WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE NOW, YOU DON'T NEED NOW!

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” (Eccl 3:11)

There is this phenomenon that is not only common with young people but even with grown up ones - the desire to experience everything now. We pursue fulfillment with so much a burning desire and curiosity forgetting that growth is gradual. But there is need to exercise caution to avoid mistake which sometimes might not only be terrible but also irrecoverable.

If you take two bottles of Coca-Cola drink and allow one to be vigorously shaken before opening, it’s most probable you experience spillage due to the effervescent nature of the gas content. But you we will equally agree with me that the other bottle which wasn’t shaken can still be easily controlled from spilling. The truth remains that both bottles has such great potentials seeking for exposure, nevertheless, one is bound to be wasted due to restlessness and impatience. Hence we need to know that life is in phases, while men are in their difference sizes. Those who try to jump up surely do find themselves down again, but only those who walk up stays up.

“And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” (Mark 4:26-29KJV)

I once heard a wise man said “even with patience, the snail still reaches the ark”. One terrible consequence of impatience is it horror of making the present uncomfortable and the future unreachable. Those who eat their tomorrow today; will not only find it unripe and sour, but will also find nothing left when they get to the future. Caution must be exercised in those choices we make today has it has a lot to tell on our tomorrow.

Please stop lamenting that you don’t have what some else have. Stop seeking for undue influences and supports to help you run faster than your legs. These are what lead to covetousness. You don’t need them! You are not meant to live like beggars! You if don’t have up to a thousand dollars to start a business now, it is because you don’t need it. Nevertheless, whatsoever is in your hands now is all you need now. Everything you will ever need is inside what you presently have in your hands, for when it’s time, it will surely manifest.

When God called Moses, He told him He will use the rod in his hand to do signs and wonders (Exo. 4:17). But when it was time for Moses to divide the Red sea, I guess Moses forgot that he had the rod, so when he went to God to ask what to do, God reminded him, “Moses, why are you crying out at me? All you need is in your hand! Use it!” So Moses stretched the rod over the Red sea and parted it for the Israelites to pass on dry ground (Exodus 14:16-30). This point to the fact that before the commencement of your life, all that you will need to make it is already settled. They are only meant to be revealed with time. When we live a day per time, it’s a demonstration of confidence and assurance that we are complete success no matter what the present may look like.

“And ye are complete in him…” (Col 2:10KJV)

Perhaps you are like Moses who sees himself as not being qualified for the great assignment because he was a stammerer, or like Esther who thought the position is not meant for people in her status and background. Please bear it in mind that God knows what you have and what you don’t before He brought those opportunities along your way. No matter what you lack is presently, be assured you also have something great as compensation for leverage. You only need to locate it and begin to use it! Come to think of it, if you have everything as when needed, how then did you want God to make you a wonder to your world? God knows you much more than you ever know yourself. Whatever you don’t have, you don’t need because all you need right now is all in you.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5NIV)

When a baby is being born, nothing differentiates the sex from a boy or a girl. At birth, all the physical features of the baby give no clue to what sex would be until the latter part of the body is sighted. Even as they grow up, you wonder where all the gender characteristics are hidden. Both the boys and the girls carry a similar look! The breasts and curves of a female together are far from fetch while the beards and the deep voice of the male are all trapped in the world of the unseen. Yet all these are very much present within; for in a period of time, changes start becoming visible. The inside begins to reveal the outside, and the unseen becomes uncovered.

We came here with all we needed inside us and it doesn’t matter what it looks like presently, our true identity remains intact, bringing us to the glorious destination God had in mind for us.

WALKING THROUGH YOUR FEARS 1

“And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?

And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.

And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.” Josh 17:14- 16KJV

There are no free dishes in life. Whatsoever you desire to eat, you must be ready to cook.

Joshua told them, the solution to your smallness is “getting up” and “cutting down” for yourself. Many are too lazy to get up and too fearful to cut down. If you must destroy limitation and cross boundaries that has never being cross in your family before, then you must be ready to destroy fear. The children of Joseph said “… and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron…”

Miracles only happen for those who carry courageous heart in the face of adversity. It takes fearless and courageous people to go far in life. This why God told Joshua in Josh 1: 6,7 “…be strong and be courageous” and then you will be able to do what Moses can’t do. Courage doesn’t connote absence of fear; it simply implies confronting your fears with the understanding of scriptures. Courage means knowing what to use in the word of God to trouble your troubles.

Arise & Step Out!

Isa. 60: 1 says “Arise, Shine!” Only those who arise, shines!

Destroying your fears begins with rising up against it and stepping out. What is that storm in your life? Finance, Fruitfulness, Marriage, Academic, Deliverance or any other breakthrough, you need to rise up against it. Peter never knew he could stand walking on water until he arose and step out.

Whatsoever you fail to confront, you can never conquer. Stop saying; “whenever God is ready, He will do it”. God is always ready! He is the same yesterday, today and forever more (Heb. 13:8). His power does not decrease or increase with time. The reason why you are down is only because you choose to be down. Arise!

Permit me to tell you what is called Destiny. Destiny is not what will happen will happen, it is what you choose to happen to your life.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

Destiny is holding your life in the face of the scripture and commanding it to produce fruitfulness even in the face of every adversity. If you clear a land for farming, do you now leave it alone and say “whatsoever we grow, God will cause it to grow?” Well, something will surely grow there, but not what you will be able to eat. That is what destiny looks like.

Abraham was 75 years old still living in his father’s house. And God looked at him, “this one will die a-nobody”. No wonder he is still childless! And God said “Abraham, get out of your father’s house…” Someone said “To where?” Anad I supposed God reply "Well ,that is no really necessary now, just get out first."

Anytime you rise up against any opposition, you confuse and intimidate your enemies. You are not born to die in fear; it’s time to rise up. That you live together with different people doesn’t mean you have the same destiny with them. The bible says “fear not their fear, nor the afraid” (Isa. 8:12)

RESPONSIBILITY ATTITUDE

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Col 4:5-6KJV)

Every attainment begins with an attitude. There is an attitude that will always show the leadership ability of an individual. It is called responsibility.

Responsibility is the ability to choose how to respond to situation and circumstances of life. It is having no excuse for failure. For example, if a man physically abuses his wife all because of her ill behavior, little did he knows that between the time his wife offended him and the time he reacted, he has the chance to decide on how to respond. Therefore responsibility is exercising the power of choice

“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer” (Prov 15:28NKJV)

Joseph has all the reason to be angry with his destiny, with man and with God. The dreams that caused his brothers to hate him were given by God. If there is something wrong in being good and diligent, then the attitude of Potiphar’s wife should not have being questioned. Without any doubt, Joseph dream has enough reason to fail, but he chose to be lively in every instance. Even when imprisoned for the crime he never committed, he was all out on a ministry of consolation. I believe some inmate would have called him a fool for suffering in vain and not giving in to his master’s wife.

Responsibility is making the right response through inner ability. There is a big difference in allowing situation to determine one’s reactions and in determining how to react to every situation. It is all in the power of choice – the power of a made-up mind.

If you fail in a venture and you assume “it no use trying again, I am a failure after all”, you have simply responded badly. You have given failure control over your life.

If your experience with your wife makes you think “no woman, no cry” or that women are necessary evil, then you need to check again how responsible you are. If God sees man incomplete without a woman, then seeing yourself complete without your spouse equals lack of understanding. This principle applies to both genders.

Just of recent I came to understand what the scripture means when it says:

“You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” (Matt 5:38-40NKJV)

“Turning the other cheek” simply means we should choose our actions not according to circumstance. For we become controllable by life when we only move the way things are commonly accepted, such which we eventually lead to life without impact.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8NKJV)

The unique nature of a believer makes him not to be reactive, but to respond with right attitude. Making moves that every ordinary man lest expect. A wise man once said “Life is 10% of what happen and 90% of how we react to it”.

How much did you believe in the great deposit of God for your life? How far can you handle such problems that many fears entertain? How far can you go even without the support of most of you close associates? What does your action looks like when you are wrongly accused? How do you respond at home when someone annoyed you outside? What is your reaction when everybody seems to team up against you? Didn’t you begin to share blame, curse, rage, or pick up your reaction on things or someone else? It’s good to know that every man is the writer of his own life story. You can determine what happened next at every turn of every situation. Even when God watches over us, our actions largely determines His contribution towards our situations. (1 Sam 2:3, John 5:22)