Zambia’s Wellbeing Eests on each Zambian’s Positive Behavior

The Bible in Mathew 9:16-17 says, ‘No one patches up an old coat with a piece of new cloth, for the new patch will shrink and make an even bigger hole in the coat. Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wine skins, for the skins will burst, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into fresh wine skins, and both will keep in good condition. In ancient times, wine was stored in leather wine-skins instead of bottles that were cleaned, cured and carefully sewn into wine containers. After washing several times the old coat is patched up with new cloth; the piece of new cloth on it shrinks taking with it some parts of the old coat and creating an even bigger hole in the coat. Similarly, after the new wine poured into a used wine skin matures, it expands and causes the used and weak wineskin to burst.

What does this inspiring Biblical story say about prosperity? Everything! “Prosperity” is like “New wine” and “New mindset” is like “New wineskin”, the “Container”. If you pour prosperity into a used and weak mindset of poverty, it will burst, prosperity will pour out and the mindset will be ruined. Instead, prosperity is poured into a fresh and strong mindset of prosperity, and both will keep well. If one introduces prosperity into one’s life by starting a business but still applies one’s own used mindset of poverty that’s full of fear, hatred, revenge, corruption, moral decay, ignorance, superstition and witchcraft, chances of business growth will decline. But if one introduces prosperity into one’s own life by starting a business and applying one’s new mindset of prosperity full of love, forgiveness, honesty, moral growth, science and faith, chances of business growth will increase. This is true for individuals, groups, communities, organizations and countries.

For example, European countries’ prosperity grew from a positive process. About 500-1400 AD, during Europe’s Dark Ages, magic and witchcraft cohabited and competed with new ideas, religion and science. But during the period of Re-Awakening or Renaissance of about 1400 to 1700 AD, Europe underwent a positive mind-set change characterized by a spiritual re-birth of prosperity full of love, honesty, forgiveness, moral growth, science and wisdom. In Europe, Christianity became a new formal system of thought or new lifestyle that provided social and political values and practices based on the humanitarian values of Christianity.

Besides Europe, there are also other places, especially those touched by the world’s major religions, that have also developed as a result of saturating themselves in the positive beliefs, attitudes, values and practices of their own religions. All the world’s major religions like Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Confucianism and others are united by their common recognition of the Principle of Attraction, Reciprocity or Golden Rule. Christianity’s golden rule is: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. Confucianism’s golden rule is: ‘Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.’ Confucius founded Confucianism as a humanistic school of philosophy that offered China an ethical system focused on individual moral conduct, propriety (honesty), ritual and benevolence.

It was largely a system of social and political values derived from past idealized values. He argued that the foundation of good government and societal wellbeing rested on individual ethical behavior. China adopted the Confucian theories of government as state ideology during the Han Dynasty (200 B.C.E.-220 C.E.). Confucius said, ‘There’re three things that a gentleman fears: he fears the will of Heaven, he fears great men, he fears the words of the divine sages. The small man doesn’t know the will of Heaven. He treats great men with contempt, and scoffs at the words of the divine sages.’ He continued, ‘The gentleman has nine cares. In seeing, he is careful to see clearly; in hearing, he is careful to hear distinctly; in his looks, he is careful to be kindly; in his manner to be respectful, in his words to be loyal, in his work to be diligent. When in doubt, he asks for information; when angry, he cares for the consequences, and when he sees a chance of gain, he thinks carefully whether the pursuit of it would be consistent with the right.’ Confucianism in China and Christianity in Europe both significantly helped to transform mindsets of many Europeans and Chinese from a used mindset of poverty to a new mindset of prosperity, respectively. The Christian golden rule also means whatever you do to others; you do it to yourself.

A positive mindset change is the stepping stone from Old Zambia of poverty to New Zambia of prosperity. It’s a transformation of your thinking, talking and doing things from being predominantly negative or bad to being predominantly positive or good. Take for example Singapore which had become independent in 1965 under its national motto “Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore). Its positive mindset change enabled it to excel in a matter of few decades despite challenging conditions. Its founding father Lee Kuan Yew and Singaporeans went through a positive mindset change to transform a small port city state into a giant nation. In his book From Third World to First World he says, ‘To achieve First World Standards in a Third World region, we set out to transform Singapore.’ This was done in what he called the Clean and Green Movement. He recalled, ‘I recounted how I had visited almost 50 countries and stayed in nearly as many official guesthouses. What impressed me wasn’t the size of the buildings but the standard of their maintenance.’ He reflected, ‘I knew when a country and its administrators were demoralized from the way the buildings had been neglected. VIP would judge Singapore the same way.’ He added, ‘Perseverance and stamina were needed to fight old habits.’ Yew and Singaporeans succeeded.

Similarly, in 1970 Dr. Kenneth Kaunda wrote a book Take Up The Challenge in which he said, ‘We’re engaged on a course of fundamental reconstruction. This involves a complete change of every citizen’s attitude of mind.’ It’s a positive mindset change or “mental rest” that replaces deeply-seated negative and self-limiting beliefs by positive and self-empowering beliefs. Zambia as a Christian nation can apply Christianity as an engine to drive its positive mindset change of moral-growth, prosperity and remedy for Zambia’s social and economic challenges. Moral growth like charity also begins at home; it’s the foundation of development and success in any area of life.

Create a positive mindset as your success lifestyle.