Supreme Knight, Supreme Director, Substantive Past Supreme Knights, Past Supreme Knights and Worthy Brothers,
Please receive fraternal greetings from the Supreme Chaplaincy and best wishes for a successful meeting. We thank the good Lord for travelling mercies and His kindness to us as higher officers and members of the Standing committee meeting and brothers of the Noble Order.
Our meeting is so significant because among other things it is to offer us the opportunity to take stock, appreciate and thank God for what as an order, we have been able to accomplish under the 35th leadership of our Supreme knight Sir Kt Bro Richard Ayi-Akakpo.
Before we leave here, we would have elected and installed our 36th Supreme leadership headed by the Supreme Knight, Sir kt Bro Constantine Kudzedzi. So we come together full of joyful expectation. It is this expectant joy that makes sus borrow and make our own, the words o the Apostle Paul: “We are sure of this, that he who started the good work will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” {Philippians1:6.}
What freedom and joy we may experience when we realise that although the work we begin is up to us the results are up to God. When we realise that it is the power of God that starts for end the matter, we are released of the anxieties an stress of trying to do what only God can do. All we need to do is to be obedient and let God do his part.
So we thank the Lord for all He has done for the Noble Order in the past, especially the last two years when he saw us through the administration of our outgoing Supreme Knight, the first of its kind when a new horizon was opened for us with our Supreme Knight being selected from outside Ghana.
Some great achievements have been gained. At least the re-modelling of our Marshallan Centre here in Sekondi is a sure testimony o what the Lord can accomplish even in our anxieties. For, God is always in control.
The good work God started with the Noble Order almost 100 years ago will be finished. We rob ourselves of joy when we don’t believe that God will finish what he has started in our lives. Peace and joy belong to those who believe that he who tart it will finish it, no matter what it takes. If God established our Order, he will surely sustain it.
We share God’s grace, that free and unmerited favour that he gives us to do His work. It is that grace that we should all wish and pray for our in-coming leadership to be headed by the would-be Sir Kt Brother Constantine Kudzedzi.
Even in challenging situations, the Lord does not abandon us. When Paul asked he Lord to remove the thorn that was in his flesh in 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Lord’s response was “my grace is sufficient or you, for my power is made perfect in weakness 2 Corinthians 12:9
But as members of Standcom, we have a part to play to make God bring to perfect completion what he has started. We need to be disciplined people. When others chase instant results or indulge in distractions, we as disciplined people must keep our eyes on the bigger picture for the Noble Order. We must be willing to put in the work today, for rewards that may not come until next year, or even five years from now.
In life, those who can resist short-term temptations often gain far more in the long run. Disciplined people design systems that support their goals. They wake up at consistent times, planning their days, creating routines that minimize decision fatigue. They structure their lives so as not to waste energy, constantly choosing between distraction and the path that is already set.
When we do that, then we can pause sometimes and practice mindfulness, becoming aware of our goals and asking whether our move will draw us closer to, or further away from our long-term vision.
Being disciplined is uncomfortable. It means saying NO when it would feel good to say YES. It means tackling difficult conversations instead of avoiding them. We should therefore not run from discomfort. We should rather embrace it as part of growth. Comfort zones may feel safe, but nothing worthwhile grows there. We should be ready to say NO to gossips, NO to toxic relationships and NO to habits that might drain and derail us.