The Ten Slay Queens

An international advertising company advertised for models who would be the face of their agency. In fact, they needed the said models to represent all their clientele. They therefore looked to get the most qualified girls to employ.

And the winners of that pursuit would be given just about anything as well as be able to travel anywhere in the world since that is what it means being the face of the agency.

They needed beautiful girls, well-shaped, intelligent, classy and of course media savvy.

The advertisement took the world by storm.

‘Looking for slay queens’, ran the advertisement before listing all the requirements.

Then the pay (looked more like rewards and holidays) for the ones who clinched the job; travel anywhere in the world using airline of choice, staying in your hotel of choice, among other tantalizing offers.

The job was open to any girl of the slay queen age bracket and the applications were to be done online.

Hundreds of thousands of girls applied, some who did not even know what being a slay queen meant but couldn’t resist all those rewards to the one clinching the job.

Most failed the interview before it started because their writing skills were below par. Many others were visibly overdecorated or overpainted. Those were not even responded to. Of course nobody could respond to all those applications even if they decided to use digital means.

A few thousands passed that first level (online vetting) and were referred to offices nearest them (at the company’s cost) for one on one interview.

Many others lost out because they had pampered their pictures to appear more attractive. Others looked older in person than they had been online. Yet others lost because they were too daring.

After a series of very rigorous interviews on which they gauged their intellect, ability to work under pressure, dietary discipline, exercise regimen and many other stringent criteria, they settled on ten who had passed everything they had examined. They had failed to reduce that number after many attempts.

It appeared that they would have to use their whims to reduce that number, a number they had to reduce due to the monetary and job requirements. Until one old man thought of one last test that could not even be called an interview.

They were taken on a trip (they had been brought to the headquarters) and told to await their last instruction. They were not told where they would be going, what they would require or even what instruction they would be expecting.

Since all through the many interviews and travelling they had been in places with electricity, they were used to carrying phone chargers as that is what they needed to remain online all the time with those smart phones that consume power like water.

That incidentally was the last interview, if it could be called thus.

Half of them decided to take their charged power banks. They had been used to carrying them that they never considered where they were going to decide. It was more like their second nature. The others laughed at them for being overcautious for nothing, loving excess baggage all through their interview process.

The first driver handed them over to another one who either did not know any language they spoke or was deaf as he did not speak at all. But he was okay as he was in the company’s uniform and drove the agency van.

When evening came, instead of taking them to a real hotel, he took them to a cluster of huts.

They were surprised because they belonged to the agency and had prepared everything for the slay queens, except electricity.

After all those hours of traveling and all the fun they had been having, they get to a place with everything except the only thing they needed, power to charge their phones, phones that had been given by the agency.

They got into a panic. The last instruction was due any time and their phone batteries were warning of a shut down. They offered to do anything, give anything to the staff to get a way to charge those phones. But it appeared that the outpost was completely ancient as none of the staff had a phone.

Of course the ones who had carried their power banks took them out and started charging their phones. The ones who had thought of them as extra baggage and even laughed at them for being superstitious or doubtful Thomases started pleading with them to allow them to share those power banks. You see, all those weeks the interviews were going on, when thousands failed, there had never been any power shortage.

We fear it might crash the power bank to charge two phones at once, was the response they got.

Where else can they get power to charge those phones? They asked the staff.

Probably an hour’s drive from here, was the response. They even agreed to take them there using the vehicle they came in. and they had no other choice as their phones were already off.

A few minutes after they left a message came to the phones.

You are hired. Respond immediately.

Of course they responded joyfully and went to celebrate, enjoying the splendid hospitality being offered in that remote outpost.

Then the others came. They were distraught. And they did not know why the others were celebrating.

What did they find when they powered their phones?

There had been a message, alright. But they were unable to respond, however hard they tried. They had been disconnected from the server when they refused to respond to the message on time.

A helicopter came to pick the victors even as the others could not believe their bad fortune.

They were driven back by the same driver only that this time he was talking, explaining that he had been instructed not to talk for fear he may have leaked the last test.

Do you realize that this is exactly how the kingdom of God works, even life itself?

The determining factor in success is not passing one or other test as many other people have the same skills and qualifications that singling out the best may be akin to picking out a particular zebra from the herd on your visit to the park.

When things are equal, all may seem to be fine. But wait until that power bank is required and the difference will stand out like a sore thumb.

Do you remember believers at home or in school and the way their faith thrived? Or believers under a good local church?

Fasting and prayer was no issue. Giving did not need much prompting. Fellowship was real. You couldn’t tell who had greater faith as things flowed flawlessly because of all the support structures in existence.

But take them out of that zone to a place they were supposed to stand alone, where nobody knew or cared whether they were believers or not. A place nobody cared to know whether you attended fellowship or prayer, a place your faith was your private affair. In fact it may be a place that would encourage rebellion and sin.

That is where you will discover the ones who had something extra from the expected. It is when the support structures are removed that you realize the ones who had been raised to live a complete Christian life by standing alone.

I can say this from experience. When I worked in places far from anywhere, I saw people who had been pastors before being posted there living as if they left God when the transfer removed them from their congregation. I have seen church elders becoming whoremongers and dear sisters becoming harlots and concubines when the support structures are removed.

Sometimes it is not even the support structures. Ministers have been swallowed in evil when their account balances swelled with the growth of the ministries and churches they led. Someone who was generous becomes completely self-absorbed. Someone who was serious with the things of God becomes a people pleaser because of the comfort they offer him. Someone who was radical against sin becomes a poor but powerful motivator trying to explain away sin instead of confronting it.

What is that extra thing that will keep us powered whatever comes our way? What is the power bank that we will turn to when there is no mains power?

In a recent post, I noted something God told me recently. That the only Bible the devil fears is the one in the believer’s heart. That is the one that cannot be played around with as it has become part of the believer.

A consistent intake of God’s word is the fuel that can take you beyond the support structures. Only God’s word hidden in the heart is able to make someone endure persecution victoriously. Remember Stephen?

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11)

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Treasuring God and His word in our hearts is the determining extra we need to live above the rest.

Incidentally, that is not something we do in competition. It is something we consistently do until it becomes second nature. We will do it ‘without thinking’, almost instinctively. Yet it is because of our constancy in doing it that will make our life of faith and obedience that effortless.