Mercy Anang Blogspot

“Knowing we are in a battle against the forces of darkness, we should want as much help as we can gather around us, and this may include making ourselves accountable to another believer who can encourage us in the fight”- GotQuestions Management consultant Todd Herman defines personal accountability as being willing to answer …for the outcomes resulting from your choices, behavior and actions. It is taking ownership of our actions and asking the tough questions or being vulnerable with a trusted person in our quest of being better. We all, at a point have sought the opinion of another, on various issues of life and when life requires us to share our burdens, we always endeavor to open up to people who can truly help us see and decide well. No man’s an island, as the saying goes and hence we need all the support structure we can get. Hence, it becomes very vital for the need of an accountability partner. An accountability partner is one with whom we can be vulnerable...

In a world of instant gratification and the worship of self, coupled with our sinful hearts, we always grapple with the damaging nature of selfishness. It is essentially saying, ‘be at my service at all cost’- it just doesn’t matter how. We hurt others when we make life revolve around us without giving thought to the other person. We look out for our needs at the expense of the next person; It’s all about what serves us or make us comfortable. It’s never about giving thought to our brother or sister. Selfishness, unchecked leaves us empty and drives away those who really matter-those who seek our best interest at heart. In 1 Corinthians 13 where the infamous love verse is quoted, Paul says love is not selfish. How is love not selfish? It does not make decisions that end up gratifying self and leaving the other person destitute or discouraged. In light of the above, it stands to reason that to overcome this evil that plagues our hearts, we ought to ask the LORD to transform our h...

Social media is inundated with many adverts advocating for the perfect curves and ultimately, the perfect body in every sense. The pressure to have the Kim K or the Tyson Beckford looks drive us to all kinds of experiments to attain that physique. Others become anorexic in their quest of losing weight and staying slim. Others go for plastic surgery to alter their looks in extreme ways. For some, it is the desire of appearing fairer, thus the craze for the hydroquinone effect. Whatever it is, at a point, most of us, if not all of us have been dissatisfied with our physical appearance. Growing up, I hated my lips! I wished they were smaller. I wanted to smile showing my teeth effortlessly. I was very conscious of my physique and that led to a never-ending battle with low self-esteem. I’m sure if I had the means to alter my looks, I would not have hesitated! You see, instinctively, we craze for acceptance and attention. We want to turn heads and be the topic for the prettie...

In the past week, I have struggled with unhealthy fear- the kind that keeps you absent-minded. The kind that gives you sleepless nights. The kind that sees tears roll down your cheeks. That fear that makes you want to go into hiding. That voice of fear that drowns every ounce of hope in you. We have all been there. Very often, unhealthy fear stems from not knowing what’s ahead of us. We create the perfect picture in our minds but when things begin to go contrary to what we envisaged, we get jittery and begin to imagine worse things that could happen. Unhealthy fear prevents us from enjoying the moments as they come. It prevents us from taking bold steps that will bring about breakthroughs. It erodes trust in relationships. Unhealthy fear essentially makes us give up even before the race starts. Ultimately, it keeps us in a prison where we find ourselves in shackles of despair and craziness. Unhealthy fear can make us lose out on a great business opportunity or miss out on ...

We have all been there. We try with every ounce of strength in us to justify our shortcomings. It is never our fault and often times, we say things like, “She made me say to say those words”, “ I was just in a bad mood”, etc. I’m sure you can think of countless occasions where a heartfelt apology would have restored calm, instead of wasting time to prove a point. But here’s the crux of the matter, why do we get defensive when we are in the wrong? Why do we easily seek a hiding a place when we are criticized or made aware of our mistakes? I would love to see your answers in the comments below. However, I believe that the reason we get defensive is that our pride is often times hurt and we would rather defend that ego or pride rather than admitting our offense and seeking growth. The Collins Dictionary puts it better in the following, “ If someone is on the defensive , they are trying to protect themselves or their interests because they feel unsure or threatened”. In justif...

I have been battling with acne for a while now. Looking for a quick fix, I have tried many products but they seem not to be working to my satisfaction. I tried one organic product and was very meticulous with its application. After three consistent days of using it, I saw a change and complacency made me reduce the number of times I was using it. Then boom! The acne surfaced again. I’m back to square one now and restarting the routine to gain the necessary results. Consistency has many synonyms which include evenness, steadiness, constancy, and regularity. In the chemical world, consistency relates to the way in which a substance holds together in terms of its thickness, density or firmness. In my write up today, I will discuss the power of being consistent in our pursuits. In the article, ‘The Power of Consistency’, the writers assert that consistency is a necessary ingredient in success. Having the discipline to keep going through thick and thin will eventually reap the resu...

Dear Lady, You Are More Than Your Skin. There was a lady I always admired. She was fair, had pointed nose and was really endowed with all the 'woman assets'. She turned heads and I wished I could be like her, if not, be her.  It's insane, I know. I struggled with my own sense of insecurity and low self-esteem so my perception of a pretty woman was quite unhealthy.  I set out to search for the truth. Read God's word on how He really defines beauty and was blessed with friends I could share my struggles with & who really prayed for me. I was blessed with the works of authors like Elizabeth Elliott, Elizabeth George and many more whose reflections helped me in gaining a new perspective. There are still many young women and girls out there who are struggling with society’s acceptance of what beauty is. Insecurity and a low self-esteem drive us to all the wrong places and the wrong people; where we are left empty and distressed. We depend on mak...