Month: July 2015

Morning Dew

Key Scripture: Matthew 10:38-42

Key text: Matthew 10:42 – “But one thing is needed…”

The Hedgehog and The Fox

The fox is a cunning creature, able to devise a myriad of complex strategies for sneak attacks upon the hedgehog. Day in and day out, the fox circles around the hedgehog’s den, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. Fast, sleek, beautiful, fleet of foot, and crafty—the fox looks like the sure winner. The hedgehog, on the other hand, is a dowdier creature, looking like a genetic mix-up between a porcupine and a small armadillo. He waddles along, going about his simple day, searching for lunch and taking care of his home.

The fox waits in cunning silence at the juncture in the trail. The hedgehog, minding his own business, wanders right into the path of the fox. “Aha, I’ve got you now!” thinks the fox. He leaps out, bounding across the ground, lightning fast. The little hedgehog, sensing danger, looks up and thinks, “Here we go again. Will he ever learn?” Rolling up into a perfect little ball, the hedgehog becomes a sphere of sharp spikes, pointing outward in all directions. The fox, bounding toward his prey, sees the hedgehog defense and calls off the attack. Retreating back to the forest, the fox begins to calculate a new line of attack. Each day, some version of this battle between the hedgehog and the fox takes place, and despite the greater cunning of the fox, the hedgehog always wins. Culled from Good to Great, by Jim Collins.

 Like the hedgehog, we must learn to live with clarity as to what we are best at and stick to that. Simplicity. Focus. Precision. Single-Minded. These are all words we associate with successful people, who achieve great things. In the design world, it appears that those who can simplify their thoughts into a simple design always end up with the winning concept. I like simple, yet profound designs. This is not a mystery, but a reality about the creation of God and how he designed us. God has designed all of us to be great at one thing, perhaps better than any other person in the world at that thing.

Most of us are doing many good things, at the expense of the one great thing God designed us to do. These good things are the enemy of the great in our lives.

Paul said ‘one thing I do….’. David said ‘one thing have I desired…..’. Jesus said to Martha about Mary ‘one thing is needed……’. What is the one thing you are born to accomplish? What is the one thing you can do that gives you the greatest amount of joy? What is the one thing you will gladly do and enjoy doing even if there is no immediate reward? What were you born to do? What are you naturally gifted at? What are you genetically coded to do? Fish is born to swim and in water, you can’t match the fish in swimming. Birds are designed to fly and even the greatest contraption of man cannot compete with the birds of the air. What are you designed to do?

Today, life is becoming very complex. There are too many things to do. We do too many things to survive and keep up, but God wants us to focus and simplify our lives. God wants us to be that person, He has destined us to be.

In this one thing, you will find complete fulfillment. In this one thing, you will find great success. In this one thing, you will find joy. In this one thing, above everything else, you will bring the most glory to God, because you are doing exactly what he created you for and so He will be very pleased with you. I have often heard that a man standing in his purpose and calling is indestructible. I think I know why now. When you do what He designed you to do, all His resources are at your disposal to help you fulfil His objective for creating you.

Stop being a fox; learn from the hedgehog and simplify your life. Let’s go back to the one thing God designed us to be.

Let’s Pray: Dear Father, please help me today to look deeply into myself and come to the realisation that I am most probably dissipating my energy doing things you have not designed or destined me to do. I am most likely doing many good things that are keeping me away from the one great thing you planned for me. Help me Lord to arrive at the place, where I gladly drop all other things and focus on the one thing you made me for. I ask for this grace in Jesus name. Amen.

Morning Dew

Key Text: Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Wimbledon is here again! This is the zenith of tennis tournaments and this is where the best meet and compete with the best. My personal opinion is that the most skillful players are not the best players. The best players are those that have great skill and incredible discipline. The French players, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet are some of the most talented players on the circuit. The are prodigiously gifted, yet they fail to win the big tournaments. On the other hand Djokovich, Federer, Murray, Nadal, Serena, Sharapova always seem to rise to the top and win. I know Nadal has been knocked out this year, but he will be back. Regiment and routine can be boring. Some of us get easily bored with repeating things over and over again. But this is one unavoidable fact of life. If you are to become excellent at something, then you have to have a regime that you practice daily over and over again. Someone said “repetition is the  mother of skill”. In short it has to become a habit.

Looking at Federer play, you get the feeling he expects to win every time. He has developed the habit of playing flawless tennis and winning. It is a habit for him. But probing deeper, we will discover that there are many things Roger does everyday like clock work that has made him so excellent.

So today we are going to examine 7 habits of excellent people, from the bible perspective.

1. They finish whatever they start. The have a habit of finishing and completing tasks. Jn 19:30 – Jesus said it is finished. Jn 4:234 – Jesus said to them, “ My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. God is a finisher and he wants us to have a habit of finishing. People abandon projects, abandon children, abandon jobs, abandon school. This is a very bad quality and excellent people must finish the tasks. Example of the surgeon operating on a sick patient and abandoning the patient in the middle of the operation. Ask yourself every time, ‘What are the consequences of you not finishing’?

2. They have a habit of not making excuses – Proverbs 22:13 -The lazy man says, “ There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets. Daniel did not make excuses in Babylon, when the king gave the command to kill all the wise-men because they could not interpret his dream. He could have made excuses. Jesus could have made excuses and not gone to the cross. He could have backed out anytime. He could have avoided the woman at the well, because she was a Samaritan, but the scripture clearly states – Jn 4:4 –But He needed to go through Samaria. Excellent people avoid making excuses. If you want to find excuses there are a thousand. Try not to make excuses, just do it!

3. They Keep Time – Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. They are never late. They are always there when you need them. They understand the value of time, so they don’t waste time. Gen 18:14 – Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Eccle 3:11 – He has made everything beautiful in its time. Gal 4:4; But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. God is time conscious, though He is not bound by time, He uses time.

4. They are tidy and neat – Jn 20:4 – Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Excellent people are neat people. They try to keep things orderly and neat. It is rare to find an untidy person that is excellent. When we were growing up, they used to tell us ‘Cleanliness is next to godliness’.

5. They are not wasteful – Jn 6:12 – When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted. Excellent people are not wasteful people. They utilise everything to its optimum. They are not careless with things and they don’t destroy things. They care for things as if it is their own. They really never waste anything.

6. They care about the details, they sweat the small stuff – Luke 12:6-7 – “ Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Ps 147:4 – He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. They focus on the details. They never miss the details. Look at the tabernacle and the details. Luke the Physician, was an excellent man. He detailed the gospel so finely. Look at Luke.

7. Excellent people are never ashamed to ask for help or receive help – Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross – Matthew 27:32. What you need to know, someone already knows. Where you need to go, somebody has already arrived there! Excellent people, tap into the knowledge of others and learn from them. They are not proud. Daniel asked his three countrymen and friends to pray with him to solve the King’s enigma. Esther called for her household and Mordecai to pray and fast for 3 days before she went before the king. Jesus asked for his 3 disciples to pray with him in the garden of Gethsemane.

So if excellence is from God and we are children of God, then we have excellence in-built into us. That’s why as human beings we like good things. We like comfort and we like clean things. We can all recognise excellence when we see it.

Ps 16:3 – As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.

Php 1:9-10 – And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

2 Cor 4:7 – “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us”

Proverbs 22:29 – Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

God wants His children to take over and rule the world, but he will not give it to sloppy foolish children. He is looking for those who have the Spirit of excellence. That is why the book of Daniel is all about this end time. We must pursue excellence, live in excellence and practice the habits of excellent people.

Let’s Pray: Father God thank you  showing us that excellence is a habit. It is what we do daily that develops into excellence. Please give us the grace to pursue excellence and live excellent lives, in Jesus name. Amen.

Morning Dew

Key Word – Proverbs 22:29 – Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men

René was my driver in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. He is an excellent person. We had a car that we left with him whilst we stayed in the UK. He looked after the car so well, that whenever we arrived back in Cotonou, the car looked newer. René also was quite neat and tidy, he spoke English, French and about five or six local dialects from Ghana, Togo and Benin fluently.

René was also quite honest and forthright. He soon became my regular interpreter and preached alongside me at many of our meetings. I really wanted to do something substantial for René, but all the years we worked together, apart for the tips and his salaries, all I did was just pray for him that the Lord will reward him.

A few years later, out of the blues René got a very important phone call. Before René joined us, he used to be the official chauffeur of the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin. He worked till the ambassador was abruptly recalled and his position became redundant. This same ambassador had now been posted out to the USA and he needed a Chauffeur. He remembered his excellent driver in Benin and called for him. René ended up going over to the States with his wife and two children and through this move he was able to attend university and earn a degree.

Excellence pays! There is always a reward for excellence. Yes, excellence also has a price. But the prize at the end is always more than worth it. René was rewarded for all those years he was faithful in washing and polishing the cars and learning all those languages. Excellence has rewards.

There are two main consequences to excellence:

The first one is men will recognise and reward you. Men will honour you for being excellent. The bible says that excellent people will not just stand before ordinary men, but that they will stand before kings and rulers. Excellence commands honour, dignity and rewards. This is what made Daniel, Joseph, Esther and Nehemiah significant people, who advised kings and rulers in their time.

The second consequence is even more amazing. God recognises and rewards excellent people. One reality check is that God really sees. There are people, who only do things well when there are people around to observe them and reward them. The bible encourages us not to practice ‘eye service’, but to do our very best when there is no one watching and our Father who sees in secret will reward us openly. It is interesting to note that a lot of what makes people excellent are the little things  done behind the scenes and in obscurity.

David the son of Jesse comes to mind. David had killed a lion and a bear as he looked after his father’s flock at the back-fields of Bethlehem in Judea. He had penned many psalms and spent many hours just worshiping God on his harp. He became so skilful as a musician in that time too. God made him come before king Saul, first to defeat the giant Goliath, then as a musician in the king’s court, then a great warrior and eventually he became the king of Israel. God selected him and appointed him as king. David was just being excellent at what he did and God made sure he got to the top.

Excellent people are like cream; they always rise to the top.

Go on and start being an excellent person and watch how men will begin to respect and honour you; but the best part of this is that God will also recognise you and reward you. Even if no one see you on this earth and no accolades come to you, you can be rest assured that one day God will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”And this is the ultimate reward for excellence!

Let’s Pray – Father God, your word says it is you who works in us both to will and do your good pleasure. Today Father grant us the abundant grace to be excellent in every area of our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.