and gave
free education to t h o s e w h o
attended them. The intention of the
government w a s t o m a s s i v e l y
produce teachers for the primary
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
schools. Many beneficiaries opted
for the teachers training colleges
not because they actually wanted to
be teachers but because it was free.
vii) Circumstantial: Presently, there is
an acute economic recession
with its biting unemployment
consequence. Many graduates
have remained in the labour market
for years with no hope of getting any
job in sight. After remaining in that
condition for a few years, many have
accepted whatever type of jobs
that came. If you ask many who are
teachers or in the military and
paramilitary professions today, they
are likely to tell you that they were
forced into them due to the
prevailing economic circumstances
of the country.
RIGHT METHODS OF DISCOVERY
Taking the following steps will assist
anyone to discover his purpose for living:
One, persistently ask your Creator
in prayer for the reason he created you
and for what purpose. God sometimes
answers this prayer through the
comments of our friends, acquaintances,
circumstances and series of events
taking place at the same time or close
intervals.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Two, through meditation and
reflection or introspection. There can
come a knowing in the inner man about
what God has created you for.
Three, we should examine what we
love to do. The activities that we develop
great passion for or have interest in
doing may indicate the purpose God
wants our lives to fulfil.
Closely connected with the above is
what people are saying about your
talents, gifts, and skills. Positive
comments coming from people on your
gifts may be a pointer or signal to your
purpose in life.
Four, you can also determine your
purpose in life by your ability to handle
failure, embarrassment, criticism, or
rejection of your work several times. The
amount of courage you manifest when
what you are doing is laughed at reveals
whether or not the activity is your
purpose in life.
Five, when we were children and
much younger, we enjoyed doing certain
things. It may be writing or singing.
Although we forget about it as we grow
up, the question is: do we still love to do
those things at adulthood? This may
indicate our purpose in life.
Six, whatever makes us forget food,
sleep, bath and other convenience
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
because we are engrossed in it may likely
be what we are created to pursue in life.
Seven, if you have opportunity to
visit several places of activities every day
of the month, where will you go? Where
you choose to go determines what
matters to you. It also reveals what you
are passionate about. This may confirm
your purpose in life.
Eight, if you know death will knock
at your door in a year's time, what will
you like to be remembered for? What will
you like to do for that one year? That
endeavour is likely to be your purpose in
life.
Nine, reading inspiring books
everyday will help you to overcome the
voice of doubt and insecurity. Reading
awakens the sense of possibility in you.
You receive inspiration, motivation and
encouragement through what you read.
Ten, ask questions to find your
purpose in life. Such questions should
be honestly answered by you.
Eleven, the world is full of problems,
each person has something he or she
can do to contribute to solving part of the
problems. Your ability to pick a problem
and commence an action to solve the
problem and save the world is a good
indicator of what your purpose is in life.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PART
FIVE
PURPOSE DISCOVERERS IN
BIBLE PERIOD
The Scriptures contain several
examples of personalities who
discovered their purposes for living while
on the earth. A few of them are
discussed below:
MOSES
Moses was an accomplished shepherd in
the land of Median. He could have
regarded cattle rearing as his primary
purpose in life. However, at the backside
of the desert in Horeb, God made him to
realize that he had a higher purpose for
his existence. This primary purpose was
to lead the people of Israel out of the
Egyptian bondage to the promised land
of Canaan (Exodus 3:1-2,10).
Before Moses had this encounter,
he observed the secondary purpose of
his life in the palace of Egypt, the
intellectual citadel of learning in Egypt
and later in the shepherding of Jethro's
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Sheep in Midian. If Moses had not had
this Horeb's encounter, he would have
majored in minor, missing the primary
purpose of his creation.
ESTHER
Through divine and miraculous
circumstances, Esther emerged as the
wife of king Ahasuerus. To a young lady
who had lost both parents at a tender
age, that was a great and unique
accomplishment. She could have
thought that the purpose of her creation
had been fulfilled.
To Mordecai, being addressed as the
uncle of the First Lady in Shushan was a
secondary purpose of Esther's existence.
Esther almost missed the primary
purpose of her elevation to the
prestigious position of a queen. However,
Mordecai was fast in drawing her
attention to it. He asked her: “… and who
knoweth whether thou art come to the
kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther
4:14).
Initially, Esther probably thought
that her elevation to the position of First
Lady means fine and latest dresses,
eating delicious and sumptuous food
and living a pleasurable life. However,
Mordecai awoke her senses to the fact
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
that she was in the Palace of Shushan as
a deliverer of the Jews. To do this, she
had to pray hard, fast and manifest
courageous faith of approaching the
king without being invited.
In fulfilling the primary purpose,
Esther became an instrument used by
God to deliver all the Jews from sudden
death, elevation of Mordecai and
conversion of many indigenes of
Shushan to become Jews (Esther 8:15-17)
PETER
Before Peter had an encounter with
Jesus, he was a Fisherman with his
brother Andrew. The two brothers were
always with their father spreading their
nets into the sea for fishing. Peter was
satisfied with his career of fishing until
he encountered Jesus by the lake of
Gennesaret. After Jesus had surprised
them by the miraculous in close of a
great multitude of fishes to the point of
their net breaking, Peter became
conscious of his limitation and
sinfulness.
Having succeeded in arresting his
attention, Jesus then disclosed to him
the primary purpose of his existence.
Although he had been fully occupied in
the fishing career before, Jesus made
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
him to realize that “….from henceforth,
thou shalt catch men”. (Luke 5:10).
It is interesting and heartwarming
to observe that on hearing this
statement of Jesus, Peter and his
companions abandoned the secondary
purpose of fishing on the sea to follow
Jesus in order to become fishers of men.
That was the primary purpose of their
lives.
PAUL
By all standards, Paul was an
accomplished personality in both
secular and religious spheres of life. He
was a barrister who had his legal
training under Gamaliel. In religion, he
was a Pharisee, very zealous to the point
of fanaticism. Ordinarily, one would
want to consider his legal profession as
the purpose of his existence.
However, while travelling to
Damascus in furtherance of his objective
of persecuting the Christians, God
arrested him in a miraculous
circumstance and saved him.
Thereafter, Ananias was sent to go and
pray for Paul so that he could receive his
sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
In addition, God revealed to Ananias the
primary purpose which Paul was to fulfil
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living Discovering Your Purpose for Living

when he declares: “Go thy way; for he is a

chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name
before the Gentiles, and kings and the PART
children in Israel”. (Acts 9:15). This SIX
means that all the educational and legal
attainment of Paul would only succeed
in making him accomplish the primary PURPOSE DISCOVERERS IN
purpose of God. The primary purpose CONTEMPORARY TIMES
was to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Apart from the Bible characters
maintained in the previous chapter, we
also have individuals in the world today
who had discovered their purposes for
living. A few examples will suffice.

THOMAS EDISON
Thomas Alvan Edison was born on
11th February, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. As a
child, he loved reading and also liked to
make experiments in the basement.
At the age of 12, he sold fruits,
snacks and newspaper on a train as a
“news butcher”. He printed his own
newspaper, the Grand Trunk Herald, on
a morning train.
When Thomas was 15, he roamed
the country as a “tramp telegrapher”.
He used an alphabet called Morse Code
to send and receive messages over the
telegraph. For an upward of three years,
he worked all night taking messages for
trains and the Union Army during the
Cold War.

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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
During his spare time, Thomas
dismantled things apart to see how they
worked and later he started to invent
things himself. His first invention after
the initial failure was the Electric Vote
Recorder. He moved to New York City to
improve on the way the Stock Ticker
worked to record his big breakthrough.
By 1870, his company was
manufacturing his Stock Ticker in
Newark, New Jersey.
Thomas also improved the telegraph
making it send up to four messages at
once.
Other notable achievements of
Thomas Edison are:
- Built his most famous laboratory in
1876 at Menlo Park, New Jersey
- In 1877, he invented the
phonograph, the machine that
would record the sound of
someone's voice and play it back.
- The greatest achievement was in
1878 which was an invention of the
Electric Light System. This was
more than the incandescent lamp or
“light bulb”.
- Designed system of power plants
that make the electric power a n d
the wiring that brings it to people's
homes.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
- He built another laboratory in West
Orange ten times longer t h a n t h e
one he built in Menlo Park. The
laboratory was considered the
largest in the World at that time.
Apart from invention, Thomas
improved the phonograph and made it
better. Thereafter, he manufactured it
in the factories around his laboratory, in
commercial quantity for sale. Quite
apart from improving the phonograph,
he also worked on
- X-rays
- Storage batteries
- Talking doll
- Motion Pictures or Movies
Thomas Alvan Edison was referred
to as the “Wizard of Menlo Park.” The
whole world also called him a genius
because of his good and great ideas
coupled with his several inventions. He
was said to have had 1,093 patents half
of which was in West Orange
HENRY FORD
Henry Ford was one of the foremost
American industrialists. He was known
to have revolutionized assembly-line
modes of production for the automobile.
Ford created the assembly line and made
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
“motor cars” what they are today.
Precisely, he created the Ford Model T
car in 1908 and developed the assembly
which revolutionized the industry.
Consequently, Ford sold millions of cars
which made it to become a world-famous
company head.
Ford was considered as one of the
leading American businessmen. He was
also credited to have helped build
American's economy during the early
years of depression.
Henry Ford was born on 30th July
1863, in Wayne County near Dearborn,
Michigan. When he was 13 years old,
his father gave him a pocket watch
which he dismantled and reassembled.
Impressed by friends and neighbours,
they gave him their timepieces to fix for
them.
At the age of 16, he left the farm
work at home not finding fulfillment in it.
He then became an apprentice as a
machinist in Detroit. Thereafter, he
learned how to skillfully operate and
service stream engines. He also studied
bookkeeping.
After Henry's marriage in 1888, he
was hired as an engineer in 1891 for the
Edison illuminating Company in 1893.
Due to his natural talent, he was
promoted to be Chief Engineer.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
In 1903, Henry Ford established the
Ford Motor Company after a few trials
building cars and companies. The
Model T was introduced in October,
1908 and remained for several years in
the market with 100 per cent gains.
Furthermore, in 1914, Henry
sponsored the development of the
moving assembly line technique of mass
production. He also introduced the $5
per day way and $110 in -12011 in order
to keep the best workers loyal to his
company. Because of its simplicity to
drive and cheapness, it was reported
that half of the cars in America in 1918
were model T's.
Henry Ford was an ardent pacifist.
He opposed World War I and funded a
peace ship to Europe. In 1936, he and
his family established the Ford
Foundation to provide grants for
research, education and development.
PELE
Edson Arantes do Nascimento,
popularly known as Pele, was a member
of three Brazillian World Cup-Champion
teams. He was considered by many to be
the greatest soccer player of all time. To
many, Pele's accomplishments on the
soccer field will never be equaled.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
rd
Born on 23 October, 1940 in Tres
Coracoes, Brazil, Pele was referred to as
a Superstar, a global ambassador for
soccer and a national football treasure
for his country. In 1978, Pele was
honoured with the International Peace
Award for his work with UNICEF. He
also served as Brazil's extraordinary
Minister for Sport and United Nations
ambassador for ecology and the
environment.
How did Pele recognize he has a
purpose to fulfil in the career of soccer?
Right from childhood, he developed
a rudimentary talent for soccer by
kicking, rolled-up stuffed with rags
around the streets.
At age 15, a Brazilian national
soccer team, De Brito noticing Pele's
talent, convinced Pele's family to leave
home to join the Santos professional
soccer club. By this time, he was
already a member of a youth squad
coached by Waldemar De Brito. Before
he was 16 years old, he scored his first
professional goal, led the league in goals
and was recruited to play for the
Brazillian National Team.
In 1958, Pele was introduced to the
World Cup in Sweden where he
displayed remarkable talent of speed,
athleticism and field vision.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
It was reported that in the late
1960s the two factions involved in the
Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48 – hour
cease fire in order to watch Pele play in
an exhibition in Lagos.
During the 1970 World Corp, in
Mexico, Pele scored four goals to give
Brazil a 4 – 1 victory over Italy. Although
he announced his retirement from
soccer in 1974, it was not until 1977 that
he finally bowed out. He played his final
game in an exhibition between New York
and Santos in October, 1977. Pele was
reported to have scored a total of 1,281
goals in 1,363 games during his life
career in soccer.
No doubt Pele achieved a definite
purpose in the field of soccer. He will
never be forgotten in that career while
this world lasts.
JIM REEVES
Jim Reeves was an American Pop
Singer. He was born on 20th, August,
1923 and raised in Galloway Texas. His
father died when he was ten months old.
His mother who had nine children, was
forced to farm to raise the family. At the
age of five, Jim was given a guitar after
listening to the country music of Jimmie
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Rodgers. By the time he was 12 years old
he was already involved in Radio music
show.
Quiet apart from music, Jim was
also a talented athlete during his teens.
He wanted to pursue a career in baseball.
Next he enrolled at the University of
Texas to study speech and drama. He
dropped this after six weeks to work at
the shipyards in Houston.
Furthermore, Jim went through a
number of blue-collar jobs while trying
to decide on a profession and purpose for
his life. Therefore going from singing to
broadcasting, Jim was a disc jockey and
newscaster.
The deciding event came up in 1952
when Hark Williams failed to appear for
a show giving Jim Reeves the
opportunity to perform in his stead. His
performance was so enthusiastically
received that Abott Records immediately
signed him to a record contract. That
was the deciding factor that helped to
determine his purpose. From this point
onward, he became an accomplished
Pop country singer. Some of his country
classical records include “Four Walls” in
1957, “Anna Marie” in 1958, “Blue Boy”
also in 1958, “Billy Bayon” in 1959, “He
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
'll have to Go” 1960, “Adios Amigo” in
1962 “Welcome to My World” in 1964
and “I Guess I'm Crazy” in1964.
Before Jim Reeves suffered a plane
crash outside of Nashville on 31st July
1964, at Davidson Country, Tennesse,
United States, he came to realize he had
a higher purpose in life than just using
his talent to entertain his fans and make
as much money as he could. The higher
purpose was demonstrated from the
type of songs he was using his talents to
sing thereafter. These include “Jingle
Bells” “Blue Christmas” “White
Christmas” “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
“Oh Come all Ye Faithful” and “Silent
Night”
His other Gospel Songs include: “This
world is Not My Home”
“I'll Fly Away”, “Whispering Hope,” “An
Evening Prayer”, “Take My Hand
Precious Lord”, “Where We'll Never Grow
Old”, “A Beautiful Life”, “In the Garden”,
“God Be with you”, “May the Good Lord
Bless and Keep You”, “It is No Secret”
“Oh Gentle Shepherd”, “I'd Rather Have
Jesus”, “How Long Has Been”, “Have
Thine Own Way” “Where do I go from
Here” and “Teach Me How to Pray”
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
BOLA ARE
Bola Are discovered the purpose of
her life as a child. According to her, she
was born with music and this was
known to everyone in her family. She
said they knew that she was going to be a
singer and an evangelist. She added
that Apostle Joseph Babalola had even
prophesied that she was going to be a
singer. Her conclusion therefore was
that God created her mainly to speak to
the people through music.
Bola Are was born in Erio-Ekiti,
Ekiti State, Nigeria on 1st October, 1954
and had produced not less than 62
albums. She had also released several
others in the video format. She served
as President of Gospel Musician
Association of Nigeria (GOMAN) for over
five years.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
PART
SEVEN
FULFILLMENT OF PURPOSE
It is necessary to ensure that
purposes are logically pursued and fully
accomplished while on earth. Different
areas where such divine purpose could
be fulfilled are described below:
SPIRITUAL PURPOSE
Spiritual purpose is related to God,
heaven and that which is spiritual.
Spiritual purpose goes beyond man's
selfish goals and aspirations in life. It is
a purpose that is higher, deeper and
wider in length and breadth than what
man can fathom by his human mind.
There is the need, therefore, for man to
seek God's face in order to identify that
purpose.
There are different vehicles,
instruments and means through which
spiritual purpose could be accomplished.
These are briefly discussed below:
i. The Ministry: The Scriptures spoke
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
about those who are Apostles,
Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and
Teachers (Ephesians 4:11). It is
only God who calls some people into
these ministries to fulfill His
purpose for their lives.
ii. Church Leadership. We have
Deacons/Deaconesses and Elders
in the Church. Although they are
not the principal ministers, they
give spiritual and physical support
to the main ministers to enhance
their spiritual efficiency and
effectiveness.
iii. The Workforce. There are different
segments and arms of work in God's
vineyard. Such departments
include:
- Children
- Youth
- Campus
- Adult
- Choir
- Ushering
- Sanitation
- Interpretation
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Serving God in these different divisions
of the church helps a Christian fulfil his
purpose in life.
iv) Soul Winning. A soul winner is an
individual believer who is
proclaiming the saving grace of
Jesus Christ through the gospel.
The soul winner does not need any
formal education/training/
commissioning or enlistment as a
worker to persuade a sinner to be
saved. All that the soul winner
requires is his heart boiling with
passion, his mouth open to
preach, his hand stretch out to
distribute tracts and spiritual
literature and legs to move round.
The Great Commission is for all
to carry out. (Matt 28:19-20; Mk
16:15-16).
v) The Ministry of Intercession. It is
instructive to note that A n n a , a
widow of 84 years of age, never
departed from the temple but was
serving God with fasting and
prayers night and day. (Luke 2:36-
37). Yes, it is a way to fulfil the
purpose of God if we give ourselves
to scriptural prayers and
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
fasting for the salvation of souls and
the rescue of the lives of those who
are bound by the power of Satan in
sin, sickness sorrow, suffering and
servitude.
V) The Ministry of Giving. Givers are
encouraged to do it with simplicity.
(Romans 12:8). They are also
admonished not to be weary in
well doing but continue to do good
unto all men especially those who
are of the household of faith
(Galatians 6:9-10).
vii) Supportive Services. Many may not
be able to appear on the Altar,
Podium or stand by the pulpit to
minister to the congregation but
their services are nevertheless very
vital. They include church drivers,
cleaners of church and its
environment, electricians, satellite/
electronic workers et cetera
Indeed the role of such services are
playing in the salvation of many
lives cannot be overemphasized.
viii) Social Services. The early
missionaries established schools,
hospitals, Leprosaria et cetera for
the training of pupils, students and
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
treatment of the sick. In doing this,
beneficiaries are brought face to
face with the gospel of salvation.
This happened through the love and
passion which Christ displayed
towards the students and patients
by the Christian T e a c h e r s a n d
Christian Medical Personnel. In the
process, many souls have been
converted and became soul winners
themselves.
MARY SLESSOR
Mary Slessor was born on 2nd
December, 1848 in a city of Aberdeen
Scotland. She was the second of a family
of seven children. When she was 28
years old, Mary took the vow to
consecrate her whole life to serve God in
the West Coast of Africa regarded as the
“white man's grave”. The place was
called Calabar in Nigeria where Mary
served under the Untied Presbyterian
Church.
Mary Slessor, the “White Queen of
Calabar“ as she was popularly called,
was a successful nurse in her country
under the Scottish Presbyterian Mission.
When she came to Calabar in the
Eastern part of Nigeria as a Missionary,
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
she used the nursing profession to fulfill
God's purpose in her life. She did this by
launching a successful attack against
the barbaric and obnoxious practices of
twin killing, human sacrifices,
cannibalism, domestic slavery and trial
by ordeal.
Similarly, she built simple churches,
established schools in the villages and
treated the sick in the hospitals
established by the Presbyterian Mission.
Consequently, while attending to the
sick, she was drawing attention of her
patients and social services beneficiaries
to Christ. Mary Slessor understood her
calling and fulfilled the purpose of her
calling using her nursing profession to
enhance it. Mary Slessor died on 13th
January, 1915.
SECULAR PURPOSE
The word secular relates to the
practice that rejects religion and
religious considerations. Since religion
is connected with that which is eternal,
spiritual and heavenly, secular relates to
that which is temporal, physical and
earthly.
In speaking about secular purpose
therefore, the focus is on how to make
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
ends meet, to keep body and soul
together and to maintain a decent living.
In other words, “secular purpose” is
concerned with choosing a career or
professional in order to make a living.
In secular purpose, the
considerations include:
- Personal interest
- Personal Prestige
- Fabulous earning
- Fame and popularity
- Personal ambition
- Aspiration to the peak of career
- Making a name
The following areas of secular
endeavours can be mentioned:
* Civil/Public Service: There are
people who take-up government
jobs as civil or public servants.
Depending on the type and level
of certificate at the point of entry,
they can reach the peak of the
career as Permanent Secretary.
* Academic Institution/Parastatals:
There are two main branches of
employment in the tertiary
institution viz academic and n o n -
academic. For those in the academic,
they can attain the peak of their
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
career as Professors (University) or
Chief Lecturer (Polytechnic or
College of Education).
- Journalism
- Teaching
- Legal
- Engineering
- Medical
- Surveying
- Et cetera
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
Raph Waldo Emerson was a
Philosopher, Journalist, Essayist,
Transendentalist poet in America. His
best known essay was “Self Reliance”.
Born on 25th May 1803 in Boston,
Massachusetts, he took over as Director
of his brother's school for girls in 1821.
Some of his written works include:
i) A poem titled, “Good-Bye” in 1923
ii) Essays titled, “Self Reliance” and
“The American Scholar” which he
wrote as a Transcendentalist
iii) An essay titled, “Nature” in 1836
which embodied his newly
developed philosophy
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
iv) In the 1840s, he founded and co-
edited the literary magazine titled,
“The Dial”.
v) He published two volumes of essays
in 1841 and 1844. These include
“Friendship” and “Experience”
vi) In 1860, he wrote “The Conduct of
Life” where he advocated for
the abolition of slavery.
vii) In 1870, he published “Society and
Solitude”
viii) A poetry collection titled, “Parnassus”
was also published in 1874
Before Raph Waldo Emerson died
on 27th April, 1882, he had become
known as the central figure of his literary
and philosophical group. His writings
were considered as major documents of
the 19th century American literature,
religion and thought.
Concerning faith, Raph was a son of
a clergyman. He also attended the
Boston Latin School, graduated from
Harvard University in 1821 and
thereafter Harvard School of Divinity.
Raph was a licensed minister in 1826
and was ordained as a Unitarian Church
Minister in 1829. Following the death of
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
his wife, Ellen Tucker, of tuberculosis in
1831, he became grief–stricken and
resigned from the clergy.
In 1832, he travelled to Europe
where he met with several literary
figures and thinkers. By the time he
retired home in 1833, he had regained
his spiritual balance. He began to
lecture on topics of spiritual experience
and ethnical living. He remarried Lydia
Jackson in 1835.
The moment the purpose of your life
is discovered, you must make concerted
effort to fulfil it. How can this be done?
Let me share with you my personal
experience i.e the long journey to
purpose discovery and fulfillment.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I am glad to share with you how I
discovered my purpose for living. It did
not happen easily like others. This might
be due to ignorance and inadequate
teaching on this subject.
I attended primary school in 1967
and did such subjects as were taught.
After that level, I enrolled in Secondary
School doing all the subjects outlined for
us in the syllabus. By divine providence,
I was admitted in 1973 to a Commercial
Secondary School. Since I was poor in
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Mathematics, my choice of subjects in
the West African School Certificate
(WASC) examination was a mixture of
Arts and Commercial subjects with
Health Science. With this Ordinary Level
subjects, I had Grade One, aggregate 16,
in the WASC result in 1977. The
question was: What did I want to do with
my life?
After my Secondary School
education, I discovered the following:
i) I was at home with Art subjects than
anything that involves the smallest
calculation.
ii) I like writing a lot. Therefore, when I
was elected the Secretary of the
Students Representative Council, I
was able to utilize the writing ability
in the Council's Minutes and
Reports to the School Management.
iii) I had a small corner of the
blackboard in Class Five where I
often wrote small stories on any
subject of interest for the class to
read.
The next level of education was the
Advanced Level course referred to as
Higher School Certificate. My three
subjects' combination was Christian
Religious Studies (CR.S), Government
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
and Economics. The academic
programme organised by the Kwara
State College of Technology, School of
Basic Studies, was in collaboration with
the Cambridge University Examination
Syndicate, United Kingdom. While I
scored “D”, “D” grades in Government
and Economics, I had “B” grade in C.R S.
The question was: what did I want to do
with my life
i) I wanted to study Law
ii) I wanted to study Education
iii) I wanted to study Mass
Communication
As God would have it, I never
secured admission for Law in 1979,
missed the admissions for Education or
Mass communication in 1980 and 1981.
With these unpleasant experiences, I
resolved to apply for B. A. Religious
Studies at the premier University, the
University of Ibadan. As things turned
out, Religious Studies became the best
course I could study. Why?
i) I loved and enjoyed all the courses
that make the Religious Studies
ii) My highest score of 94% was in one
of the compulsory courses in
Religious Studies which was
Hebrew Language
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
iii) I had the best result, graduating as
the best over-all student in
Religious Studies in 1985.
Further discoveries that I made
after my H.S.C and University education
were as follows:
i) I enjoyed writing. A lecturer once
commented on my writing ability
thus: “You are a prolific Writer”
ii) I made a compilation of my
personally composed songs and
typed out a w o r k t i t l e d : “ T h e
Reality of Miracle”, to record the
testimony of my surprise
admission into the University after
three unsuccessful attempts.
iii) I developed special interest to be a
lecturer.
Still being guided by divine
providence, I was employed as a lecturer
in the Kwara State College of Technology
(School of Basic Studies), Ilorin in 1987.
I loved and enjoyed the lecturing work.
However, I could only do it fully between
1987 and 1992 rising from the post of
Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer II. In
1988, my first book titled: “Sure and
Sound Success”, was published. It was
a 71 page book printed by Oyinwola
Printing Works, Ilorin.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
Because of my love for lecturing, I
continued to participate in part time
lecturing under the Interim Joint
Matriculation Board (IJMB) programme
up to 2007 when it was finally stopped in
the Kwara State Polytechnic. I also
briefly participated in lecturing at the
UMCA Theological College, Ilorin, Kwara
State College of Education, Ilorin
(Sandwich programme) and still taking
part as a lecturer at the International
Bible Training College (IBTC), Ibadan
Campus.
Between 1981 and 1986, I was
deeply involved in music. Singing and
playing guitar became an aspect of my
life that could not be ignored. It all
started in 1981 when I suddenly
discovered I had special interest in
singing, playing guitar and composing
songs. The development of the talent
was rapid leading to the formation of a
singing group known as: The Anointed
Voices for Christ. With this small group
of talented singers made up of myself as
the leader and about seven sisters, we
featured at crusades and Christian
Camps during special programmes of
the All Christians Fellowship Group in
Ekiti State.
As time went by, we had the support
of four brothers who sang with us and
played guitars, Lead and bass (I played
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
rhythm guitar). Consequently, we
produced five cassettes in English (3)
and Yoruba (2). Some of the songs, all
composed by me, include
1. Remember now thy Creator
2. Who will see the Lord?
3. Love not the World
4. Anxiety in the life of Christian
5 No! I am not alone
6. I shall be there one day
7. I am not ashamed of Jesus Christ
8. Are you working for Him?
9. Are you very careful in your deeds?
10. Show me the way
In all, there were 50 English songs,
18 Psalms and 22 Yoruba songs which,
by God's grace, were composed by me
and typed for record purpose.
With this level of involvement in
singing, I thought I already had Music
Ministry which would be my purpose in
life. However, after some years, it was
evident that the music and singing were
just small aspects of my life. Although, I
still love music and sing a lot, I observed
that I cannot play any musical
instrument except guitar in a little way,
and I could not read Tonic Sofar. Thus
playing rhythm guitar alone and singing
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
without adequate knowledge of the
rudiments of music could not take me
far in fulfilling God's purpose for my life
through Music. Therefore, I have to look
for God's purpose elsewhere.
While I enjoyed my present job as
the Chief Administrative Officer
(Registrar and the Secretary to the
Governing Council), I see my purpose for
living being fulfilled in two ways.
i) Lecturing, though on part time
basis, at IBTC, Ibadan
ii) Expressing my writing ability
through book publishing. So far, I
have published the following
books:-
i) Sure and Sound Success - 1988
ii) The Man Samuel Adeyemi Oladosu:
A decade of selfless service to
humanity - 1998
iii) Christian Missions in West Africa –
2001
iv) Topical Issues in Biblical Studies –
2003
v) Developing a Career in the Registry
of a Tertiary Institution – 2012
vi) K w a r a S t a t e P o l y t e c h n i c i n
Historical Perspective – 2010
vii) How to Stand Out – 2015
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
viii) Discovering your Purpose for Living
- 2015
ix) Success Secrets of Great Achievers
- 2015
On the spiritual platform, service to
God has continued simultaneously with
secular work. Consequently, I had
served as a Co-ordinator or Pastor in
some district churches and at present
serving as a Group Pastor, all in Ilorin
Region of Deeper Life Bible Church,
Ilorin, Kwara State.
As God guides, I hope to continue to
lecture whenever God provides an
opportunity and settle down to write
more books by the time I retire from
active government service. Of course,
the work God which has been part and
parcel of my life continues to be done.
Through these ways, I hope to continue
to fulfil the purpose of God for my life.
The big question is: How are you
fulfilling God's purpose for your own life?
Against the foregoing background, I
enjoin you to do the following in order to
discover and fulfil your purpose in life
- Start doing something about your
discovery without further delay
or procrastination.
- Volunteer in your church or
community to contribute to its
needs with what you have.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
- Take action immediately without
rationalising. Act “unreasonably”.
Take the first step by faith.
- Stop being weighed down
distracted by minute details
- Don't seek for perfection at the early
stage of endeavour
- Set a deadline for yourself giving it
date and time e.g on 30th of
November, 2015, I want the
manuscript to be given to the
printer. Work towards the target.
- Take a small step each day
- Don't over plan and stop wishing,
just start doing something
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living
REFERENCES
Canfield J. & Hansen M. V. Chicken
or Soup for the Soul. Living Your
Dreams (2000) Benin: Joint Heirs
Publications .
Collins, J. Good to Great , (2001) New
York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Farrar, S. Finishing Strong (1995) New
York: Multnomah Books
Kumuyi, W. F., Daily Manna: A Daily
Devotional Guide (2015) Vol. 2
Lagos: Life Press Ltd
Kwakpovwe, C. E, Our Daily Manna: A
Devotional Booklet for Champion
(2015) Lagos: Manna Resource
Centre.
Mason, John L. An Enemy Called
Average (2004) Benin: Joint Heirs
Publications Nig. Ltd.
Maxwell J. C, The 360 o Leader,
Developing Your Influence from
anywhere in the Organization
(2005), Nashville: Thomas Nelson,
Inc,
Ogunremi, J. O. Secretarial Practice:
Working Experience with Six Chief
Executives of ARMTI (2015), Ilorin:
Adlek Prints.
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Discovering Your Purpose for Living

Robert, Oral, Still Doing the Impossible

(2002) Aba: E. O. Overcomers & Co.
Ltd.
Salami, M. O. Sure and Sound Success
(1988) Ilorin: Oyinwola Printing
Works The King James Version of
the Bible
Salami, M. O. Developing a Career in the
Registry of a Tertiary Institution
(2012) Ilorin: Adesesan Graphic
Press Ltd.
Salami, M. O. How to Stand Out (2015),
Ilorin: Adesesan Graphic Press,
Ltd
Salami, M. O. Success Secrets of Great
Achievers (2015), Ilorin: Adesesan
Graphic Press, Ltd

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