READ: PSALM 119:97-98
John 12:24 says, “Verily,
verily I say to you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it
abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit”. Our emphasis
here is ‘ground’. The word ‘ground’ refers to ‘earth’, something you could
urinate upon or dig. The fellow who must increase must first descend to the
ground by being able to tolerate anything unpleasant you do to him. Sometime
ago, I locked up my sons and I for 12 hours without food or drink just to drive
home some facts of life. One of such salient truths was that they should never
hate their enemies no matter what happens. Why? Hatred beclouds judgement. You
cannot judge accurately when you habour hatred. If you have been destined for
greatness and have set out to fulfil it, you cannot afford to make mistakes.
You must keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Why? So that before they make a move you will the direction they are heading. If you are going to reach your goal, you must first fall to the ground. You must imbibe the characteristics of the ground. When I was younger, Mohammed Ali was one of my heroes. On close study of his boxing tactics, I discovered that one factor responsible for his frequent victories was that he annoys his opponents before the fight and by the time the fight begins, they would make mistakes. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says anger has a resident permit in the bosom of a fool. Many people are below where they should be today because they allowed anger to displace them. To what extent is anger affecting your work and future? In some churches, inability to control the anger in the pastor or his wife is responsible for scattering the congregation.
Some people had walked out on a job they had so desired and prayed for because of anger. It only shows they have not got to the ground. When you urinate or defecate on the ground, it will not say anything. When you stand on its head and dance or jump several times, the ground does not grumble. A trip downwards is the headway you need to make it in life and ministry. Until you fall to the ground, you can never really go upwards. Ask God for grace to hit the ground today: Ask Him for grace to develop self control.
You must keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Why? So that before they make a move you will the direction they are heading. If you are going to reach your goal, you must first fall to the ground. You must imbibe the characteristics of the ground. When I was younger, Mohammed Ali was one of my heroes. On close study of his boxing tactics, I discovered that one factor responsible for his frequent victories was that he annoys his opponents before the fight and by the time the fight begins, they would make mistakes. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says anger has a resident permit in the bosom of a fool. Many people are below where they should be today because they allowed anger to displace them. To what extent is anger affecting your work and future? In some churches, inability to control the anger in the pastor or his wife is responsible for scattering the congregation.
Some people had walked out on a job they had so desired and prayed for because of anger. It only shows they have not got to the ground. When you urinate or defecate on the ground, it will not say anything. When you stand on its head and dance or jump several times, the ground does not grumble. A trip downwards is the headway you need to make it in life and ministry. Until you fall to the ground, you can never really go upwards. Ask God for grace to hit the ground today: Ask Him for grace to develop self control.
MEMORIZE:
PSALM 119:98 –You through your commandments have made me wiser than mine
enemies: for they are ever with me.
