Life is the most difficult examination

 “Life is the most difficult examination. Many people fail because they try to copy others.”

From time to time, I remember my days in secondary school and some of the experiences that are markers for that phase of my life.
One of such landmark experiences for me was a French examination in my first year at the school (what we called Junior Secondary School or JSS One at the time). I despised the subject; French that is, and I didn’t despise the teacher any less. Please don’t get me wrong, I was very young and quite immature at the time. Let me also add that I am somebody who never enjoys what he doesn’t like doing. Also, at this time, I had not yet committed my life to Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour so there was no such teaching as patience or anything like that resident on my inside.

Fortunately (or maybe not necessarily so), in this exam I was seated beside the best student of my entire set of over 80 students. This seemed to be a blessing to me as expectedly, my hatred for the subject would do no good for my reading.
Upon staring the exam, I decided to avail myself the opportunity of copying word for word my brilliant exam neighbour. Incidentally, he was quite benevolent as to let me do as I pleased so long as I did not obstruct his flow of thoughts or writing.
The exam was wonderful (or so I thought). I wrote and answered all the questions excellently and submitted my script. In my mind, I had it made and was going to surprise everyone except myself.

A few days later, I got a call from the staff room. It was my French teacher who wanted me. I thought to myself ‘I’ve got it made men!’ On getting to her office, here was the brief but resounding conversation that ensued between the both of us.

Teacher: How was your exam Segun?
Me: Fine ma.
The next question she asked struck me like an axe in the back.
Teacher: Who did you copy from in the exam?
Me: Nobody ma (I said immediately and confidently)
Teacher: Are you sure?
Me: Yes ma.

I was convinced that I had successfully deceived everyone. Just then, she drew out my script from where she had kept it in her table and showed me asking that spot I out what the problem with the script was.

Like a flash, my eyes immediately spotted the problem at the top of the script. Right where my own name should have been, was the name of another student; my exam neighbour. The name was well written in my handwriting.

Upon seeing my reaction of gross disappointment in myself, I guess she probably just felt the shame was enough punishment for me as not only the entire staff room, but also my entire school set had got wind of the scenario. She took the script from me and gently told me I could leave.

I left that office that day having learnt a very vital lesson, and that’s what this is about.

Having read the quote atop this presentation, it dawn on me that many people today are like I was in my French exam.

Taking a closer look at the lives of several people, I see that like my teacher saw on my script, though their lives may look colourful and excellent on the surface, the Great Examiner sees something different. He sees the truth that atop their life scripts is somebody else’s name. No matter how good it gets, it is at best the duplication of another person’s life. This is a sorry state to be in. What’s even worse is that many will be like I was; grossly disappointed that just when they think they have it made and they’ve beaten everyone to it, their entire lives are only copies of another’s and they’ve lost themselves in the process.

They end up magnifying the success of another at the expense of their own true success. Not that there’s anything wrong with magnifying the success of another, but that in the process, they lose their own true success.

One of my mentors once said if human beings are left to themselves, they would copy one another. From what I see today, I couldn’t agree more.
Check your life today friend. Are you truly original and living out your true identity? Or are you living your life as an expression of the desires and expectation of an individual member or entire group in society.

From my French exam experience, I can confidently say that immediate failure on your won road is better than eternal failure on another’s. It is better to fail today doing what you know you are called to do, than succeed today at doing something popular only to end up a failure in destiny.

However small or insignificant what you have might seem, what makes it real is that it is yours’. Every forest started as a seed. The vision may seem like nothing to others, but to you, it sure must be something. Even if everyone doesn’t see a pregnancy, its carrier must be fully aware that it’s there and not treat it any less than it is.

I know you’ve probably heard it said before that when you copy others, you lose yourself. But let me also add that you miss out on God’s best for you.
Friend, God made you to be you. He desired that you will be an expression of a side of Himself that the world is yet to see. To refuse to be yourself in all things is to deny Him that opportunity in your life. This will only leave Him highly displeased.
Wear that unique smile, enjoy your beautiful skin colour, be grateful about how different you look, think, speak, and act. Share that dream that’s always been in your heart. Pursue that intimidating vision of yours’. Discover, develop, and deploy those peculiar gifts and abilities you have. In short, explore the full potentialities of your individuality and enjoy being you everyday of your life. Stop living out somebody else’s script in this great play called life. Get your script from the Producer/Director today and act your part friend. That’s what you’ll be paid for. That’s the only way to avoid the disappointment of being told after you have put in your effort and time, that you are nothing but a copy of an original somewhere.

Have a blessed week, and may the blessing of the resurrection of our risen Lord be daily evident in you and yours this Easter and all your days.

By-Segun Aluya