Protocols and Processes

PROTOCOLS AND PROCESSES

(Isaiah 28:10-13)

About 15 years ago, my sister, Mero worked as the Head of Operations in a Lagos Bank.

I was based in Abuja then.

I traveled to Lagos for an official visit and met up with my brother,, Abu. Then we went to check up on our sister, Mero at work.

Now, Mero is 6 years younger than me, Abu is another 4 years younger than her. So, Abu was 10 years my junior in age.

We got to her work place around 6pm; the Bank was closed to customers. The security men said as much. I explained to them we were not customers; we came to see our sister, the Head of Operations.

The Chief Security responded, “Ok, sir: could you please fill this form?” In that moment, Abu called Mero: “Sis! We’re at the gate! Don’t you guy have intercom? Please call the Security Men at the gate to let us in!”

Woah!

Abu was agitated the security men asked us to fill a form and go through the protocol! He was upset the security men were doing their job!

I told him, “Bro, the average workplace has PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES you MUST observe as a visitor. Even if your father or brother is the CEO, you don’t jump these PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES!”

My brother was a young man, a Law Undergraduate. He had never been employed in any organization, he had no work experience so he did not understand PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES. So when he was faced with them at our sister’s workplace, he got offended.

But Mero did not bother to call the security men. She allowed them to do their job of subjecting us to all the PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES as stipulated by the Bank.

When we eventually got to her office, she scolded Abu!

There are PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES everywhere. And it is amazing how people always want to circumvent them.

I see people get angry when asked to take off their shoes and belts when going through airport security protocol. Some get so agitated, they say, “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” Sorry, Your Highness: it’s the PROTOCOL! It doesn’t really matter who you are.

There are PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES in nature.

A pregnant woman will carry that baby for 9 months. She can whine, rant, wail, vex, nag: whatever. It will not reduce the time. The PROTOCOL and PROCESS for human pregnancy is 9 months, no matter what anyone feels about it.

There are PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES with GOD.

When Jesus appeared on the scene at the beginning of His Ministry, John the Baptist was surprised He asked to be baptized. John protested, “You shouldn’t come to me for baptism, Bro: I should come to you, don’t get it twisted!” But Jesus responded, “That’s the PROTOCOL, Coz: we have to do this!”

PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES must be observed. You can’t wish them away. You can’t sidestep them. You can’t dodge them.

But we always try, just as Abu tried to sidestep it at Mero’s workplace.

Scripture says, “For precept MUST be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little”

Isaiah 28:10

This scripture simply talks about PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES. Precept upon precept, line upon line: one follows the other. It’s a process!

Some 7 brothers, sons of Sceva saw how Paul was casting out devils. They thought it came by observation. They did not understand it took a PROCESS. So they attempted casting out devils from a demoniac. They were lucky they lived to tell the story (Acts 19:11-16).

Now, why was Abu agitated because he had to go through protocol, but I wasn’t? He was INEXPERIENCED. I wasn’t. The workplace was a bank. I also worked in a bank, so I KNEW what these PROTOCOLS and PROCEDURES were about.

In the things of God, EXPERIENCE plays a part. Our fathers have experiences we the children don’t have. It will be in the best interest of the children to seek counsel from them to know these PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES.

When God called Samuel, he had absolutely no idea who was calling him. He had no EXPERIENCE. But the father figure, Eli knew: and he taught the young boy how to navigate the new experience. He taught him the protocol: how to respond when God calls. You don’t respond anyhow. You don’t meet a king and stretch out your hand for a handshake. You don’t meet the president and say, “Hey! How are you doing?”

There is a right order to things. There are PROTOCOL and PROCESSES to carrying the Ark of the Covenant: you don’t carry it on a cart, else Uzzah will die (2nd Samuel 6:3-7). You carry it on the shoulders of Holy Priests! David realized this and said, “we did not do it right the first time, that was why God made a breach upon us: we didn’t do it the right way” (1st Chronicles 15:13). David acknowledged they did not follow the right PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES.

When we understand the PROTOCOLS and PROCESSES of God, we will work and walk with Him better. We will understand Him more and our service in His kingdom will be more rewarding. We will know what to do per time.

And most importantly, we will not goof.

Precept must be upon precept, line must be upon line…

Shalom,

Haruna Daniels