The Restrainer

i noticed a pretty young lady on the site. 
She pushed a wheelbarrow with food 
for the site workers. 
She sold food tor them in packs every day. 
I was impressed with her industry, 
so I called her one day and asked why 
she was doing this job. 
She was 18, hoping to sit for the next
 Matriculation Examination to enter 
the university. 
She was selling food to raise funds for 
her education. 
I was more impressed!
We exchanged numbers and I told her 
I would help her in any way I could. 
We became friends and she joined 
an online church I lead. 
After a while, she relocated to Kaduna. 
She went back home to her parents. 
She called me a few weeks ago when 
the day for her examination was 
known: 18th March. 
She sat for the examinations and passed,
 she is awaiting admission.
We got chatting a few days ago and 
she mentioned what a few of her 
colleagues were into while awaiting 
admission too: some were looking for 
men to sponsor their education, 
some were into drugs, some were 
into outright prostitution! 
Then she said, “Sir, if not for home-training, 
I probably would be out there with them, 
looking for what they are looking for!”
That statement from Salamatu set me 
thinking…
if not for home-training.
In other words, she was RESTRAINED 
by her home-training. 
She would have been into some vices
 like her mates, but something held 
her back.
Home-training, she called it.
Salamatu would probably want to go 
out with men and have fun. 
But something would hold her back, 
telling her no, don’t do that! 
It’s against how you were trained from 
home! 
Salamatu would want to smoke a 
cigarette and just feel among her peers. 
She would want to sniff cocaine or 
drink to a stupor. 
She would want to go clubbing. 
But something in her would tell her, 
no, don’t do it! 
That’s not right!
Salamatu is restrained by her 
home-training. 
The question now is, 
WHAT RESTRAINS YOU?
What is keeping you from manifesting 
and expressing your dark side? 
What is reeling you in? 
What is holding you back? 
What is restraining you?
Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ 
constrains (restrains) us…”- 
2nd Corinthians 5:14. Paul’s restrainer 
was the Love of Christ. 
What is yours? If whatever is your 
restrainer is taken away, what will happen? 
Is your restrainer a man? 
Is it a physical barrier? 
Is it an ideology? 
A prisoner is restrained by walls and chains. 
is not in a position to steal rape or murder. 
But when he is free from these restraints, 
he could commit these crimes. 
That would show that his restraints 
were only physical, it has nothing to do 
with the person 
He is internal.
I have seen pictures and videos of 
people doing stuff seemingly unexpected 
of them.
 They were very embarrassed when 
these things came out to the public. 
But I understand that their restrainer 
was their visibility and popularity. 
When they assumed the public would 
not be aware of their conduct, they 
did stuff unbecoming of their status.
Paul wrote, “He who restrains will do 
so until he is taken out of the way…”
- 2nd Thessalonians 2:7. 
When he(it) is taken out of the way, 
you will act like a dam that has 
breached its walls. 
You will indulge in stuff you had 
always wanted to but couldn’t, 
because of the restrainer.
In Salamatu’s case, her restrainer 
is not physical. 
It is mental. 
It has been ingrained into her from 
her younger days, so wherever she 
found herself, she would always hear 
that voice behind her saying, 
“This is not the way to go!
This is not right! This is against the 
ideals you were taught! 
This is at variance with the values 
engrained in you!”
As a Christian, we MUST make Jesus, 
the Word of God our Restrainer. 
You MUST make the word your 
shield and buckler. 
You MUST study it, understand it, 
believe it, apply and practice it and 
GROW in it. 
Jesus faced situations in his life that 
he would have indulged in the flesh, 
but he never did. 
He was always restrained by the Word. 
When tempted, he would say, 
“It is written…” 
The Word was His Restrainer.
I know another 18-year-old lady, 
Sope who schools in the US. 
Her parents live in Abuja, Nigeria. 
She is also a member of the online 
Church I lead. 
I once told her, “I’m surprised your 
parents let you go to the US at such 
a young age, without anyone to 
watch over you!” 
She responded, “Sir, my parents trust me. 
They know me. 
They trained me properly- they know 
I can’t do anything against the values 
I was brought up with!” 
I was happy with her response and 
confidence.
Now, if our earthly parents could wield 
such an influence on us that what they 
told us have stuck with us for decades, 
why can’t our Heavenly Father do same? 
Why don’t we hold his training in such 
high esteem? 
Sope said, “My parents KNOW me. 
My parents TRUST me”. 
Can we say same about God? 
Can we say, “God knows me, God 
trusts me”?
God said of Abraham, “I KNOW HIM!”
- Genesis 18:19. 
In other words, God could predict 
Abraham’s reactions to issues. 
God knew how much influence 
He had on Abraham’s life. God knew 
He was Abraham’s Restrainer.
Ask yourself honestly, who/what 
restrains you? 
What would you do when nobody is 
watching? 
What could you do when nobody 
is watching? 
What would you do if you knew you 
would get away with it? 
What do you have the capacity to do, 
but you’re being held back? 
What is that thing holding you back?
Who/what is your Restrainer?

- Haruna Daniels @Harrydaniyah on Twitter