“If you must play, decide on three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time” – Chinese Proverb
In my last trip outside the country, I got the opportunity to watch American Gangster. It’s an interesting film for many reasons, it’s also a film that I find a lot of lessons in. I would cronicle a few, in my attempt to share with you what is frontal in my mind this morning.
The story line was that, an American Area Father (Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson)and crime boss died, and his driver turned right hand man Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) took over. Denzel Washington had driven this man for years, been with him for negotiation meetings, been his PA for most of the journey, and had watched and learned. There were quite a number of people in the hierachry ahead of him, but he had been closest to the old man, and had learnt a lot from him. How to handle pressure, how to be patient, how to be decisive, how to negotiate e.t.c. He had learnt the art of business. When the Area Father died, a vacuum was created, the market was going to go unregulated. Leadership became available and there were a number of options.
Denzel decided to step up to leadership, he decided to also add a little more business dynamics to the drug business. He leveraged on his relationships, and secured high quality heroine at extremely cheap prices. With a better product, lower price and product supply, he controlled the market, establishing himself as an organized crime chieftain. He did it so well, without getting noticed that most of this competitors and even the cops believed there was an Italian mafia behind the scenes. In fact for a long time he wasn’t even known by the police.
While that was going on, a low life detective in New Jersy Richie Roberts (acted by Russell Crowe) was positioned as a “different cop”. He turned in a million dollars of unmarked money back to the force. With Russell Crowe in this film, it wasn’t a matter of who would know and what was worth it, he seemed to live under a compulsion to do the right thing at his Job. His life didn’t showcase as much integrity, but with his job as a police officer, he couldn’t be bought.
Things went exceptionally well for this crime boss business tycoon. He made money, he made name, he was out of lime light, he was cool! Denzel Washington played it well, a likeable criminal. Things went well… until… Until the war ended, and his military links were being called off from base in Vietnam. He wanted to make one last run for it, he travelled by himself to Asia to secure his last transaction – 7 Coffins filled with pure heroine. He had a conversation with the Chinese Nationalist general. Who told him what I really want you to learn – “Why don’t you quit now?” Denzel Washington (Frank Lucas in this film) looks at him stunned, quit? The Chinese nationalist general told him again, “Quitting when you are ahead, is not quitting!” He didn’t take this advice, and he hit his waterloo. That was his last transaction, he was caught and he faced the music.
Over to you – What have you been doing that you know is bad, that you ought to quit now? The best time to quit, is after reading an article like this. It’s a sign, a warning, that you are getting past the point of no return. Wrong things have their repercurssions, if you haven’t faced the music yet, it means you are still ahead, quit!
I remember a time when God told the children of Isreal, “You have encamped long enough around this mountain, move now”. That’s saying quit parambulating. The children of Isreal ended up spending 40yrs on an 11 days journey, in the process, everybody older than 20yrs of age at the time of their departure from Egypt died in the wilderness. The repercussions for remaining stiff necked in evil doing are grave, quit when you are ahead. The bible says that because the reward for evil is not speedily executed, men foolishly continue to do evil. Every human has a cup that gets filled when we remain willfully do the wrong things. Nothing happens to you until the cup is filled. If your cup is not filled yet, quit while you are ahead.
Don’t wait until you get AIDS, don’t wait until you have an accident, don’t wait until you die, don’t wait until someone gets hurt, don’t wait until lives are destroyed, don’t wait until your youth is wasted, don’t wait until you enter an irreversible pattern of woes. Quit now, stop today!
“A word”, they say, “is enough for the wise”.
“Whatever a man sows that shall he also reap”, the Bible tells us. And instructive enough, the day you put a grain of corn into the earth is not the day you harvest it. This xplains why a lot of people seem not to heed this warning. They more u continue in that deed, its like watering the seed u have already sown and the harvest for sure is far greater than the seed sown. Be wise now and quit.
One thing about ur site-ur write ups- is that it takes care of the total man- i mean both the spiritual and the physical aspects of his (her) life.
Keep it up!
Luv U!
Daddy Ire … nice angle you have brought to American Gangster. I will also add that what most people don’t know is that you can never be too careful – a loophole will always show. Even before the last shipment in the coffin – he attracted the attention of corrupt police officers when his wife bought him a very expensive fur coat that he wore to a boxing match. This is a man who had successfully kept a very low profile until that incidence but when the time came, he was found out.
Man must have a higher authority he believes in to be able to live right and that authority has to be GOD and no one else. Man must also believe in the reality of the after life and resolve to hate eternal damnation. Fact is that many will read this particular post and many before it and label you as a religious crusader instead of putting the lessons to use. You wonder why people are more excited at business opportunities on this site more than the fundamentals of living right? The answer is simple – most people live as if life will not end and are only interested in building fake worldly ego rather than thinking about eternity. For those who understand there is an eternity and still make rash decisions (Most of us fall into this once in a while, so no judging); this might be the best time to take stock.
Quitting any evil act can not be achieved by mere resolutions but with understanding the real purpose of life and the realization of the implications of our every acts which should lead to repentant through the grace provided by our Lord. So stopping illicit sex, drugs, corruption and other self-destructive habits will never happen by personal convictions but by submitting to the almighty.
My prayer is that God will draw men unto himself and reveal to them the truth that we have somewhere to go after this world and that whatever we do here determines our final destination. God help us all!
i’m happy to be back again!he who has ears let him hear!
its project ATA(After talk,action!)
keep it up deolu!
In this age and time, you hardly see people saying the truth. Even Pastors.
And that was the very thing that got me attracted to your articles and ultimately your website.
Don’t wait until tomorrow…quit now!
A new Nigeria is possible.
Great piece to be embraced by great minds. NOW is the time to quit all vices and embrace virtues.
Brother, you are actually doing to well if i have to score you,thanks for this reminder,it came at the right time.
May every weak heart or mind receive strenght and courage to take action accordingly. God is not willingly that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
This is a seasoned message, keep it up Deolu.
I awas reading,and was thinking, this is me been talked to, this are my innermost thots being provoked into the open.
Do not pocrastinate, do that which the spirit wants you to now!Sharp!sharp!
You are a joy to your generation D!Keep flying!
I thought in myself, how would i have read or view this article a month ago.Am sure with a lot of uncertainty and fear.Thank God for better days ahead,Chairman thank you this wonderful piece.In case anyone is still on the other side change lane now tomorrow may be too late.
Again, Thank you Sir.
my chair, there is no doubt in my mind dat u carry GOD.not only dat u know HIS MIND ,u also speak HIS MIND.U WONT MISS U REWARD O .Timely message.
Nice message,keep it up and stay tuned to the heavens for more seasonal messages.God bless you.Thanks
God bless you! I have not had such a message so strong and so pulled out of a 1h20mins piece everyone watches and life still remains the same. It shows wht you have got; insight. Your message hit me and real big. I will share the testimony soon.
preach it sir! may God help those who feel they cant quit that bad habit. it begins with divine help and contnues with willpower.i.e the ability to say no to temporary pleasure and permanent pain.
…hmmmmmmmm a word is enough for the wise. A quitting time bad attitude, a time to renew our minds and be positive about life, our neighbours and the society at large. I think Love is the convicting and strong point that can make someone want to quit evil….if a man love God, will fear God and will not want to do bad things…. the absence of the fear of God is the reason for many evil we see in our society today.
Fraudsters are on the increase, Yahoo Yahoo boys and girls now everywhere. Corruption on the lose. God will deliver Nigeria. We need to stand positive, be positive minded towards your neighbour and fellow Nigerian. I believe if we can get the right orientation, many evil perpetrators will desist.