‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬On a day like this in 2020, I went to one of the Market Square outlets in Port Harcourt, Nigeria with a ready list made up of toothpaste, a sandwich maker, and a loaf of bread. But for that, I would have been carried away. Once inside, a lady approached me and introduced a number of items – belt, cuff links, etc. None of them was on my list. I thanked her and excused myself. When I was done and ready to pull away from the car lot, one mallam approached me with a necklace. He said it’s gold, and to demonstrate its genuineness, he brought out a lighter and subjected it to flame. I told him I don’t use such things. He said I should buy it for madam. I told him another day. To break me down, he reminded me that that day was Good Friday; urging me to pay any amount because he would like to give offering at the mosque. I still refused. He then dropped it on my lap. I removed it and dropped on the roof of my car. Focus saved me from dabbling into things that were of no consequence to me at that time.

Focus saved me from dabbling into things that were of no consequence to me at that time…we also must focus on the Mandate of Heaven on our lives

Jesus came into the world with a to-do list. At birth, it was announced that He would save His people from their sins. That, of course, would take Him to the Cross. So many things came His way to keep Him from making it to the Cross. Even Peter rebuked Him when He told the disciples that He would be crucified. He shoved aside all distractions and died on Calvary’s tree to redeem humanity. As we remember His crucifixion today, we also must focus on the Mandate of Heaven on our lives. Above all, we must focus on the reason behind His death, which is deliverance from sins.