Some time ago, a fellow in the U.S. hosted a small gathering. For the fun of it, they decided to create content documenting the guests’ arrival times. The event was scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m., but the arrival times were revealed as follow…

The Jamaican guest showed up at 3:55 p.m.
The Senegalese guest arrived at 5:30 p.m.
The Ghanaian guest came at 5:35 p.m. — a full 2 hours and 35 minutes after the event was meant to start.

And then, the Nigerians.
The earliest Nigerian guest arrived at 6:55 p.m. Others followed even later, with one showing up at 9:00 p.m. — six hours after the scheduled start time!
Now, if you’re Nigerian, this might not shock you. In fact, you might be quietly smiling to yourself. Maybe you even see a little of yourself in this story.

But it begs a few honest questions:

• Is there something in our culture that excuses, or even normalizes tardiness?
• Have we simply accepted that people will always be late?
• More importantly, does punctuality reflect the honor we place on the host, or even the purpose of the event?

These questions hit home for me in 2024, when I had to travel to Abuja for a visa interview. My appointment was set for 9:00 a.m., and I planned to arrive an hour early. When I got there, to my surprise, there was already a large crowd gathered — many had arrived well before I did. And yet, we were all scheduled for the same time.

That experience made something clear: when people perceive something as important, they make the effort to be early.

So, as believers with Jesus’ culture, what is our posture toward punctuality? Whether it’s for church, service meetings, or any kingdom assignment, how do we treat these opportunities? Are we showing up early, prepared, and expectant?

At your PPA (your Place of Primary Assignment or workplace), can your colleagues count on you to deliver on the timelines you’ve committed to? Or you blackmail them with your Christianise “God’s time is the best”

On the assignment God has called you to, are you showing up daily and on time, like the steadfast sentinel you’re meant to be?

“17 One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread and carry them quickly to your brothers.

18 And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along and bring back a report on how they are doing.”

19 David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.

20 So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. — 1 Samuel 17:17–20 (NLT)”

From this passage of scripture, we see the backdrop to how David encountered Goliath. Little did he know that his prompt obedience would open a completely new chapter in his life and destiny.

In verse 17, we see Jesse giving David a clear instruction and urging him to act quickly. David obeyed with the urgency and precision the instruction required, and scripture confirm David set out time to be early.

Verse 20 tells us David arrived on time, right as the army was heading to the battlefield. Imagine if David had delayed, like the Nigerian who arrived at 9:00 p.m. in the earlier story. He would have missed the Israelite army’s movement and, more importantly, missed his moment of divine alignment.

Let’s be honest.

How many people have missed divine encounters simply because they did not honor the timing attached to an instruction?

A good example from scripture would be the story of foolish virgins in Mattew 25 vs 1–10. They missed the arrival of the bridegroom because they were unprepared. When they returned, the door was already shut. They missed their divine moment due to a delay rooted in lack of preparation. From this passage we can also see that people’s tardiness reveals even a greater disfunction in their experience.

let’s examine reasons why people go late for events…

1. Laziness

Some people are simply unwilling to make the effort required for timely preparation. They postpone decisions, delay dressing, or start moving only when it’s too late to be punctual.

“A little sleep, a little slumber… so shall poverty come upon you like a robber.” — Proverbs 6:10–11

2. Pride

For others, lateness is a power play. They believe their presence must be the highlight, so they time their entrance for dramatic effect. They want everyone already seated, watching.

But there’s no place for pride in the kingdom.

“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” — James 4:6

In truth, such behaviour doesn’t elevate a person, it reveals insecurity masked as importance.

3. Disorganization

Some people are late simply because they don’t plan. They underestimate traffic, forget important details, or scramble at the last minute. There’s no system or structure in how they manage time or priorities.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” — 1 Corinthians 14:40

Disorganization isn’t just a time issue — it can be a discipline issue. And where there’s no discipline, opportunities are often lost.

4. A Casual Attitude Toward Time

Some treat time like it’s elastic, assuming everything can wait, or that people (and even God) should always accommodate their delays.

But Scripture is clear:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12

Time is a gift, and those who are wise steward it carefully. A casual attitude toward time may reflect a deeper casualness toward responsibility, people, or purpose.

5. Dishonour towards the Event or Person

Let’s be honest people prioritize what they value. When someone is consistently late for a particular type of gathering, it often shows that they don’t see it as worthy of their best effort or time.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21

I recently discovered that some people who have been denied Visas in Nigeria travel to other African countries where their chances of securing a foreign visa are higher. I was genuinely amazed by the lengths people are willing to go just for a chance to improve their socio-economic status. If you value God’s presence, His people, and your assignment, your time will reflect it.

6. Distraction

We live in a distracted world — phones, notifications, social media, and unending to-do lists. Many people are late simply because they are preoccupied with things that feel urgent but aren’t truly important.

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one.” — Luke 10:41–42

Like Martha, we can be so distracted by activity that we miss the one thing that matters most: being present where Jesus is.

So the next time you lift your voice to sing, “Omemma, always on time,” ask yourself honestly: Can the same be said of me? After all, you are an heir of Omemma, the One who is never late.

The King’s matter does indeed require haste (and this King is not from Africa, he is the King of Kings), not because God is impatient, but because anything that matters to Him should matter urgently to us.

Timeliness isn’t just about arriving early. It’s about being aligned, being available, and being obedient when the moment calls. Like David, may we rise early, prepared and positioned, so that when our assignment shows up, even in the form of a Goliath, we don’t miss it.

Keeping with the vision,

Habib Hammed

Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The Powerpoint Tribe.