The truth about every human is that we all have what I term our childhood dreams. There is something every one of us wish to become or do with our lives.
As we grow up and events start happening in our lives, we tend to forget those dreams and pursue something else. A lot of people have abandoned their dreams all because of the need to make easy money and sustain themselves.
I watched a video last week and this video brought home the message. It is about a guy who had always dreamt of becoming an Opera Singer but turned out to be a car phone salesman. I am not sure if he was making a lot of money or not, but what I am sure of is the fact that he is not a satisfied man. Satisfaction comes from doing what you’ve always wished to do.
This man, by stroke of faith or whatever, eventually had the chance of singing in a competition and did he captivate the audience? You bet! One of the judges asked him if it is true that he has NEVER sang before. Everybody present was thrilled by the voice of this guy and I was as well.
The fact is that a lot of people are burying their talents and if you are one of them, NOW is the time to start making use of what you have within you. I have always believed that one’s talent can take one to heights a degree can NEVER. Paul, the salesman, is now a celebrity in the UK all because he dared to live his dream. What will your own story be like in years to come?
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Saturday, 9 August 2008
Courage - The power to Face Life’s Challenges Head-On
Courage is That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution. If you find yourself afraid to face difficulties, I have two pieces of good news for you: The first piece is the fact that you are not alone in this feeling. The other piece of good news is that anyone, including you, can develop courage.
Susan Jeffers, in her book, “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway” discusses the idea that by taking positive control of our lives, letting go of resistance, and ultimately choosing one’s attitude in life, we come out ahead. Sometimes stepping out in faith, feeling the fear and doing it anyway, works. We demonstrate courage by our faith. Being firm, level headed, and bold, even when we feel afraid is one way that we can develop courage.
We can also approach the situation a little at a time. If, for example, we are asked to speak in front of a large group, we might start by talking in front of a smaller, more intimate and supportive group. Then expand this to larger and larger groups until speaking in public is not an issue. The point is that you can take baby steps first; you don’t have to make the giant leap right away.
There are a number of other ways to find your courage. Some ideas include:
-Preparing for the task ahead. When you are well prepared, it tends to be easier to accomplish a task.
-Pick apart your fear. What is it based on? Most fear isn’t logical, and in reality, it makes more sense to be brave.
-Pushing yourself when you think you can’t face the task.
-Try again and again until you are capable of facing the task at hand.
-Use Bach Flower essences to help you overcome your fears and apprehensions.
In the movie “Evan Almighty”, Al Mighty (God played by Morgan Freeman) says to Evan’s wife Joan (Lauren Graham) that “God doesn’t give you courage. Instead, God gives you opportunities to be courageous.” The question is, are you ready and willing to step up to the plate and demonstrate courage?
Susan Jeffers, in her book, “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway” discusses the idea that by taking positive control of our lives, letting go of resistance, and ultimately choosing one’s attitude in life, we come out ahead. Sometimes stepping out in faith, feeling the fear and doing it anyway, works. We demonstrate courage by our faith. Being firm, level headed, and bold, even when we feel afraid is one way that we can develop courage.
We can also approach the situation a little at a time. If, for example, we are asked to speak in front of a large group, we might start by talking in front of a smaller, more intimate and supportive group. Then expand this to larger and larger groups until speaking in public is not an issue. The point is that you can take baby steps first; you don’t have to make the giant leap right away.
There are a number of other ways to find your courage. Some ideas include:
-Preparing for the task ahead. When you are well prepared, it tends to be easier to accomplish a task.
-Pick apart your fear. What is it based on? Most fear isn’t logical, and in reality, it makes more sense to be brave.
-Pushing yourself when you think you can’t face the task.
-Try again and again until you are capable of facing the task at hand.
-Use Bach Flower essences to help you overcome your fears and apprehensions.
In the movie “Evan Almighty”, Al Mighty (God played by Morgan Freeman) says to Evan’s wife Joan (Lauren Graham) that “God doesn’t give you courage. Instead, God gives you opportunities to be courageous.” The question is, are you ready and willing to step up to the plate and demonstrate courage?
Be couragious In Discouraging Times
Even though we are Christians there are times we face extremities in our lives with health, employment, finances, family and other things but we must not be discouraged, depressed, frustrated, and angry with God, ourselves and others; because when we face extremities we will find that it is God’s opportunity to step in if we will continue to believe He is at work in our situations.
I want to help you right from the start with this important statement: If you are ever angry with God or frustrated with Him, you are only doing yourself harm because God is never your problem when you face problems, difficulties or extremities in your life. If you think God is the problem then you will never find the answer to your problems because He is the answer to all things.
God does not want you to live in fear, worry and anxiety because when you live in fear, worry or anxiety you are trusting in your own abilities and not in God’s ability. He wants you to have good courage and put your total trust in Him so that He can show Himself strong in your life.
Always remember this, when you run out of yourself, your abilities then is when you will always run into God and His ability!
Facing extremities you need to settle in your heart this is God’s opportunity to step in and it is your time to continue to believe He is at work. Realizing this truth will help you to be more enticed to trust Him.
You need to continue to remind yourself there is no failure in God, there is no defeat in God and there is no deficiency in God. You must remember this to have courage in discouraging times.
My definition of courage is the ability to see victory or the ability to see good things happen when things look bad, look their worst and look like they will never change. Courage is the ability to conquer fear or despair, to be brave or have a quality of mind or temperament that enables you to stand fast in the face of opposition, hardship or danger.
We can see godly courage in operation in the life of Joshua in the Old Testament. God told him, Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their fathers to give them.
Those words, “Be strong and of good courage,” came to Joshua when God gave him the assignment of leading the children of Israel into their promised land after Moses had died.
All of us have dealt with discouragement which can lead us into depression. We try to make things work, make something happen, try to do what is right; but yet it seems nothing is changing, nothing is ever going to turn out right and so the enemy uses discouragement so we will let go of our faith in God. But being developed in godly courage there is a power available to you enabling you to have good courage in discouraging times.
With godly courage you could be facing health problems, family problems, financial hardships, or other kinds of difficulties but you still won’t give up, still won’t lose heart, still won’t quit, but will stand still right in the middle of it all trusting God is at work for you.
God has promised you a lot in His New Covenant He has with you and you need godly courage in order to possess what God has promised you and in order to do what God wants you to do.
You need to realize when God promises to give you something it is not going to come to you automatically. You have an enemy that opposes you. Your faith life or walk in faith is a faith fight.
Paul said, “I fought a good fight. I kept the faith. I finished my course.”
This fight of faith has to be finished. In the process of starting the fight and finishing the fight there are going to be times, even though it is yours and God already said it is yours, you will have to have courage to trust God and stay in there and finish the fight in order to obtain the promise.
Even though you see it in the Word and you know it is yours; sometimes it will look like you can’t have the promise. That’s the time you are going to have to have good courage. That’s why God repeatedly told Joshua to be of good courage. He knew there were going to be situations that were going to oppose them in going in and taking the inheritance that was rightfully theirs.
Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. KJV
God is telling you that you are going to have to have courage which will activate the godly fruit of patience with expectancy. The Bible tells us, James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. So with godly courage and godly patience, powerful spiritual forces, empowering you they will bring the promises to you.
Along with the godly courage God emphasized this; He said, “My Presence will be with you.” So knowing He is with you every step of the way should bring encouragement and expectancy.
Courage causes you to walk in God’s Word and what it says about you in spite of what is going on around you that continually, constantly speaks the opposite of the truths of God’s Word about you.
A lack of courage will bring fear and that is why God told Joshua, Joshua 1:9 ….be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed:… Dismay means to cause to lose courage, to be shaken or shook. So the Lord is saying to you, “Don’t be shaken if it doesn’t look like it is going to work out. Don’t be shaken if it doesn’t happen tomorrow. Be strong and be of good courage and stay in there for it has to happen sooner or later.”
Remember when you have prayed the first prayer about something, God is at work. So stay in faith, stay encouraged, waiting expectantly while God works it all out and then the enemy won’t trick you into thinking that nothing is happening.
Studying God’s Word will get you acquainted with God and His promises to you and then you will find the courage to help stabilize your mind, will and emotions. Also the Holy Spirit will then be able to bring to your remembrance encouraging scriptures for each opportunity to be discouraged.
Here are two really good scriptures that can help you in your opportunities to be discouraged. Allow the Lord to add more to your specific needs and situations. All these scriptures have to do with courage.
John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] AMP
1 John 5:4-5 For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? AMP
Today you may be discouraged. It may seem like a monkey has gotten on your back with unshakable arms and is riding, riding, riding and you are just plain tired of it. So I ask the Holy Spirit right now to take that monkey off of your back so you can now ride the monkey.
When the things God has promised you don’t seem like they will ever get to you, you must not be a coward and always cop out, but rather continue to operate in God’s courage.
Sometimes you are facing extremities, things extremely wrong. When you do face God, continue to focus on Him and His Word and you are going to see your victory He has planned for you. This is the time you have to operate in courage.
God wants you to get to the place you see where you are supposed to be, where He has planned all along for you to be. There are going to be things strung out along the way to tell you, “You can’t get there or that will never change or this person will always be the same, they won’t change.”
Here is a scripture you can live in every day for in this scripture you will find God’s purpose and plans for your life were planned for you even before the foundation of the world:
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. AMP
You can and will find that extremities are God’s opportunities. Just face the fact that you can’t do any more about the situation and make the decision that you are just going to keep your face turned toward God and His Word and the truths it reveals about you. This creates God an opportunity to do something for you that He was not able to do because you try to do so much for yourself. As long as you are just dependent on yourself then God can’t step in. But when you realize, “This is extremely too hard for me so I’m going to turn to God in faith and trust Him and have courage,” and then and then only does it become God’s opportunity. I told you earlier, there is no failure in God; so just rest in Him, rest in Him, rest in Him and rest some more in Him.
If you look extremity in the face and you have courage, you will behold the face of God, you will see God. Then is when you cannot become discouraged because when you see God you know it is going to be all right.
How can you look at something that is holding you back and see God? By developing courage in God which in turns develops bravery. If you look at it with courage, you’ll behold the face of God. And then God will say, “All right, I know the situation says you can’t go any further; but don’t pay any attention to it. When you do this you will go to another level you cannot go to by your intellect. That’s why it looks like its tough. But training yourself to trust God to that magnitude and something is pressing you, you will understand and say, “God is doing something,” and you won’t break down and cry and wonder what you are going to do. You will just say, “I have done all I can and need to do.” That is when you have trained yourself to come to the end of yourself and that’s the only way you are going to see God move in any of your situations.
Humanly thinking, we don’t want to run out; but God has it set up that you’ve got to run out of self. You have a God who can and will pull you out of any and every situation. Until you come to end of yourself and what you can do, you are not going to know what God can and wants to do for you. You have got to have courage or you’re not going to know what God can do. You can get to the point where you know that when opposition is real strong that God is about to stretch you.
You’ve been discouraged before but the Lord wants you to be of godly courage, be brave even when it looks like your prayers are not working and when it looks like the scriptures are not working because they are!
Joshua 1:3-5 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. KJV
You need to take that scripture as your own. You can be strong and of good courage because God says, “I am going to be with you.”
There are rewards for those who face extremities with courage beholding the face of God.
Your biggest triumphs will come out of moments that seem like you was paralyzed and you can’t do anything more. Just keep looking at it with courage and you will see God working in situation after situation.
David knew that he faced the lion and the bar with courage and he knew he didn’t kill them on his own. So it gave him courage to whip Goliath, the giant, even though he didn’t whip the giant.
All you need to know in each of your situations is that you didn’t get yourself out of all the situations you have been in before and know that you are going to get out of this extremity you are facing but you know that you didn’t do.
When you have come to the end of all your answers to the situation or situations, exhausted all human strength, skill and answers, come to the end of your prayers, come to the end of your confession of God’s Word and have arrived t your wits end and you realize it; you must not panic because at the end of your human strength God’s supernatural strength and power will show up.
Naturally, you can come to the end of your body’s ability like when a runner is running. It seems they have come to the end of their strength and all of a sudden they feel this new spurt of energy to keep on running.
God wants you to run out of wind so He can give you extra wind when you have run out of all you can do and the enemy is right on your heels. You may have done all you could do and the enemy of sickness and disease or death or payment due or foreclosure or rebellious children and other things are on your heels ready to overtake you; but God will give you a second wind to finish with glorious victory.
The Bible says in Mark 11:22 Have faith in God. The Bible doesn’t say, have faith in yourself. No. Have faith in God. You must make sure you have your faith in God and His faith and not in yourself and your faith. Galatians 2:20 tells us as Christians that we have the faith of Jesus and so with His faith we can have faith in God that He will do what He has promised.
You must understand and believe God never comes to a wit’s end. Shout hallelujah with me! So you can have courage in Somebody like that; Somebody who can’t fail, Somebody who never lost a battle, and Somebody who never was and never will be a coward! God never has nor ever will back up from anything or from anybody!
We can be encouraged by David who with godly courage faced Goliath, the giant, because he knew he couldn’t do it. And the giant you are facing today, just face it with boldness because Jesus who took on your enemy and defeated him is on His way so just give up trying to make it happen yourself!
As a Christian living in this world today you must have courage in God now because this world is not going to get any better. Like Joshua you must have an image in your heart of what God has told you that you are and have through Christ even when you are facing the worst moments and worst challenges of your life.
When you are going through these times it is best not to tell someone who doesn’t believe God and stand on the Word of God for their own promises and would probably think you are crazy to believe for a good outcome and feel sorry for you. You certainly don’t need that.
I remind you again, when you arrive at the end of your wits or your ability or what appears to be an extremity; you will find you’re at the beginning of God’s power. You may have to copy that sentence and others and tape them on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, your car mirror or dashboard, your computer or wherever you can look at it a lot and speak it to yourself in times of extremities.
So always remember God is never at the end of His wit, God knows no extremities and no finalities because nothing is final with God. And really nothing is final with you unless you believe it; accept it and you say so! So speak that the promises of God to you are the final result in each of your situations! As a child of God you are promised to win so don’t believe anything else.
God’s help begins where human help ends. That’s why I encourage you not to depend on people too much or even get tight with a prayer partner because they can become your God. You don’t need their prayer or a word from them all the time. Get a word from God yourself and stand on it yourself. You’ll never become mature in the things of God if you don’t. Build your own courage with the Word of God and trust God for yourself. Don’t always try to find another person.
You really will find God’s help when you seem to be most helpless and that means when you come to the end of yourself.
You must know for sure in spite of everything that you have the faith God, know for sure God loves you, and know for sure you have the Word of God which becomes an anchor for your soul in discouraging times. And yet by the same token, you need to know that you have to and can depend on Him when you become helpless to yourself. That is true Biblical humility and meekness.
The major problem in the lives of Christians is they can’t come to the end of themselves; and the world gives them lots of assistance, making them believe they can do it for them but they can’t. That’s why the Bible tells us, “Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God.”
There is power in godly courage for you at this time in your life. Have courage in this time. Don’t be fearful but rather be brave in God. When major challenges come to you, be brave in God. Just say out loud, “God I trust you. I have my courage in you.”
There have been times in my own life where I have faced some things that it seemed like God had set it up so I would have to look to Him for He was my only way out. I could not take my eyes off of God’s because I knew I couldn’t do anymore; and by looking to God then God’s opportunities started coming to me. I prayed and kept trusting Him, kept praising Him and thanking Him for the answer. I knew I couldn’t possibly go any further and had done everything humanly possible.
I am telling you right now that these times are going to be some of the best moments of your life if you will trust your God.
Don’t let anybody feel sorry for you. Keep speaking aloud what God has promised you and nothing else.
There is a due season awaiting you. The Bible tells you that your weeping will only endure for a season but joy cometh in the morning. That joy can arrive any moment of any day so just be strong and very courageous. The joy of the Lord will come and you know that you have won another victory. All your triumphs will come the same way; when you trust God, have courage and be strong in Him.
When you are going through something that looks like you are not getting out of it; it’s only an opportunity for you to grow spiritually. Just stay in there with God. You will come to the place where you will no longer think of yourself as unable to overcome some adverse condition because you realize that the Spirit of God is at hand and is ready and willing to assist you. You no longer think of yourself as unable, just like Joshua, but have courage because you understand that whatever you face God is going to bring you through it. That’s why I am going to tell you again, “There is no failure in God. There is no defeat in God. There are no deficiencies in God.”
Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Saying this, Jesus has given us a revelation of Himself for us. There’s a rest, but it’s a revelation of rest. Not only do you have rest, but you have rest for your soul. Very few Christians are living this because they don’t have any courage.
He didn’t say, “Everything is going to be easy and everything is going to be light.” He said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
To continually be strong and be courageous is a revelation. You have to have a revelation of Christ, a revelation of Jesus, a revelation of the Holy Spirit, a revelation of the Word in order to walk in or talk about “My yoke is easy and my burdens are light.”
From a human perspective you will say, “There is no yoke that is easy.” That’s because this rest of our Lord has to become a revelation to you. You can’t just read, “My yoke is easy and my burdens are light.” You believe God and with courage you act like you don’t have a problem; because you have the revelation that you can rest now because God is in control of this situation that is beyond you and your ability to handle it.
I have many scriptures and confessions on my website you can meditate and speak when you are in an extreme situation that will help you maintain your godly courage.
In those extreme times, here are some confessions from what I have shared with you that will help you to enter into the revelation of God’s rest and let Him take control and work it out for you:
I am developed in godly courage and this power is available to me in discouraging times. Because I have courage I have the ability to see victory, to see good things happen to me when things look bad or things look like they will never change. Through godly courage I have the ability to conquer fear or despair, be brave and have a mindset that enables me to stand fast in the face of every opposition, hardship or danger.
I trust God because I have settled in my heart; when I face extremities I know it is God’s opportunity to step in as I continue to believe He is at work. I live by faith in God and His Word and expect things to turn out just like God promised me. I realize if God has promised me something it is not going to be automatic for I have an enemy and this is a faith fight. These things belong to me therefore I have courage to stay in faith to possess my inheritance. I will not be a coward and cop out but rather operate in God’s courage. I will trust God till I see the victory. I will finish this fight of faith even though through the process I might not understand everything; for God has assured me it is mine. With faith, patience and expectation I walk this out to receive my promise.
I know for sure there is no failure in God, there is no defeat in God, there is no deficiency in God and so I have courage in discouraging times.
I enter into the rest He promised me by revelation of Him, revelation of His burden removing, yoke destroying power, revelation of the Holy Spirit, revelation of the Word and also the revelation of His yoke being easy and His burdens light. I now have the courage to act like I don’t have a problem because I have the revelation that I can now rest since God is in control of every situation I give to him that is beyond me.
I know for sure that God is never at the end of His wits end and knows no extremities and no finalities because nothing is final with my God. And really nothing is final with me! As a child of God I am promised to win and I believe I am a winner right now.
Along with godly courage God’s presence will be with me all the way through. So I am strong and of good courage and will not fear, be dismayed, shaken nor lose courage. I am not shaken if things look like they are not working or if something doesn’t happen tomorrow for I know it has to happen. That’s why I study God’s Word to find out what He has promised me; for then I find courage for each situation and my mind, will and emotions stay in courage and the Holy Spirit is able to remind me of scriptures for each opportunity to be discouraged.
Jesus has told me that in the world there are opportunities for tribulation, trials, distress and frustration but I am of good courage, confident, certain of what I believe and undaunted by it all; for Jesus has overcome the world I face every day and has deprived it of its power to harm me and has conquered it for me. I am born of God so I am victorious over this world and this is guaranteed by my faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work for me.
I no longer think I am unable to get out of a situation, because I have courage and I understand the Spirit of God is at hand ready to assist me in whatever I need to do andHe is going to bring me through to victory.
There is a due season made for me and awaiting me. The bible promises me that weeping will only endure for a season for joy cometh in the morning because I have courage and trust my Lord.
I want to help you right from the start with this important statement: If you are ever angry with God or frustrated with Him, you are only doing yourself harm because God is never your problem when you face problems, difficulties or extremities in your life. If you think God is the problem then you will never find the answer to your problems because He is the answer to all things.
God does not want you to live in fear, worry and anxiety because when you live in fear, worry or anxiety you are trusting in your own abilities and not in God’s ability. He wants you to have good courage and put your total trust in Him so that He can show Himself strong in your life.
Always remember this, when you run out of yourself, your abilities then is when you will always run into God and His ability!
Facing extremities you need to settle in your heart this is God’s opportunity to step in and it is your time to continue to believe He is at work. Realizing this truth will help you to be more enticed to trust Him.
You need to continue to remind yourself there is no failure in God, there is no defeat in God and there is no deficiency in God. You must remember this to have courage in discouraging times.
My definition of courage is the ability to see victory or the ability to see good things happen when things look bad, look their worst and look like they will never change. Courage is the ability to conquer fear or despair, to be brave or have a quality of mind or temperament that enables you to stand fast in the face of opposition, hardship or danger.
We can see godly courage in operation in the life of Joshua in the Old Testament. God told him, Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their fathers to give them.
Those words, “Be strong and of good courage,” came to Joshua when God gave him the assignment of leading the children of Israel into their promised land after Moses had died.
All of us have dealt with discouragement which can lead us into depression. We try to make things work, make something happen, try to do what is right; but yet it seems nothing is changing, nothing is ever going to turn out right and so the enemy uses discouragement so we will let go of our faith in God. But being developed in godly courage there is a power available to you enabling you to have good courage in discouraging times.
With godly courage you could be facing health problems, family problems, financial hardships, or other kinds of difficulties but you still won’t give up, still won’t lose heart, still won’t quit, but will stand still right in the middle of it all trusting God is at work for you.
God has promised you a lot in His New Covenant He has with you and you need godly courage in order to possess what God has promised you and in order to do what God wants you to do.
You need to realize when God promises to give you something it is not going to come to you automatically. You have an enemy that opposes you. Your faith life or walk in faith is a faith fight.
Paul said, “I fought a good fight. I kept the faith. I finished my course.”
This fight of faith has to be finished. In the process of starting the fight and finishing the fight there are going to be times, even though it is yours and God already said it is yours, you will have to have courage to trust God and stay in there and finish the fight in order to obtain the promise.
Even though you see it in the Word and you know it is yours; sometimes it will look like you can’t have the promise. That’s the time you are going to have to have good courage. That’s why God repeatedly told Joshua to be of good courage. He knew there were going to be situations that were going to oppose them in going in and taking the inheritance that was rightfully theirs.
Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. KJV
God is telling you that you are going to have to have courage which will activate the godly fruit of patience with expectancy. The Bible tells us, James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. So with godly courage and godly patience, powerful spiritual forces, empowering you they will bring the promises to you.
Along with the godly courage God emphasized this; He said, “My Presence will be with you.” So knowing He is with you every step of the way should bring encouragement and expectancy.
Courage causes you to walk in God’s Word and what it says about you in spite of what is going on around you that continually, constantly speaks the opposite of the truths of God’s Word about you.
A lack of courage will bring fear and that is why God told Joshua, Joshua 1:9 ….be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed:… Dismay means to cause to lose courage, to be shaken or shook. So the Lord is saying to you, “Don’t be shaken if it doesn’t look like it is going to work out. Don’t be shaken if it doesn’t happen tomorrow. Be strong and be of good courage and stay in there for it has to happen sooner or later.”
Remember when you have prayed the first prayer about something, God is at work. So stay in faith, stay encouraged, waiting expectantly while God works it all out and then the enemy won’t trick you into thinking that nothing is happening.
Studying God’s Word will get you acquainted with God and His promises to you and then you will find the courage to help stabilize your mind, will and emotions. Also the Holy Spirit will then be able to bring to your remembrance encouraging scriptures for each opportunity to be discouraged.
Here are two really good scriptures that can help you in your opportunities to be discouraged. Allow the Lord to add more to your specific needs and situations. All these scriptures have to do with courage.
John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] AMP
1 John 5:4-5 For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? AMP
Today you may be discouraged. It may seem like a monkey has gotten on your back with unshakable arms and is riding, riding, riding and you are just plain tired of it. So I ask the Holy Spirit right now to take that monkey off of your back so you can now ride the monkey.
When the things God has promised you don’t seem like they will ever get to you, you must not be a coward and always cop out, but rather continue to operate in God’s courage.
Sometimes you are facing extremities, things extremely wrong. When you do face God, continue to focus on Him and His Word and you are going to see your victory He has planned for you. This is the time you have to operate in courage.
God wants you to get to the place you see where you are supposed to be, where He has planned all along for you to be. There are going to be things strung out along the way to tell you, “You can’t get there or that will never change or this person will always be the same, they won’t change.”
Here is a scripture you can live in every day for in this scripture you will find God’s purpose and plans for your life were planned for you even before the foundation of the world:
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. AMP
You can and will find that extremities are God’s opportunities. Just face the fact that you can’t do any more about the situation and make the decision that you are just going to keep your face turned toward God and His Word and the truths it reveals about you. This creates God an opportunity to do something for you that He was not able to do because you try to do so much for yourself. As long as you are just dependent on yourself then God can’t step in. But when you realize, “This is extremely too hard for me so I’m going to turn to God in faith and trust Him and have courage,” and then and then only does it become God’s opportunity. I told you earlier, there is no failure in God; so just rest in Him, rest in Him, rest in Him and rest some more in Him.
If you look extremity in the face and you have courage, you will behold the face of God, you will see God. Then is when you cannot become discouraged because when you see God you know it is going to be all right.
How can you look at something that is holding you back and see God? By developing courage in God which in turns develops bravery. If you look at it with courage, you’ll behold the face of God. And then God will say, “All right, I know the situation says you can’t go any further; but don’t pay any attention to it. When you do this you will go to another level you cannot go to by your intellect. That’s why it looks like its tough. But training yourself to trust God to that magnitude and something is pressing you, you will understand and say, “God is doing something,” and you won’t break down and cry and wonder what you are going to do. You will just say, “I have done all I can and need to do.” That is when you have trained yourself to come to the end of yourself and that’s the only way you are going to see God move in any of your situations.
Humanly thinking, we don’t want to run out; but God has it set up that you’ve got to run out of self. You have a God who can and will pull you out of any and every situation. Until you come to end of yourself and what you can do, you are not going to know what God can and wants to do for you. You have got to have courage or you’re not going to know what God can do. You can get to the point where you know that when opposition is real strong that God is about to stretch you.
You’ve been discouraged before but the Lord wants you to be of godly courage, be brave even when it looks like your prayers are not working and when it looks like the scriptures are not working because they are!
Joshua 1:3-5 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. KJV
You need to take that scripture as your own. You can be strong and of good courage because God says, “I am going to be with you.”
There are rewards for those who face extremities with courage beholding the face of God.
Your biggest triumphs will come out of moments that seem like you was paralyzed and you can’t do anything more. Just keep looking at it with courage and you will see God working in situation after situation.
David knew that he faced the lion and the bar with courage and he knew he didn’t kill them on his own. So it gave him courage to whip Goliath, the giant, even though he didn’t whip the giant.
All you need to know in each of your situations is that you didn’t get yourself out of all the situations you have been in before and know that you are going to get out of this extremity you are facing but you know that you didn’t do.
When you have come to the end of all your answers to the situation or situations, exhausted all human strength, skill and answers, come to the end of your prayers, come to the end of your confession of God’s Word and have arrived t your wits end and you realize it; you must not panic because at the end of your human strength God’s supernatural strength and power will show up.
Naturally, you can come to the end of your body’s ability like when a runner is running. It seems they have come to the end of their strength and all of a sudden they feel this new spurt of energy to keep on running.
God wants you to run out of wind so He can give you extra wind when you have run out of all you can do and the enemy is right on your heels. You may have done all you could do and the enemy of sickness and disease or death or payment due or foreclosure or rebellious children and other things are on your heels ready to overtake you; but God will give you a second wind to finish with glorious victory.
The Bible says in Mark 11:22 Have faith in God. The Bible doesn’t say, have faith in yourself. No. Have faith in God. You must make sure you have your faith in God and His faith and not in yourself and your faith. Galatians 2:20 tells us as Christians that we have the faith of Jesus and so with His faith we can have faith in God that He will do what He has promised.
You must understand and believe God never comes to a wit’s end. Shout hallelujah with me! So you can have courage in Somebody like that; Somebody who can’t fail, Somebody who never lost a battle, and Somebody who never was and never will be a coward! God never has nor ever will back up from anything or from anybody!
We can be encouraged by David who with godly courage faced Goliath, the giant, because he knew he couldn’t do it. And the giant you are facing today, just face it with boldness because Jesus who took on your enemy and defeated him is on His way so just give up trying to make it happen yourself!
As a Christian living in this world today you must have courage in God now because this world is not going to get any better. Like Joshua you must have an image in your heart of what God has told you that you are and have through Christ even when you are facing the worst moments and worst challenges of your life.
When you are going through these times it is best not to tell someone who doesn’t believe God and stand on the Word of God for their own promises and would probably think you are crazy to believe for a good outcome and feel sorry for you. You certainly don’t need that.
I remind you again, when you arrive at the end of your wits or your ability or what appears to be an extremity; you will find you’re at the beginning of God’s power. You may have to copy that sentence and others and tape them on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, your car mirror or dashboard, your computer or wherever you can look at it a lot and speak it to yourself in times of extremities.
So always remember God is never at the end of His wit, God knows no extremities and no finalities because nothing is final with God. And really nothing is final with you unless you believe it; accept it and you say so! So speak that the promises of God to you are the final result in each of your situations! As a child of God you are promised to win so don’t believe anything else.
God’s help begins where human help ends. That’s why I encourage you not to depend on people too much or even get tight with a prayer partner because they can become your God. You don’t need their prayer or a word from them all the time. Get a word from God yourself and stand on it yourself. You’ll never become mature in the things of God if you don’t. Build your own courage with the Word of God and trust God for yourself. Don’t always try to find another person.
You really will find God’s help when you seem to be most helpless and that means when you come to the end of yourself.
You must know for sure in spite of everything that you have the faith God, know for sure God loves you, and know for sure you have the Word of God which becomes an anchor for your soul in discouraging times. And yet by the same token, you need to know that you have to and can depend on Him when you become helpless to yourself. That is true Biblical humility and meekness.
The major problem in the lives of Christians is they can’t come to the end of themselves; and the world gives them lots of assistance, making them believe they can do it for them but they can’t. That’s why the Bible tells us, “Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God.”
There is power in godly courage for you at this time in your life. Have courage in this time. Don’t be fearful but rather be brave in God. When major challenges come to you, be brave in God. Just say out loud, “God I trust you. I have my courage in you.”
There have been times in my own life where I have faced some things that it seemed like God had set it up so I would have to look to Him for He was my only way out. I could not take my eyes off of God’s because I knew I couldn’t do anymore; and by looking to God then God’s opportunities started coming to me. I prayed and kept trusting Him, kept praising Him and thanking Him for the answer. I knew I couldn’t possibly go any further and had done everything humanly possible.
I am telling you right now that these times are going to be some of the best moments of your life if you will trust your God.
Don’t let anybody feel sorry for you. Keep speaking aloud what God has promised you and nothing else.
There is a due season awaiting you. The Bible tells you that your weeping will only endure for a season but joy cometh in the morning. That joy can arrive any moment of any day so just be strong and very courageous. The joy of the Lord will come and you know that you have won another victory. All your triumphs will come the same way; when you trust God, have courage and be strong in Him.
When you are going through something that looks like you are not getting out of it; it’s only an opportunity for you to grow spiritually. Just stay in there with God. You will come to the place where you will no longer think of yourself as unable to overcome some adverse condition because you realize that the Spirit of God is at hand and is ready and willing to assist you. You no longer think of yourself as unable, just like Joshua, but have courage because you understand that whatever you face God is going to bring you through it. That’s why I am going to tell you again, “There is no failure in God. There is no defeat in God. There are no deficiencies in God.”
Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Saying this, Jesus has given us a revelation of Himself for us. There’s a rest, but it’s a revelation of rest. Not only do you have rest, but you have rest for your soul. Very few Christians are living this because they don’t have any courage.
He didn’t say, “Everything is going to be easy and everything is going to be light.” He said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
To continually be strong and be courageous is a revelation. You have to have a revelation of Christ, a revelation of Jesus, a revelation of the Holy Spirit, a revelation of the Word in order to walk in or talk about “My yoke is easy and my burdens are light.”
From a human perspective you will say, “There is no yoke that is easy.” That’s because this rest of our Lord has to become a revelation to you. You can’t just read, “My yoke is easy and my burdens are light.” You believe God and with courage you act like you don’t have a problem; because you have the revelation that you can rest now because God is in control of this situation that is beyond you and your ability to handle it.
I have many scriptures and confessions on my website you can meditate and speak when you are in an extreme situation that will help you maintain your godly courage.
In those extreme times, here are some confessions from what I have shared with you that will help you to enter into the revelation of God’s rest and let Him take control and work it out for you:
I am developed in godly courage and this power is available to me in discouraging times. Because I have courage I have the ability to see victory, to see good things happen to me when things look bad or things look like they will never change. Through godly courage I have the ability to conquer fear or despair, be brave and have a mindset that enables me to stand fast in the face of every opposition, hardship or danger.
I trust God because I have settled in my heart; when I face extremities I know it is God’s opportunity to step in as I continue to believe He is at work. I live by faith in God and His Word and expect things to turn out just like God promised me. I realize if God has promised me something it is not going to be automatic for I have an enemy and this is a faith fight. These things belong to me therefore I have courage to stay in faith to possess my inheritance. I will not be a coward and cop out but rather operate in God’s courage. I will trust God till I see the victory. I will finish this fight of faith even though through the process I might not understand everything; for God has assured me it is mine. With faith, patience and expectation I walk this out to receive my promise.
I know for sure there is no failure in God, there is no defeat in God, there is no deficiency in God and so I have courage in discouraging times.
I enter into the rest He promised me by revelation of Him, revelation of His burden removing, yoke destroying power, revelation of the Holy Spirit, revelation of the Word and also the revelation of His yoke being easy and His burdens light. I now have the courage to act like I don’t have a problem because I have the revelation that I can now rest since God is in control of every situation I give to him that is beyond me.
I know for sure that God is never at the end of His wits end and knows no extremities and no finalities because nothing is final with my God. And really nothing is final with me! As a child of God I am promised to win and I believe I am a winner right now.
Along with godly courage God’s presence will be with me all the way through. So I am strong and of good courage and will not fear, be dismayed, shaken nor lose courage. I am not shaken if things look like they are not working or if something doesn’t happen tomorrow for I know it has to happen. That’s why I study God’s Word to find out what He has promised me; for then I find courage for each situation and my mind, will and emotions stay in courage and the Holy Spirit is able to remind me of scriptures for each opportunity to be discouraged.
Jesus has told me that in the world there are opportunities for tribulation, trials, distress and frustration but I am of good courage, confident, certain of what I believe and undaunted by it all; for Jesus has overcome the world I face every day and has deprived it of its power to harm me and has conquered it for me. I am born of God so I am victorious over this world and this is guaranteed by my faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work for me.
I no longer think I am unable to get out of a situation, because I have courage and I understand the Spirit of God is at hand ready to assist me in whatever I need to do andHe is going to bring me through to victory.
There is a due season made for me and awaiting me. The bible promises me that weeping will only endure for a season for joy cometh in the morning because I have courage and trust my Lord.
The Power of Faith
Faith is a powerful force that the whole of humanity is yet to embrace. Most people have read the quoted verse several times yet it has not been imbibed into their lives. So many people can afford to live below their God-given potentials because they have not been able to have faith in themselves and all that the scripture has said concerning them.
Think about this for a moment: “To believe in the things that you can see and touch is no belief at all, but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing.” - Abraham Lincoln. Absolute faith in God and oneself is one secret of achieving one’s goal and living a peaceful life on earth. There are so many things that have been said concerning us in the scripture but how many of us remember those promises when we experience any challenge? When pursuing your dreams, obstacles will surely come, but it is the depth of your faith that will determine whether you forge ahead or you pack it in.
Every human has the power within him to achieve any heart desire but it is the level of belief we have in ourselves that determines the result we get. People with faith are more relaxed because they are not anxious. They no that no matter what comes their way, the perfect result will definitely occur; therefore there is no reason foe the self-destructive emotions like stress, doubt, fear, insecurity etc.
In a life that faith abounds, doubt is never present. If your faith is not strong, doubt will break through. Man is a co-creator with God; the potential is unlimited. What is true of the great achievers in our history is true for us. Have faith that you too have infinite possibilities to create extraordinary things.
The world is full of people who started their dreams with nothing but faith. We have read several scriptural examples and our present world is also full of these people. If not for the faith of some men, the technological advancements we are all enjoying today would have been virtually impossible. it is now possible for man to visit the moon anytime because President Kennedy had the faith at a point in time. Several people did not believe him because it has never being done before. Because of his absolute faith, it didn’t take ten years for this to become a reality.
When you are in the state of absolute faith, you expect challenges. You know that obstacles are a part of the natural occurrences and you easily move through them. When you have this kind of faith, you do not allow anything to take you off track. You do not consider an obstacle a distraction or even a nuisance; you simply see it as part of the perfection of everything. In the face of adversity, you hold strong to your faith and are unmoved and unaffected as a result.
Napoleon Hill said, “Whatsoever the mind of man can conceive and BELIEVE he can achieve.” Faith is so important if you are going to achieve your dreams and vision. When following your dreams, I will want you to embrace this advice by Dorothea Brand, “Act as if it is impossible to fail!” And you will NEVER experience failure no matter what comes your way.
Think about this for a moment: “To believe in the things that you can see and touch is no belief at all, but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing.” - Abraham Lincoln. Absolute faith in God and oneself is one secret of achieving one’s goal and living a peaceful life on earth. There are so many things that have been said concerning us in the scripture but how many of us remember those promises when we experience any challenge? When pursuing your dreams, obstacles will surely come, but it is the depth of your faith that will determine whether you forge ahead or you pack it in.
Every human has the power within him to achieve any heart desire but it is the level of belief we have in ourselves that determines the result we get. People with faith are more relaxed because they are not anxious. They no that no matter what comes their way, the perfect result will definitely occur; therefore there is no reason foe the self-destructive emotions like stress, doubt, fear, insecurity etc.
In a life that faith abounds, doubt is never present. If your faith is not strong, doubt will break through. Man is a co-creator with God; the potential is unlimited. What is true of the great achievers in our history is true for us. Have faith that you too have infinite possibilities to create extraordinary things.
The world is full of people who started their dreams with nothing but faith. We have read several scriptural examples and our present world is also full of these people. If not for the faith of some men, the technological advancements we are all enjoying today would have been virtually impossible. it is now possible for man to visit the moon anytime because President Kennedy had the faith at a point in time. Several people did not believe him because it has never being done before. Because of his absolute faith, it didn’t take ten years for this to become a reality.
When you are in the state of absolute faith, you expect challenges. You know that obstacles are a part of the natural occurrences and you easily move through them. When you have this kind of faith, you do not allow anything to take you off track. You do not consider an obstacle a distraction or even a nuisance; you simply see it as part of the perfection of everything. In the face of adversity, you hold strong to your faith and are unmoved and unaffected as a result.
Napoleon Hill said, “Whatsoever the mind of man can conceive and BELIEVE he can achieve.” Faith is so important if you are going to achieve your dreams and vision. When following your dreams, I will want you to embrace this advice by Dorothea Brand, “Act as if it is impossible to fail!” And you will NEVER experience failure no matter what comes your way.
What Circumstances Do To Us
Life is all about being knocked down but not out. As soon as you allow circumstances to knock you out, you become their slaves and they keep knocking you about till you are sent into your grave. Have you ever heard of the phrase “the path less traveled”? That is the path that the successful people are comfortable in taking. Though the road is rough and tough, yet they are willingly to take it because they know what awaits them at the end of the road.
Those who take the road most traveled are those who want to have things easier in life, those who believed life is meant to be lived without facing any form of obstacle, the lily-livered type. What do you think is awaiting these ones at the end of the road? Penury, obscurity and things related to them. These are the people that will end up blaming everything, apart from them, as the source of where they have ended up in life.
Our perception of failure needs to really change. It is something that is just a temporary event but people who dwell on their failures always make it a permanent thing. All they do is just give that as a source of excuse for them not moving forward. We all must fail at one point in our stay on this planet but our decision must be to march on no matter what life throws at us. I want you to know that the greatest failure in life is to stop trying. It is better to fail attempting a great deed than to attempt nothing and succeed.
Another thing I see about challenges, is that they make us become a better person. The mistakes you made yesterday, you find it difficult to make today. The wisdom we gain from our challenges will always be useful to us and those who listen to us. Why do you think people will pay huge amount of money to listen to people like Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Anthony Robbins, John Foppe, Michael Angier, Sam Adeyemi, Les Brown and several other speakers? It is because of the wisdom that is oozing out of them and where do you think they gained all these wisdom from?
Do you think they learnt it at an institution of learning? Or do you think by just sitting down and doing nothing that is how the wisdom flew into them? No! They really went into the world and experienced all that life has to throw at them. They went through tough times in their lives and life dealt several blows on them, but to life’s surprise they took everything and were still able to ask it if that is all it has to offer! Life, I am sure couldn’t believe it, it has to give them everything they required from life.
The wisdom they have didn’t come cheap! They fell several times and still dusted their pants and move on they did! Who won’t listen when these men talk? Have you ever lost a million dollars? How will you react if you happen to be in the shoe of someone who has? Won’t you listen when, someone who has passed through that experience and still made it back, talk?
That is simply what tough times and challenges do to us! They make us better, wiser and more resolute to succeed more than any other thing. Why is it that there is always a light at the end of a dark tunnel? If you know this is always so, why then do you think of giving up when you are passing through tough times?
Those who take the road most traveled are those who want to have things easier in life, those who believed life is meant to be lived without facing any form of obstacle, the lily-livered type. What do you think is awaiting these ones at the end of the road? Penury, obscurity and things related to them. These are the people that will end up blaming everything, apart from them, as the source of where they have ended up in life.
Our perception of failure needs to really change. It is something that is just a temporary event but people who dwell on their failures always make it a permanent thing. All they do is just give that as a source of excuse for them not moving forward. We all must fail at one point in our stay on this planet but our decision must be to march on no matter what life throws at us. I want you to know that the greatest failure in life is to stop trying. It is better to fail attempting a great deed than to attempt nothing and succeed.
Another thing I see about challenges, is that they make us become a better person. The mistakes you made yesterday, you find it difficult to make today. The wisdom we gain from our challenges will always be useful to us and those who listen to us. Why do you think people will pay huge amount of money to listen to people like Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Anthony Robbins, John Foppe, Michael Angier, Sam Adeyemi, Les Brown and several other speakers? It is because of the wisdom that is oozing out of them and where do you think they gained all these wisdom from?
Do you think they learnt it at an institution of learning? Or do you think by just sitting down and doing nothing that is how the wisdom flew into them? No! They really went into the world and experienced all that life has to throw at them. They went through tough times in their lives and life dealt several blows on them, but to life’s surprise they took everything and were still able to ask it if that is all it has to offer! Life, I am sure couldn’t believe it, it has to give them everything they required from life.
The wisdom they have didn’t come cheap! They fell several times and still dusted their pants and move on they did! Who won’t listen when these men talk? Have you ever lost a million dollars? How will you react if you happen to be in the shoe of someone who has? Won’t you listen when, someone who has passed through that experience and still made it back, talk?
That is simply what tough times and challenges do to us! They make us better, wiser and more resolute to succeed more than any other thing. Why is it that there is always a light at the end of a dark tunnel? If you know this is always so, why then do you think of giving up when you are passing through tough times?
What do you really want in life?
Most people don’t discover what they want in life until it’s time to die – and that’s a shame.
Most people spend the best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.” Are you one of the living zombies?
What do you really want in life?
Some people struggle in answering such question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure. They dillydally in their decision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by. Are you one of these people?
If you are undecided about what you want out of life, do not worry. There are many ways of discovering your purpose in life.
To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart. Oftentimes, people are ruled by logic. People live by what they think they should be or by what others like them to be. The discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your authentic self. Your authentic self is the real you.
Listen to your heart to be able to listen to your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like play where the task is accomplished without hesitation. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance.
You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals. Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get what you want in life. Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.
However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart. The poet Rumi Wisely said, “Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life. Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline. It’s all a fine balance - the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life.”
Listen to your instinct. Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction on things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your authentic self communicates with you and guides you via instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then is to listen attentively.
Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children. “We come from a family of doctors, so my son must also be a doctor.” How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the impossibility of your dream. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics. Did they achieve theirs dreams? Do they dream big at all?
Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not theirs. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say. Hear them out just the same. But the final decision should be yours.
There is only one thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his brightest life will look like. Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire. You will never go wrong.
Most people spend the best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.” Are you one of the living zombies?
What do you really want in life?
Some people struggle in answering such question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure. They dillydally in their decision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by. Are you one of these people?
If you are undecided about what you want out of life, do not worry. There are many ways of discovering your purpose in life.
To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart. Oftentimes, people are ruled by logic. People live by what they think they should be or by what others like them to be. The discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your authentic self. Your authentic self is the real you.
Listen to your heart to be able to listen to your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like play where the task is accomplished without hesitation. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance.
You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals. Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get what you want in life. Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.
However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart. The poet Rumi Wisely said, “Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life. Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline. It’s all a fine balance - the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life.”
Listen to your instinct. Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction on things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your authentic self communicates with you and guides you via instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then is to listen attentively.
Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children. “We come from a family of doctors, so my son must also be a doctor.” How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the impossibility of your dream. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics. Did they achieve theirs dreams? Do they dream big at all?
Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not theirs. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say. Hear them out just the same. But the final decision should be yours.
There is only one thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his brightest life will look like. Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire. You will never go wrong.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIEDS LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES.
Be wary of friends they will betray you more quickly for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. Infact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies.
WAYS OF ACHIEVING GREATNESS
Have you ever asked yourself why some are rich and others are poor? Vividly some are born great while some achieve greatness. Many great men today are descendant of millionaires. Their forefathers during their time bought shares in many companies and have used the names of such sons and daughters have the beneficiary after their death. This will now pave way for their children and grand children to achieve success easily without passing through the rigorous stress of starting business with a token amount of money or going to school without proper financial outlay. These groups of people because of their background are highly connected and as such would always have access to almost every thing they want in life. However others are not born great but achieve greatness through hard work and determination with a lot of perseverance. People are not born equal and as such have unequal opportunity. We all are human but some are greater preferentially because of their class. The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender. There are many ways to achieve greatness, it is important to note that not all sons and daughters of these millionaires are still rich today. A man is the architect of his success or failure because as you make your bed so shall you lie on it. So, nobody is impact with variety of knowledge alone. What is your faith today? Are you going to allow the challenges facing you to defeat you? The answer remains no, because you are meant to understand that in hour of defeat many people discover their true greatness and accept defeat only as a challenge to try again. So believe in second chance because when one door closes, another will definitely open provided you don’t develop self-defeatism. Mind you if you don’t have a plan it means that you have planned to fail. This is to say that de worst tragedy to befall a man is to leave a life without a plan. How do you think that a house without a good foundation can stand? It will definitely collapse within the shortest possible time.
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