Stick To The Plan!

Sometimes when you embark on a project, it feels like you made a mistake and would be better off aborting the whole thing. I spoke recently to a friend who’s been taking on a Masters Program and he said, “It really feels like a mistake because the work required to accomplish is a bit much.” It sure is much, that’s why many people never get there. Another lady who embarked on a construction project said, “I underestimated the work that was required. I’m just pushing forward so that I can complete the project.” Again, anything worth the while will demand a lot from you.

Stay focused on the reason why you started in the first place. Everything worth the while will feel painful and will require some sacrifices, but it is worth it. That is how we get most of the things we cherish.

Education will take studying.

Children will cost come through pregnancies.

Raising them requires your time and effort.

Happy marriages need to be worked at.

Successful businesses take various forms of sacrifices – time, money, emotions.

Ministry comes with back stabbing, misquoting, bad publicity, ridicule, offenses, e.t.c.

Everything worthwhile has a cost attached to it, it hardly ever comes on a silver plater.

Refuse to recoil and abort mission. Press forward. Press on for the prize ahead as the apostle Paul said.

Affirmation: I press on towards my goals and count the pains as evidence of progress.

Your True Net Worth

You are significant. Even without a job, you are still significant. You still have a purpose in Christ. Times may get difficult and almost unbearable, but greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. He has made you more than a conqueror. You may think that your CV is not that great, but there is one who doesn’t care about your CV. He sees the end from the beginning, and the beginning from the end. He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. He found you significant enough to deposit his Holy Spirit in you. You are significant.

You are loved with an unending, immeasurable and unfailing love. Though it may be hard to find someone to get married to, his yardstick is totally different. Man may deceive you and cause untold heartache, but he is dependable. He would have come to save you if it was just you that needed saving. He calls you the apple of his eye. It doesn’t matter what you have done or where you’ve been; he loves you all the same. He wants to spend eternity with you.

He created a universe for you. He made beautiful flowers with heavenly aromas for you. He left his glory for you. He endured the scourging of the Roman torture creativity for you. He carried the heavy wooden cross for you. He took the nails for you and was lifted up as cursed for you. The Creator of heaven and earth and all that is, on a rugged cross all for love - his love for you. So lift up your head and square up your shoulders! There’s more to you than meets the eye. You are worth more than you can imagine.

Affirmation: I am accepted in the beloved. I am worth more than silver and gold.

What’s Your Shiny Object?

One of my favourite television programs was the 1986 “Shaka Zulu” serial. I particularly remember when the British intruders came with cheap merchandise from Europe and used it to gain favour with the valiant king. When Nandi, Shaka’s mother had died and the king had tried to save her with the “youth restoring” hair dye to no avail, the king was greatly disturbed and furious. The Zulu speaking European, unaware of the change of heart the king had experienced approached the king’s chambers only to be greeted with a question (paraphrased).

“How do you trap a monkey?”

“Ndabezitha?”
“How do you trap a monkey?” the king repeated.
“Umm, you find a goad that you fasten to a tree. Having made a tiny hole that only fits the small hand of the monkey; you place a shiny object in the goad. As long as the monkey holds the shiny goad, its hand will not fit out of the goad. When you come you will find the monkey there, trying to take the shiny object out.”
“Why will the monkey not let go?”, came the follow up question from the king.
“Because of its greed, Ndabezitha.”
“So what shiny object have you brought this monkey?”, came the ‘checkmate’.

Very often in life we behave like the monkey. We find a ‘shiny object’ and fail to properly weigh the relative value of that ‘shiny object’ to the rest of our lives. We hold on to things that destroy us with all we have. It could be a job, a toxic relationship, an idea, a town, or whatever that you are better off without.

This week, take time to think what shiny object you might be holding on to. Do you really need it? Are you not better off without it? Let go.

Could Today Be Your Day To Be Healed?

A few years ago I was serving in the call centre at a church. A lady called for prayer and described that she had been experiencing side pain that was making her life miserable.

“Be healed in Jesus’ name!” I said over the phone.
“Is that all?” she inquired. “I thought you would say a long prayer!”
“That will be all ma’am,” I replied, “Have a blessed day.”
Some minutes later, the same familiar voice was on the other end of the line.
“You prayed for me about half an hour ago. A few minutes after your short prayer I felt a click as though something was moving into place in my side and that miserable pain is gone!” she exclaimed.

Maybe it was a coincidence, but I think that she had received her healing as a result of the prayer.

About a year ago, I was leading prayer before one of our church meetings. As we were praying, I sensed that someone was about to be healed so I said, “There is someone here who almost didn’t come to the meeting because you were not feeling well. God is healing you right now. Receive your healing in Jesus’ name.”

After a few minutes we finished praying and an elderly lady raised her hand. She said, “As I was walking into the room you spoke of someone who almost didn’t come because they were not feeling too well. It was me. My knee was so painful since morning but the moment you said the prayer, the pain stopped immediately. Thank God I came!”

Maybe it was another coincidence.

In another instance, I had just come from a conference and I began to feel very sick. I felt like there was no air to breathe, and it took a great effort to go upstairs to my apartment. For about an hour I lay in bed and my wife was worried. She brought food for me but I had lost appetite and could not eat anything. Then I sensed the Holy Spirit asking, “What are you doing?” I was mature enough to know what that meant so I pulled myself out of bed and stood upright. I began to pray in other tongues with all the energy I had. As my voice got louder, I felt more strength filling me. In about ten minutes, I had been restored to full strength and wellness.

Maybe it was another coincidence, but the numerous experiences I have seen personally and on other people have made me believe that these were not coincidences at all. God still heals people today. You might just be the next person that God wants to heal. Receive you healing in Jesus name today!

Why Personal Growth Seminars Are Good For You

There are four levels of competence namely:

1.       Unconscious incompetence

2.       Conscious incompetence

3.       Conscious competence

4.       Unconscious competence.

The more you learn, the more you are aware of areas that affect you where you are incompetent. It is not possible to know everything, but we live in the information era. An awareness of what you need to get to the next level in your life will determine where you will look for assistance. As you work in each area of your life, you move from level 1 through to level 3 and 4.

Some principles that work in individuals’ lives also affect performance in the workplace. To be better at what you do in the workplace, you need to be effective as an individual. By the time you get to the 4^th level of competence in any area, you have internalized the habits that make you effective in that area just like driving. In that place of competence is high probability of achieving breakthrough.

Have a great week!