How can I take a step when I don’t have legs? Having no legs here means having no proper means to execute my plans. How can I venture into new skills when I know I cannot comprehend what they are going to teach me? How can I go into a new relationship when they keep hurting me on a daily basis? These and many other responses I have experienced from people around me and it keeps bothering me. Today, I was really struck with the action of some lepers who took the bulls by the horn.  In 2 Kings 7:3, we meet four lepers who were stuck at the gates of Samaria, living in isolation and despair. They had been excluded from society, forced to live on the outskirts, and were struggling to survive. But one day, they made a decision that would change their lives forever. They decided to take a step towards their healing.

 

The lepers' situation was dire. They were outcasts, shunned by their community, and left to frown in their misery. But in the midst of their desperation, they chose to act. They said to one another, "Why sit here until we die?". They decided to take a risk, to venture out into the unknown, and to trust that God would provide for them.

 

Looking at this story, it resonates deeply with the struggles of many young people in Nigeria today. And those that gave me those responses at the beginning of this article. How many of us are stuck in situations that seem impossible to overcome? How many of us are waiting for someone else to come and rescue us, instead of taking that first step towards our own healing?

 

The lepers' story teaches us that healing begins with a decision to act. It begins with a willingness to take a step, no matter how small, towards the solution. For the lepers, it meant leaving the familiarity of their miserable circumstances and trusting that God would provide for them.

 

As young people in Nigeria, you face numerous challenges from economic hardship to social inequality, from spiritual dryness to physical danger. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, to feel like giving up, or to wait for someone else to come and fix things for you. But the lepers' story says, "No, it's time to take action."

 

What is that one thing that you have been putting off? What is that one step that you have been afraid to take? The lepers' story says, "Take it." Maybe you're struggling with financial difficulties, and you are not sure how to make ends meet. Take a step: apply for that job, start that small business, or seek out a mentor who can guide you.

 

Maybe you are struggling with spiritual dryness, and you feel disconnected from God. Take a step: spend five minutes in prayer, read a Bible verse, or join a community of believers who can support you.

 

Always know that God is waiting for us to take that first step. He is waiting for us to acknowledge our needs, to trust in His provision, and to act in faith. When we do, we will find that our circumstances begin to change, and our healing begins to manifest.

 

I ask you again, what is holding you back? What is keeping you stuck in your current situation? Take a page from the lepers' book, and take that first step. You never knew what God has waiting for you on the other side. Just in case you are not aware of the outcome of the lepers, the outcome was great, they were saved because they took the first step. Don’t be discouraged, be courageous regardless of the odds around you.