| Apostle Paul once said “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us” (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Think about his statement. Why should he make “staying within God’s plan” his goal? It appears to me that there are a whole lot of goodies attached to staying in God’s plan. It is as though if this aspect of his life is taken care of, every other thing will fall into place.
Why didn’t he say “my goal is to carve out the best plan for myself”? It is obvious that Paul knew something about “staying in God’s plan” which we should also know about. Today, believers are wishing to see good fruits in their lives, but their roots are not attached to God’s plan. And just like an average plant, the fruits are mainly dependent on the soil and nutrients the roots are constantly interacting with.
Some of the things believers are chasing around (miracles, marriage, prosperity, health, progress, etc) are things that should radiate effortlessly from our lives through the unfolding of God’s plan. If only we learn to stay in God’s plan, we would realize that many of our so called successes are already outdated or will soon get outdated. While we want to start celebrating today’s breakthrough, another mega one shows up and makes the former one insignificant. We will just find ourselves in an unending victory parade.
Many of us know this and that is why we pray “Lord, let your will and purpose come to pass in my life”. But it goes beyond mouthing some prayers. You have to ensure you live by some key “staying principles” as far as God’s plan is concerned.
Join us as we discuss this life updating topic at the World Outreach Convention 2009 (WoC ’09) slated for Abuja, Nigeria.
When: Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 by 11am Where: Unity Hall, Reiz Continental Hotel, Plot 779, Cadastral Zone AO, Central Business Area, Abuja. Enquiries: +234-8726126, +234-8082462670, info@christlifeline.org
Come and update your life! Remember to invite others.
– tope aladenusi |
When You Must Quit
Bible Reading: Philippians 3:3-11
No matter how far you have travelled on a wrong road, once you notice it, turn back. This can be very painful but also very helpful.
If your office is located in South London and you mistakenly boarded a train to North London, you don’t just decide to bump into any office and start working when you get to North London. You immediately try to trace the right route again. We should apply a similar approach when reaching for our goals.
I know someone who realized he was moving in a wrong direction but kept on exercising ‘Staying Power’ just because he said – I hate to quit. Winners never quit. Good! But you will agree that if they were on the wrong road, they would never have been labelled winners in the first place.
Have a regular evaluation of your career, relationships, devotion, projects etc and always be willing to make a U-turn when you realized you are on the wrong route. Even if you are unable to go back and have a brand new start, you can start from where you are and have a brand new end. Apostle Paul took such a step at one point in his life and today he is highly esteemed among Christians. Here is his confession … – All the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant–dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ. Phil 3:8 (MSG)
– tope aladenusi
| Using old principles to get new results
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17: 23-37
When you were baby, you ate food to grow. When you grew older, you did not begin to feed on stones. You are still stuck with food. But I have seen many Christians who fed on good food at a time, but they got to a point where they felt they have advanced in the things of life, and started feeding on stones. Their end result was visible – they are no longer consistent in every good thing they do. What do I mean?
Sometimes the principles and relationships that took you to the top are what you need to stay on top. If you climbed up being a good student of God’s word, you may not stay long there if you now throw away the Bible and read only management and motivational books; If many couples could treat each other like they did during courtship, many of the marriage problems will be solved; Is it not funny that some believers get to a new level and then they think they need a new wife that matches that level; Some Christians get to positions of influence via honesty and hard work, and they now want to use corrupt practices to remain there; Others get to leadership position by serving people diligently, but when it was just time to demonstrate a higher level of service, they became a semi-god.
Although we may change methods and approaches as we approach the top, we should remember that the fundamental principles of success as outlined in scriptures is applicable to every level we are. We do not outgrow them.
When Goliath threatened the Israelites, they were all in fear. Even though God had led them through many victories, they felt it won’t be applicable with a giant like Goliath. But David came and said – God who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. He did not have an experience of war like the other soldiers of Israel, but he sure had an experience of victory over wild animals, and he applied the same principle to defeat wild goliath.
Colossians 2:6-7 says – … as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him, and established in faith, as ye have been taught. Hmn … Don’t expect to see a different formula in advancing as a Christian, it is the first formula you used that got you saved = hearing + believing + acting.
Divine principles are universal in application, potent in every generation and applicable in every position. You do not need to feed on stones as you grow. Just stick with good food.
tope aladenusi |
The environment that supports continuous success
Bible Reading: Psalm 1
Look around you and you will notice that the creator has created everything to function well when they are in a particular environment. You don’t grow a mahogany tree in your sitting room. You don’t see fishes swimming on the streets. Interestingly, man has also learnt from his creator and has unconsciously dictated the right environment for most of his inventions. That is why you do not drive your car on water and you don’t operate your computer inside a swimming pool. God places his creations where they can flourish and be their best and man is also doing the same. But have you ever wondered about the particular environment God has created for man – where he will flourish and be his best?
Friends, there is an environment that guarantees your continuous prosperity. If you leave that environment, you will realize that you keep increasing your efforts, but with little or no results. You may attend prayer conferences and deliverance services; you may visit the best counselors; but if you are not in that environment, you will find it very difficult to achieve your God-given goals. Take all the possession of a Christian and leave him in that environment, he will immediately start to blossom. But give him all the world’s riches and take him out of that environment, it will take only a few days for him to return to nothing. What is that environment? The Bible tells us —
Happy is the man who does not go in the company of sinners, or take his place in the way of evil-doers, or in the seat of those who do not give honour to the Lord.
But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and whose mind is on his law day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time, whose leaves will ever be green; and he will do well in all his undertakings. Psalm 1:1-3 (BBE)
Notice the Bible demands you leave one environment and get into another, only then will you continue to experience success in all you do. We have discussed about being in the environment of the Word in our previous messages. But if you do not leave the evil environment, you will not make good progress even though you meditate on God’s word day and night. It’s like attempting to drive with the two left tyres of your car on the ground and the other two tyres on water. It just cannot work. Bible says – do not be deceived, evil communication corrupts good manners. One of the mannerisms of a Christian is that (s)he will shine brighter and brighter everyday. But with bad friends and acquaintances, such manners get corrupted.
Remember, you can’t fly with the eagles if you scratch with the chickens. May be it is high time you examined your friends, especially those in your inner circle.
tope aladenusi
A relationship you should have …
Bible Reading: Galatians 2:1-14
When was the last time someone looked at you and said “I think you are wrong” OR “I do not believe you are heading in the right direction” OR “I don’t seem to agree with your decision or opinion”? Many Christians have given up on their deepest desires and dreams because there was no one around them who had the boldness to caution them when they were drifting apart.
We are most times satisfied with having people around us who would affix a CORRECT stamp to everything we say or do, even when we are heading in the wrong direction. This is common with those who have been Christians for long; who feel they now have a good grasp of the scriptures. Leaders, teachers and preachers, I believe you have experienced the feeling that comes to mind when someone tells you “oh, you are God-sent. Your words were just perfect for me”. But many of us cannot afford to ever hear anyone disapprove our words or actions even when they are wrong. We feel anyone who opposes us is our enemy. May be we should learn from Apostle Paul, the man who was blessed with abundance of revelations and wrote majority of the new testament books …
Paul claimed no one taught him the message he preached. He heard it directly from the Lord (Gal. 1:12). Notwithstanding, after some years in ministry, here is what he said he did – “I went to clarify with them (Peter, James & John) what had been revealed to me. At that time I placed before them exactly what I was preaching to the non-Jews. I did this in private with the leaders, those held in esteem by the church, so thatour concern would not become a controversial public issue, marred by ethnic tensions,exposing my years of work to denigration and endangering my present ministry” – Galatians 2:2 MSG. In other words, Paul was willing that the leaders evaluate his message and tell him if he was deviating from The Message.
Today, most of the principles that drive our lives were not due to a direct revelation from God. We have fed on books of preachers and philosophers, yet we sometimes feel we always know the right thing to do and no one can correct us. Even when we err or we need help, we feel so proud to share our problems with anyone. James 5:16 says “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other”. A Christian should have elders and friends that they can share their deepest secrets, regrets and success together. If there is nobody in your life that you respect who will be bold to tell you when you are deviating from the right way, then you are running at a risk and endangering your present success. It is a sign of weakness and it requires your urgent attention.
tope aladenusi
| Getting Inner Strength for Steady Success Bible Reading: Psalm 119:102-105
Every successful business today rarely has the proprietor functioning in all the departments. Though he has an idea of what he expects of the business, he chooses to employ professionals who will handle each aspect of his business well. If we take a closer look at what these professionals do, it will be discovered that the success of each one of them is in the depth of understanding they have on their areas of specialization. In essence, it shows they are well read and have discovered the secrets of their chosen profession; also they have a good command of what they do because they put to practice the theories of their job description.
Many of us have an idea of what success is but often neglect making effort to discover the depth of knowledge needed for it, not to talk of practicing the theories obtained afterwards. Paul described in Colossians 3: 3-4 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ… I feel it is our duty to always desire to know the pattern our life in Christ should follow. If we must stay successful, we must crave for a deep understanding of how to live in Christ who is our life.
For us to continue on this success journey of becoming all that God wants us to become, we need to deeply understand God’s word. The bible contains information that can handle every aspect of our lives. God’s word propels the ability and strength within us to execute successful Christian living. We need God’s word to achieve the desires and goals he has placed within us. Just like a car without engine cannot move except it is towed, many believers are being towed through life because they do not understand God’s word. They just lack starting and staying power. Seminars, bible teachings and motivational books are not a substitute for our personal study of God’s word.
The ultimate step to continuing on the success journey is reading and practicing the word. Apostle Paul said “God revealed his secret plan and made it known to me. (I have written briefly about this, and if you will read what I have written, you can learn about my understanding of the secret of Christ.)” Ephesians 3: 3-4. It is only someone who has read and fully understands the mind of God for himself as revealed in the bible that stands the chance of practicing the theories. Colossians 2: 6-7 “Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him. Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving”.
You might say in your mind that “this is what I have always done”, but may I be free to ask that have also been able to practice it well? If your answer is no, then you need to study well to make in part of your being and also make a conscious effort to always put your knowledge into practice.
– Tope S. Aladenusi |
How Setting Deadlines can Change Your Life …
Bible Reading: Mark 8:26-31
Once I was working as a consultant to a company and I needed some documents to perform my work. The client staff did not provide the documents two days after I had made my requests. So angrily, I went to one of my client’s contact to inquire about the documents. He said – “please sir I’m very sorry, I have been busy doing other things but can you please give me a deadline on when you want to get them”. I replied … “okay, I want those documents by 1pm today”. Guess what? Before 1pm they were all ready.
This event really helped me make a discovery. I realized that most of our employers get results and remain in business by setting deadlines for their staff. Every day, week, month and year, there is a specific target we must hit at a specific time. In fact, deadline is the name of the game for some jobs. On the contrary, we rarely set time limit when we must deliver results in our lives. So in the process, we are busy doing other less important things and we slack out from our goal. Sometimes we even forget about it.
For so many years I have been saying … someday, I will know how to play the bass guitar. I had one or two coaching and that is all I can remember. Up till now, I can only organize noise with a guitar. But I know someone who said I want to be able to play like Bro. A. in one year time. Today, he receives many invitations to play in musical concerts. Sometimes assigning a timeframe to when you want to see a result can make all the difference.
When Jesus Christ was going to die, he gave himself a timeframe for resurrection. He said affirmatively that … ‘on the third day, I will rise’. I do not know how you see his statement but I see it as a deadline. He did not tell his disciples that … ‘guys, I am going to die and I assure you that one day, I will rise again’. He gave them a time limit for them to expect him to perform. And all power on heaven and earth were working together to meet the deadline. In like manner, when you set a deadline with the help of God’s spirit to achieve a target, all that is in you are concentrated to help you deliver the required results within that time.
Friends, don’t hate deadlines because they command performance. They help give focus and they constantly tell the mind that … “hey, you’ve got work to do and you have limited time”. If you say you want to produce a certain result someday, your mind rates it as “not urgent” and focuses on other things. But if you assign a time limit to it, your mind starts working tirelessly to get the result. This is because your mind has been configured for success and may interpret ‘inability to meet the deadline’ as a failure.
What time do you want to see the manifestations of those desires and goals? Is it …. One day? … OR … at a set time?
– tope aladenusi
| Maintaining focus in the face of oppositions
Bible Reading: II Corinthians 12:1-10
One of the greatest lessons I have learnt from the game of football is that the goal posts are fixed in particular position and for over 90 minutes, the focus of the players are on the goal posts. Imagine if there was no specific duration for a football match and the position of the goal post is changed after every 10 minutes, we won’t be surprised if players give up playing even during the match. Likewise, many believers lack staying power because they are always changing their goal posts.
A friend once came to me and told me he wanted to get a new Bachelor’s degree. Three months later, he said he needed some money to establish a secondary school. After some months, he said he has decided to be a military man. Not too long ago, he said he is thinking of focusing his entire life on playing musical instruments. You know what? He is yet to hit any of these targets. When we change goal posts like this, it will be difficult to score goals and quitting will become a habit.
Let’s examine another common way we change our goal posts. In I Corinthians 16:9 (KJV), Paul said “for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries”. Hmn! Great achievement comes with great adversaries. New level generates new ‘devils’. But most times when the achievements come, we shift our focus from them to the adversaries, and in the process, we hinder our progress.
Your lovely spouse is a great achievement to you, but the wrong he/she did some months ago is what you think about everyday. Your focus is now on the adversaries! The clash you had with your lecturer made you dislike that course to the point that you failed it. You simply lost focus! Those days, when you pray for one hour, you spend over 50 minutes giving thanks to God, and 10 minutes making supplication. But because of your present challenge, you spend 5 minutes thanking God and 55 minutes talking to and about Satan. You have changed the goal post!
But what do you do when there are oppositions to your position? For Paul, he first went to God and told him to take away the adversaries i.e. the Jews which he called ‘thorn in his flesh’ (2Cor12:7), but God’s response was “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak”. What was Paul’s reaction? He explained in 2 Cor 12:9 (MSG) “…Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift”. Jesus Christ did the same thing: He chose to focus on the joy of having you and I, and that helped him to endure the pain of the cross (Hebrews 12:2). No wonder Jesus and Paul remain steadfast with their purpose.
Beloved, make a choice to keep focusing on your goal. Fix your eyes on the achievement and do not be distracted by the adversaries. Learn to focus on the joy that is set before you and not the toys the adversaries are throwing at you. Remain committed to your God-given desires.
– tope aladenusi |
The challenges of a new success
Bible Reading: Philippians 1:25-30
“New level, new devil”! Every level of success you attain comes with its own sets of responsibilities and challenges. We are always eager to attain a new level, but are we also mentally prepared for the challenges in that level?
Let’s consider a life illustration for getting to a new level. If a woman is married for years without any child, her major prayer point may be to have a child. If she eventually puts to bed, there will be so much jubilation in the family. But soon after that, she is faced with some sets of tribulations and challenges. Some people may envy her; her sleeping hours will change; she starts a breastfeeding and bottle-feeding cycle; her purse feels the presence of the child, etc.
Likewise when you are pregnant with a success, you should know that the birth of that success will also birth some new sets of challenges in your life. In fact, anytime you get to a new level, after giving glory to God, it should be normal for you to ask yourself … So what are the ‘devils’ associated with this level? And be confident that you have what it takes to conquer them. I Cor. 10:13 (GNB) tells us that “… God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out”. Yes! For every level you attain and no matter the ‘devils’ it contains, God releases staying power to sustain you so that you remain steadfast.
Joseph was his father’s favorite, and that generated envy and hatred in his brothers. Apostle Paul was given mandate to preach to the gentiles, the Jews immediately became a thorn in his flesh. The father of Jesus was so privileged to have the first son of God come through his family, but that made King Herod hunt after their lives. What is your new level? What about the ‘devils’ in that level?
When the ‘devils’ of your new level appear, it is not a time to grumble or give up. It’s not time to get distracted by thinking you have bad luck. Rather it is time to rejoice, because it is an indication that you are progressing or about to have another breakthrough. James 1:2 (MSG) reads “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides”. Because they have come to make you better and not bitter; to drive you from your slack zone into your destiny zone; to step you from your old level into a new level, though that new level will also come with its own sets of …………… (You know what I mean).
– tope aladenusi
Handling invisible success
Bible Reading: Acts 9:19-31
If you invested $100 last month and today, you have a return of $20, that’s a visible progress. However, there are many instances in life when it seems as though we are sowing so much seeds and not reaping any harvest; when our output is not commensurate to our input; when our desired result is not achieved despite our persistent effort. At such times, many of us give up on our deepest desires and dreams. Good or bad?
Every good success has an incubation period. If a hen is incubating its eggs, you may not see its chicks within the first 15 days. But that does not mean it is not progressing. Every success carries the pregnancy of another success just like the hen’s egg is a potential chicken. But if you do not give a good treatment to an unborn success, it may suffer from miscarriage. What do I mean? How do you treat an unborn success? Let’s learn from the examples below.
After apostle Paul got saved, he went about preaching the gospel but there was no record of salvation or miracle in his early days in ministry. In fact, the Jews tried to kill him and most believers refused to associate with him because they did not believe he was a Christian. Was he making progress? Yes. Was this progress visible? I don’t think so. But Paul pressed on. Perhaps if he had given up, we may not have had majority of the New Testament books of the Bible today.
Towards building the world’s first successful airplane, the Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur) had several attempts with no visible success. In fact, in 1901 they suffered major disappointments to the extent that while on a trip home, Wilbur remarked to Orville thatman would fly, but not in their lifetimes. But he was wrong; man flew before his very eyes. Their persistence made them discover an appropriate equation for airplane lift. Two years later, they were the first to invent aircraft controls that made commercial flight practical1.
In 1980, Bishop T.D Jakes was the pastor of a church of 10 members. In 1990, his congregation was about 100 members, but today, the Church he administers has a congregation of about 30,000 members2. That is, between 1980 and 1990, an average of 10 members was added to his congregation yearly. What if he had felt he wasn’t making progress and backed out of ministry in 1989, will he be affecting millions of lives like he is doing today?
We have great expectations. We have targets. We have a set time that we want to see our desired result. But if they do not materialize like we expected, it is not a time to give up. When progress appears invisible despite your consistent and right efforts, it is a time to keep pressing on. Persistence helps translates a success in your heart into a success on earth. By persistence, even the snail with its natural slow pace entered Noah’s ark (Charles Spurgeon).
References:
1 – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Brothers : Accessed 1/8/07
2 – http://www.topblacks.com/religion/t-d-jakes.htm : Accessed 1/8/07
– tope aladenusi