David Writes

Running after a toddler is a full time job!

“Good morning, Tony.”

As in, you’re greeting your boyfriend after a remarkable night? 😂

Whether I am your superior or not, whether I am “boss” to you or not, I personally will never address you simply by your first name. Others may do it; I won’t.

It is not about insecurity, intimidation, or some outdated obsession with hierarchy. It is my personal philosophy: I regard forms of address as one of the little ways we acknowledge and respect the human person.

So, Miss Woke. Miss Educated. Miss Abroad. 😊

You believe you can simply call me “David!”

Because of what?

Education? Exposure? Working abroad? A different workplace culture?

Perhaps. But exposure to another culture does not automatically make that culture the standard for every other environment.

Even Eliana is not happy about it.

There are places where everyone calls everyone by their first name. Fine. There are also places where titles and respectful forms of address matter. Fine.

Know the culture you are in. Know the person you are addressing. And when in doubt, err on the side of respect.

I believe she has learnt her lesson.

Hopefully, everyone else will learn something from it too.

Enjoy your weekend o! 😄

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER

It is commonly said that the only family one has the privilege of choosing is one’s marital family. You do not choose your parents or siblings, but you do have the opportunity to choose whom you will marry. This privilege carries both advantages and disadvantages. It is therefore important that a person does not enter marriage merely because of attraction, emotion, social pressure, or convenience, but gives careful thought to the character and qualities of the person he or she intends to marry.

One advantage of choosing a spouse is that you can look for qualities that are important for a lasting marriage and avoid qualities that would make married life unnecessarily difficult. A person can consider character, faithfulness, maturity, responsibility, humility, and the ability to love and serve another person. Yet there is an important caveat. Once people know the qualities you are looking for, they may sometimes present themselves in ways calculated to gain your approval. A person may pretend to possess qualities that he or she does not actually have. This is why courtship and the period of getting to know one another should not be treated merely as a time for romantic excitement, but as an opportunity to observe character.

The true character of a person may become clearer after marriage, when the excitement of courtship gives way to the ordinary responsibilities of life. Marriage brings financial pressures, disagreements, sickness, children, disappointments, and many other circumstances in which a person’s character is tested. Someone who appears patient during courtship may respond differently when frustrated. Someone who speaks beautifully about responsibility may prove irresponsible when responsibility becomes costly. Someone who appears faithful when there is nothing to test that faithfulness may behave differently when temptation comes.

This makes choosing the right person especially important because marriage is not merely a temporary association. Scripture presents marriage as a lifelong union in which a man and woman become “one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). The person one chooses as a spouse therefore becomes the person with whom one will share the ordinary and extraordinary circumstances of life. A poor choice can bring prolonged conflict, instability, unfaithfulness, financial hardship, and sorrow. A wise choice, though it does not guarantee a trouble-free marriage, establishes a much stronger foundation for living together faithfully and joyfully.

The importance of choosing wisely is also seen in the responsibility that accompanies the choice. The disadvantage of having the privilege to choose is that one must be prepared to live with the consequences of that choice. When things go wrong, it is tempting to blame someone else. This is especially true when a person begins to regret whom he or she married.

Adam provides a striking biblical example. When God brought the woman to him, Adam responded joyfully: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23). Yet after the Fall, when God confronted him about his disobedience, Adam changed his language: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12). The woman whom Adam had received joyfully as “bone of my bones” became, in his response to God, “the woman whom you gave me.” He attempted to shift responsibility for his sin toward both the woman and, indirectly, God Himself.

This is a warning against blaming God for choices that we ourselves have made. Scripture says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD” (Prov. 18:22). The text recognizes marriage as a blessing from God, but it also reminds us that marriage involves human responsibility. We should therefore seek God’s wisdom rather than simply follow our desires and then blame God when our desires lead us into trouble.

What, then, should men and women look for in potential marriage partners?

First, Christians should look for a genuine Christian faith. This should be more than a person’s claim to be a Christian or occasional attendance at church. A potential spouse should demonstrate a life shaped by the Word of God. Scripture warns against being unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). For a Christian, marriage is not merely about companionship, romance, or producing children; it is a life shared before God. The faith of the person one marries will therefore profoundly affect the spiritual life of the household.

A man should therefore look for a woman who fears the Lord, and a woman should likewise look for a man who fears the Lord. Proverbs says, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Prov. 31:30). The central question should not simply be, “Is this person attractive to me?” but also, “Does this person know and honor the Lord?”

Second, both men and women should look for good character. Beauty, wealth, education, social position, and physical attraction may all have their place, but none of them can substitute for character. A person who is dishonest before marriage should not be assumed to become honest merely because he or she gets married. A person who is habitually arrogant, cruel, irresponsible, manipulative, or unfaithful should not be chosen simply because there is strong romantic attraction.

Character is revealed by how a person treats others, particularly those from whom he or she has nothing to gain. Observe how the person speaks to parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, servants, strangers, and people who disagree with him or her. Observe how the person responds when corrected, disappointed, frustrated, or denied something. These circumstances often reveal more about character than romantic conversations do.

Third, men and women should look for faithfulness and trustworthiness. Marriage requires exclusive commitment. Proverbs praises the trustworthy wife, while the New Testament repeatedly commands husbands and wives to remain faithful to one another (Prov. 31:11; Heb. 13:4). A person who habitually lies, deceives, flirts indiscriminately, keeps inappropriate relationships, or treats promises lightly is demonstrating qualities that should not be ignored when considering marriage.

Fourth, prospective spouses should look for maturity and responsibility. Marriage involves responsibilities that cannot be sustained by romantic feelings alone. A husband and wife must learn to manage money, work together, make decisions, bear difficulties, care for children if God gives them children, and forgive one another. A person who refuses responsibility before marriage is unlikely to become responsible simply because a wedding ceremony has taken place.

Fifth, men should look for qualities that correspond to the biblical vocation of a husband, and women should likewise look for qualities that correspond to the biblical vocation of a wife. Scripture calls the husband to love his wife sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church (Eph. 5:25). Therefore, a woman should not merely ask whether a man is attractive or financially successful, but whether he demonstrates the capacity to love, protect, provide, lead with humility, and serve rather than dominate. A man should likewise look for a woman who is prepared to honor and respect her husband and faithfully share in the vocation of marriage (Eph. 5:22–24, 33).

Sixth, both should look for humility and the ability to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. No marriage consists of two perfect people. Because both husband and wife are sinners, disagreements will occur. What matters is how they deal with those disagreements. A person who cannot admit wrong, apologize, forgive, or receive correction will make marriage difficult. Scripture therefore calls Christians to be “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Eph. 4:32).

Seventh, prospective spouses should consider whether they can communicate honestly and respectfully with one another. Marriage requires continual communication. A person should be able to discuss difficult matters without resorting to threats, manipulation, insults, violence, or silent punishment. Disagreement itself is not necessarily a sign that two people should not marry; an inability to deal with disagreement in a healthy and godly manner is far more concerning.

Eighth, men and women should look for sexual purity and self-control. Sexual attraction is an important part of marriage, but it should not be allowed to become the principal basis for choosing a spouse. A person who cannot exercise self-control before marriage should not be assumed to become self-controlled afterward. Scripture calls Christians to sexual purity and teaches that the marriage bed is to be held in honor (1 Thess. 4:3–5; Heb. 13:4).

Finally, both men and women should look for someone with whom they can faithfully live out their God-given vocation. Marriage is not simply about finding someone who makes one happy. It is about receiving another person as a gift from God and faithfully living together in the responsibilities God gives to husband and wife. The right person, therefore, is not necessarily the person who satisfies every personal preference. Rather, the right person is one whose faith and character make it possible to enter marriage with a realistic expectation of mutual faithfulness, love, service, and growth in God’s Word.

At the same time, choosing carefully does not mean that marriage becomes a human guarantee against suffering. Even two Christians of excellent character remain sinners. A good marriage will still require repentance, forgiveness, patience, sacrifice, and perseverance. Choosing wisely simply means taking seriously the significance of the person with whom one intends to enter this lifelong covenant.

The Christian therefore should neither choose a spouse merely according to outward appearance nor imagine that feelings alone are sufficient. “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain” (Prov. 31:30). The better questions concern faith, character, faithfulness, maturity, responsibility, humility, self-control, and willingness to live according to God’s Word.

The importance of choosing the right person for marriage, therefore, is that marriage joins two lives in a relationship intended by God to be lifelong. The choice of a spouse will affect one’s spiritual life, household, children, finances, emotional well-being, and daily vocation. A wise choice cannot guarantee a perfect marriage, but an unwise choice can create difficulties that could have been avoided through careful discernment. Christians should therefore seek not merely a person whom they desire, but a person whose life gives credible evidence of faith and character. And having made that choice, they should remember that marriage is not sustained by the perfection of either spouse, but by God’s grace, His Word, repentance, forgiveness, and faithful love.

For those still searching, all the best!
For me and my baby girl, we’re marching towards year four in this institution.

Cheers!

COMPLETE YOUR COURSE!

We often measure death by age. If someone lives long enough to see children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, enjoys success, and dies peacefully, we call it a celebration of life. But when another dies in youth or middle age—with dreams unfinished, children still young, or plans interrupted—we say, “Gone too soon,” “A sunset at noon,” or “An untimely death.”

That may be how we see it, but Scripture invites us to see differently.

When the apostle Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7), he was not declaring that he had reached a certain acceptable age of death. He was declaring that he had completed the assignment God had given him.

One phrase stands out: “I have finished the race.”

Not every race is the same length. Some runners are given 100 meters, others 400 meters, and others a marathon. The honor is not in the distance covered but in faithfully finishing the course assigned.

So it is with life.

God gives each person a unique course. Some are called home after many decades; others after only a few years—or even less. We may not understand why, but we know that the Lord, who numbers our days (Psalm 139:16), is never mistaken.

The question at the end of life will not be, “How long did you live?” but rather, “Did you faithfully run the course entrusted to you?”

If you are still breathing today, your race is not over. Your course is not yet complete. There is still work to do, faith to keep, and a good fight to fight.

So do not be discouraged by the length of the road behind you, nor anxious about the length of the road ahead. Live this day faithfully. Run your race with endurance. Fight the good fight of faith.

When the Lord finally calls us home, what will matter most won’t be how many years we lived, but whether, by His grace, we completed the course He set before us.

“Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” — Hebrews 12:1–2

May God grant us grace not merely to live long, but to live faithfully—and, in His time, to finish well.

Requiescat in pace, Apostole!

WHILE THEY ARE ALIVE…

There is something about the human heart that deserves quiet reflection.

We envy the living, yet pity the dead.
We admire what others have, forgetting that every smile may hide a struggle only God can see. Then, when death comes, our envy gives way to sympathy, our admiration to sorrow, and our words become kinder than they ever were while the person was alive.

Another irony is even more sobering.
We are often quicker to contribute to a funeral than to ease a burden. We readily give for a casket, yet drag our feet over medical bills support. We buy flowers for the tomb, but struggle to provide a meal. We write beautiful tributes, but while they’re still alive words of appreciation hardly come.

God calls us to a better way.
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27)

And James asks us a searching question:
“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food… what does it profit?” (James 2:15–16)

We are here reminded that love is never meant to be postponed. Christ did not wait until we were worthy before He loved us. He came to us in our need, bore our burdens, carried our sin to the cross, and conquered death by His resurrection. That same love now flows through His people, not merely in words, but in deeds.

For those who die in the Lord, we do not grieve without hope. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… they may rest from their labors” (Revelation 14:13). Their hope is secure in Christ. But for those of us who are still here, there remains a holy calling: to love while love can still be received, to forgive while forgiveness can still be spoken, and to give while our hands can still lift another’s burden.

May God deliver us from the habit of celebrating people only after they are gone. May He teach us to see beyond appearances, to replace envy with gratitude, comparison with compassion, and delayed kindness with present love.

Today, someone needs more than your tribute tomorrow. They need your prayer, your encouragement, your presence, and your helping hand.

The Lord make us people who honor the living, comfort the grieving, and place our hope firmly in Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life. Amen.

Happy birthday, Nana!

CAMERA, LIGHTS, SOUND ROLLING… and… WORSHIP!

Church is one of the few places where people should feel safe enough to be vulnerable—to open their hearts to God, pour out their burdens, and find rest in the Father who has promised, “Come to me… all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

That is why photographers and media teams should exercise wisdom and restraint. Not every moment is meant for social media. A person kneeling in tears, praying with eyes closed, or broken before God is not content to be captured and shared. Some moments are sacred. They belong to the worshipper and to God alone.

But the cameras are not the only problem.

Some worshippers have also turned the presence of a camera into a cue for performance. They spend the service scrolling through social media or distracted by their phones, only to suddenly become visibly “devout” when they notice the camera approaching. Once it passes, they return to business as usual.

Neither extreme reflects the purpose of worship.

Church is not a concert. It is not a stage. It is worship. And worship is not about what we display before people, but about hearts poured out before God.

When God sent Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel, every impressive son of Jesse seemed like the obvious choice. But God reminded Samuel, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). We are often captivated by appearances—raised hands, emotional expressions, perfect photographs, and carefully crafted moments. God is not. He sees beyond the posture of our bodies to the posture of our hearts. He knows whether our tears are genuine, whether our songs are sincere, whether our prayers are honest, and whether our worship is offered for His glory or for human applause.

So whether you stand behind the camera, sit in the pew, sing in the choir, or preach from the pulpit, remember this: the audience of worship is God alone.

May the Lord preserve in His Church the beauty of sincere worship. May He grant broken hearts the freedom to seek Him without fear of being put on display. And may all who worship Him in spirit and in truth find the rest, peace, and joy that only Christ can give. Amen.

Have a blessed new week, people.

THE BEE LESSON

I read somewhere that when bees cannot remove a dead intruder from the hive, they cover it with propolis, sealing it off so it cannot harm the colony.

What a lesson for life.

Not every problem can be removed.
Not every wound can be healed immediately.
Not every burden can be avoided.

But not every burden must be allowed to poison your joy, faith, family, or future.

The Apostle Paul prayed for his “thorn in the flesh” to be taken away, but God replied:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Sometimes God removes the problem.
Sometimes He gives us grace to live faithfully despite it.

Faith is not always overcoming every struggle; sometimes it is refusing to let the struggle overcome you.

Stay strong, people. Stay positive. Stay hopeful.

OBSEQUIES ANNOUNCEMENT

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)

With sadness at our earthly loss, yet with confidence in the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Archbishop, clergy, and faithful members of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria announce the passage into glory of our beloved National Secretary, The Reverend Anietie Jacob Ntong, who fell asleep in the Lord on 2nd July 2026.

All thanks to Almighty God for His servant’s faithful ministry, dedicated leadership, and steadfast witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While we mourn his departure from our midst, we rejoice in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, won for all believers through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Funeral Service, as announced by the Presidency of the LCN, shall be held on Friday, 31st July 2026, at Luther Cathedral Obot Idim Ibesikpo, after which the interment shall be held in Afaha Nsit II, his hometown, awaiting the glorious resurrection on the Last Day.

May the God of all comfort sustain the bereaved family, strengthen His Church, and keep us steadfast in His Word until we are united with all the saints in His eternal kingdom.

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” (Revelation 14:13)

Adieu, The Apostle!