PUSH BUTTONS
Stay Sharp: Lessons from Fried Chicken
*Takes a Deep Breath* & Exhales with a soothing Aaaaaahhh
Christmas & New Year in Nigeria — a time when homes are filled with laughter, lights, and the irresistible aroma of fried chicken. Of course, you know that the scent of crispy, golden chicken is practically a holiday anthem in Nigeria (who wrote this one?🤔) It’s the centrepiece of every celebration, the unspoken symbol that says, “Welcome to the family gathering. Pass the drumsticks, please!”
For the past three years (give or take), a tribesman has maintained a heartwarming tradition: gifting me freshly slaughtered chickens every Christmas. Talk about consistency! (Shout out to Bros J!). It’s like having a personal Santa, except instead of toys, I get poultry. This year, I was blessed with not one, but two plump chickens. My excitement was palpable, well, until reality pecked at me.
Picture this;
Me, armed with two live chickens (well, freshly slaughtered 😂), a set of knives that had seen better days, and a determination rivaling Gordon Ramsay’s. The first attempt? Let’s just say the chickens won (no, we won’t make it louder for those in the back. 😤) Blunt knives turned the simple task of cutting chicken into an epic battle of wills. No amount of pressure could pierce their defences. It was like trying to slice through the plot of a bad movie — frustrating and utterly futile.
Desperate times called for desperate measures. Enter the round file, my makeshift knight in shining metal. After an hour of erratic filing without any apparent improvement, I turned to my good friend Google and discovered that the round file was only good for honing the knife, not sharpening it. Who knew? My knives were still as blunt as my humour on a Monday morning. (I know it still slaps, but, allow, allow)
With no other options, I reluctantly sent my culinary weapons off for professional sharpening. As I watched them go, I couldn’t help but reflect on Ecclesiastes 10:15;
“The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.”
Here I was, labouring away with blunt tools, much like setting lofty New Year’s resolutions without a plan. It’s a new year, brimming with ambitious goals, plans, purposes, and pursuits; each one as juicy as that first juicy chicken slice cooked with love. But without sharpening our “knives” (read: spirit, skills, wisdom, knowledge and preparation), we’re just grinding our gears and eating the bread of sorrows instead of savouring, or in the case of this year, giving to the families of the earth the feast of achievements.
So, what’s the takeaway?
In all your getting, get wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 4:7 echoes this beautifully:
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding
Apply your heart to wisdom, be teachable, humble, and open to learning. Whether it’s about handling chickens or life’s challenges, a “little” studying — not surface-level flip-throughs like the round file — goes a long way.
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. — Matthew 11:28–30
As I waited for my knives to return, I mulled over 2024, which started with the infamous “no gree for anybody,” and chuckled at how “gra gra” could not have helped the chicken-cutting situation, but instead would have made me more prone to injury. I recall teaching from Pastor Dami’s message “Engineering Breakthroughs by Aggressive Growth” on the yoke that breaks yokes: the Yoke of Learning, sharpening one’s spirit, soul, and body.
When my knives finally returned, gleaming and sharp, the victory was sweet. Slicing through the chickens was effortless — well, compared to when the knives were blunt, 👀 it’s not like these chickens would just fall off the bones yunno 🤷🏽♂️. The meal was a delicious reminder that a little effort in sharpening now can multiply the impact of results and prevent a lot of frustration later.
As we march into 2025 with our heads held high and our generous goals in sight, let’s remember the lesson of the blunt knives and the crispy chickens. Pursue wisdom, stay sharp, and don’t let the challenges & opportunities of the new year leave you feeling overwhelmed, weary or frustrated. Instead, feast on the fruits of your sharpened and grace-supplied efforts!
Happy New Year, and may your knives — your spirit, mind and body — be ever sharp!
Have A Blessed Week!
Itoro Nehemiah
IG/Twitter: @_it0r0
Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The Powerpoint Tribe.
