My Monday Morning Jab Pt. II; THE POWER OF SINCERITY

By: Brother Deric Muhammad

        Every child is born in a state of sincerity. Everytime he or she cries, smiles or throws a tantrum it is sincere. At some point in the child's development it learns how to utilize those smiles, tears and tantrums to manipulate situations and circumstances to achieve short term goals. The hope, then, becomes that we will grow out of our manipulative ways when we become adults; more spiritually mature. Unfortunately sometimes it gets worse before it gets better. Hence, the difficulty factor in finding sincere people in today's world.

     I contend that you CAN find sincere people in today's world and the first place that you should look is in the mirror. If you don't see him or her, fret not; the insincere man or woman in the mirror is the human being that you have the ability to change. In other words, the best way to inject sincerity into an insincere society is through self improvement. I'm on my way to the mirror right now.

     This week I would like for you to take a journey with me; a journey of self appraisal and sincerity. Have you ever been inspired to join a church, mosque, organization, fraternity or sorority and once you've dedicated yourself to that cause or organization you found difficulty. Sometimes disunity, disorganization, fussing and infighting, mismanagement and an overall betrayal of the general objective of the organization can disappoint you to the point where you want to leave. It is at that moment that you must meditate and collect your thoughts about why you joined the organization in the first place.

     I know people who go to law school with a sincere desire to make change. Once they graduate, pass the bar and began to practice they immediately run into a criminal justice system that vehemently resists change. Their desire to make change then turns into a desire to make dollars and they usually end up moderately wealthy, yet unfulfilled. How about the married couple that says "til death do us part" at the ceremony, but it does not last. Too often we start off with a sincere and noble motive in our endeavors, but end up frustrated and abandon the goal. What has happened? We've allowed negative forces and circumstances to tamper with our sincerity.

     Sincerity to the soul is much like the chin to a boxer. It must be protected at all costs if you are to finish the fight. My boxing trainer taught me that there are nerves found in the chin that are so sensitive that one blow can end a fight in a split second. The same goes for us all who strive for true success; especially those of us who seek to help in the cause of the resurrection of Black people and humanity in general. We must always be in the moment, remembering why we do what we do. We must never forget what brought tears to our eyes that made us want to help in this cause. We must look beyond our people's faults, see their needs and sincerely desire to help them. We must, at all costs, protect the sincere motive that God gave us when we said that we wanted to be helpers in a cause that is bigger than us all.

      This week we must reflect on the best part of self; the self with no ulterior motive. We all have it within; it's just buried under our need for money, ego-gratification, attention, recognition, high position, sex and other forms of excess. The sincere "you" wants to go to worship service this week, but the jaded "you" doesn't want to hear "that man", that may have offended you, preach. "He makes me sick", is what we say. It may be that you lost your luxury vehicle to repossession and you don't want anyone to see you get off the Metro bus. But if you are sincerely coming to worship the Lord it doesn't matter what others say or do. Do not allow yourself to be enslaved by the gossip and murmuring of others. Evidently they have forgotten why they came to the house of worship; that's why they have so much time to talk about you. I say pull up to your mosque, church or temple on a mule if you have got too; keep it real with yourself at all times and never forget why you came in the first place.

     Don't just go through the motions this week. Stay in the moment being ever cognizant of why you do what you do no matter how insignificant the task. There is a part in the lessons of the Nation of Islam where it states that each student can practice his or her labor while under study if we are "sincere." Sincerity allows us access to the power of God. Keep your hands up and your chin down this week. Pray for clarity and sincerity, work from your heart and watch God do extraordinary things through us ordinary people. This is my Monday Morning Jab. I pray it connects.