Where does that title go?
Two separate comments this past week got me thinking once again about titles. A Ugandan friend of the family came visiting for Christmas and asked casually about the penchant for Nigerians to all seem to carry an appellate to their names. Everyone she met was either Engr this, Dr that, Chief so and so, Surveyor this and that, Alhaji and Alhajas and a retinue of His Excellencies, Honorables, Majesties and Highnesses. The clergy wasn’t exempt with Pastors, Imams, Bishops, Sheiks, Reverends and Primates a many. We even came across a traditional ruler who had the elevated title of His Eminence. Added to all this are all sorts of abbreviated qualifications SAN, OFR, CFR etc with JP being the ultimate.
The second was in a discussion with a Vice Chancellor about creating an endowment chair wherein it was observed that the once revered practice of bestowing honorary doctorates on exceptional individuals had now been so widely abused, it has lost its luster. Making matters worse is that individuals so honored carry the title of Dr with so much ego it leaves actual PhD holders somewhat ashamed to be classed alike. So pervasive and common are titled beings in our society that the simple Mr. starts to take on an appeal that none of the various plethora of titles offer. Genuine holders of the Mr. class, who have excelled in their field of endeavor display a sense of humility that comes from knowing who they truly are.
God in His infinite wisdom gave man the ability to acquire wisdom and man in so doing devised genuinely honorable means by which to distinguish on individual from the other by the titles they were given. When considered properly, every title is originally aimed to remind the bearer that they are in a servant-leader role for which the people are the ultimate benefactors. All such individuals are called into service by God and will therefore be held accountable for how they used the title so eagerly awarded them in their service to mankind.
Would your title condemn or confirm you?
God bless and keep you in Him always