My view on Risk Management

As I watch many good people struggling to keep up with the times, fighting for their health, for their rights, for their finances, for their honor, for their respect, I cannot help but reflect on the past and wonder how we got here in the first place. Perhaps the past can tell us patterns that we might have missed.

Were we so distracted that we didn’t see this coming at all? Did we see the sings, but ignored them in the hope that God will do a miracle, and this will just go away? Is what is happening in the world right now a sign of the times? Do we know the signs? How much are we relying on the mainstream media or “cancelling” giants to tell us? how much do we rely on WhatsApp groups to share and absorb? we are glued to the news channels as they prophesy doom and gloom over the masses with little to no accountability. Yet, people keep going back and tuning into the same sources that become the conversation starters at dinner tables, bars, restaurants, taxi ranks and bus stops.

In Luke 21, Jesus explains and describes the signs of the times in some detail and that makes me wonder, how much of it are we aware of as believers. Jesus gives us a heads-up into the future. He uses words that give us clues as to the type of behaviors we can expect from people, society and governments during these times that we are facing. Jesus prophesied that about 2000 years ago, so how do we know the timeline when these signs will happen? perhaps they have been happening, but we were too distracted with building careers, going to school, becoming famous, updating our social media status and profiles and many other things things related to the vanity of life for over 2000 years.

In the book of Revelations, we are taken into the detailed future that might seem something out of a Sci-Fi movie. Many people prefer reality shows and visible pleasures, they don't have time to dive into the supernatural. I therefore ask, why did Jesus say that the Kingdom of God belonged to such child-like spirits? Children tend to acknowledge the supernatural fairly quickly but adults as they grow in education and society’s levels tend to become numb to the supernatural, to the point that they shrug it off and label it one word, ..."weird”. So, you can imagine my eyes rolling when my so-called Christian friends find it hard to imagine Revelations 19: 11-12 and tell me something like, “oh that must be so scary…..”. I speak with my face, so I think they got the picture…LOL.

How much faith do we have saints? How much faith does it take to find out what the risks are on this planet we are on and put a risk mitigation plan in place? So how do good Christian families not have enough to sustain themselves during this period? Why do we panic and search for solutions on social media from the “experts” when we have a detailed instruction book? The instruction for any situation is outlined in Deuteronomy 28. The consequences of not following those instructions are also outlined in Deuteronomy 28. I always say that being a Christian today is not about the “hugging” business. We have to thank the pandemic for highlighting that. Yes, we need to love our neighbor, but 1 Corinthians 13 gives a very good definition of what love is. Love is not about fuzzy Valentine day feelings, its about things we do for ourselves and for our community. Love is an action word, its a verb.

Being a Christian is about being strategic, calculated, premeditated, deliberate, tactical, brave and bold. What happened to building these skills? Where are Joshua’s 300? Jesus tells his disciples, not followers, to be the doers of Gods work, “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

I believe Jesus is talking directly to you and me. Do you know that wolves are carnivores and they devour sheep at the first opportunity? They live in packs and follow a strict dominance hierarchy. I have worked in various industries, everywhere I work, I tend to find many Christians highly in tune with their negative emotions, complaining about everything, complaining that they are not part of the squad, complaining that they have been excluded and that they are being unfairly treated by colleagues. My question is, why would God place you there? is it to solve something, to learn something or to teach something? Once you understand that, you get on with it.

One other thing, if you’re a sheep among carnivorous animals, I would expect you to be strategic, taking sure calculated risks in order to stay in the game because this is the game and that's why God selected us as players in it.

Building a brave and determined mentality is therefore not something you buy or copy from someone else, it’s something you need to become. You owe it to yourself and to your creator. Start with the Bible where Jesus is the Word in action.

Let’s take a step back to the book of Genesis 1: 28 (KJV), and God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth .

I found it interesting that God used the following words in His instruction to us who believe in Him:

a) Fruitful- fertile, profitable, successful, beneficial, helpful, worthwhile, abundant

b) Multiply- increase or cause to increase greatly in number or quantity

c) replenish - restore (a stock or supply) to a former level or condition, renew, replace

d) Subdue- overcome, quieten, or bring under control, overcome, conquer, defeat, master, overcome

So, I have a question to you my dear reader guest, Why do we feel so comfortable to leave this dominion in the hands of others? People expect to be selected as if we are on some sort of conveyor belt waiting to be picked by someone and then we throw tantrums and blame favoritism when not selected. It’s the same like leaving your future to chance and hoping some winds will blow it in the right direction.

Lets do a little quiz, I ask and you answer to yourself. Here are my top questions:

1. Have you calculated your current financial risk? Do you have mitigation plans in place?

2. Have you calculated your health risk? what is your current metabolic age? Do you have a mitigation plan in place?

3. Have you conducted an assessment of your current life situation?

4. Did you do a SWOT analysis for yourself, your family?

5. Have you conducted an assessment of your future while on this earth, knowing the risks Jesus mentioned in Luke 21 as well as in the book of Revelations? Do you know the signs? Will you be able to identity them?

6. Did you review the requirements in Deuteronomy 28?

7. Do you know the rules, the decrees and commandments and

8. Do you follow them and speak them over yourself and your family?

9. DO you know where you're going when your time is up? Are you sure?

After all risk assessment is defined as the identification of hazards that could negatively impact an institution’s ability to conduct business. These assessments help yo identify the inherent, implicit, fundamental risks and provide measures, processes and controls to reduce the impact of these risks to business operations. I repeat, measures, processes, controls......What are your measures, processes and controls you have in place for you and your family?

We are in the current pandemic situation and as a believer I know that we will get through this and come out stronger, faster and more strategic. If you failed to do your planning before, then I urge you to start doing it now. Know the facts about who you are and why you are here. Find out what risks are associated with this package called “life on earth”. Mitigate these risks. Put a plan in place and follow the plan. Define measures, processes and controls for you and your family. the Bible is a strategic book because God is strategic and methodical.

I would like to see you here next time where we discuss some more practical Christian faith from the Bible with a little dash of fabulous!

Stay blessed.

Alcina Chipeio (June 14th , 2021)