Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Don't Quit















When the road you trudge seem uphill
And things go wrong as they sometimes will
Don't go with them no matter how they drill.

When the funds are low and the debts are high
You want to smile but you have to sigh
'Cos pressures of life have landed on your thigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must but never you quit
Don't let go like mouth let its spit.

Every life is with its twists and turns
Watch it as it does all time run
Even beautiful flowers have their thorns
Like every child with its placenta is born.

Many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with just another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out
But we will never get to know if we quick back out
And I know even this you may still doubt.

You never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far
When it seems worse
You stick to the wars.

It's when you are hardest hit
That you must not quit.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Synergy

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. (Eccl.  4:9 NIV)

I once read a story about some mountain climbers. There's a mountain in their city that no one has ever dared to climb due to its dreadful height. One day three mountain climbers, in an attempt to break record, finally summoned courage to climb the mountain.

Immediately, one of them- full of vigor that parallels his ambition, set out to climb, aiming to be the first to get to the peak. Contrarily, the other two climbers decided to set out together with the intention of being the first duo to get to the mountain summit. Due to planning, agreement and others stuffs that make people work together effectively, the duo set out several hours after the first man had gone.

At mid-night, the weather became severely cold. temperature dropped below zero. The first man ahead applied all the techniques he knew to keep warm but they did not have much effect as his blood began to freeze in his tissues, but he kept on moving all the same. The other two climbers on the other hand, after applying techniques that couldn't really save them, decided to lock up with each other, skin-to-skin, so they could generate body heat to keep warm. They clung to each other very tightly all through the night. At dawn, the sun surfaced, bringing life back to their bodies. Towards noon the next day, the two climbers were not only seeing their destination, they were also seeing the frozen body of their lone-ranger counterpart climber, just some feet away from the mountain peak.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
Synergy is the key to energy of life.

The word Synergy comes from the Greek word synergia (synergos) which means "working together"

Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved by a lone-ranger. The extent of your impact may as well dictates the extent of your team-work-ability.

In the story of Creation, God-Head the Father was speaking things into being but when it was time to create man (the peak of God's Creation) God made use of a collective pronoun for the first time- "Let US make man..." After man was created, God still felt "it is not good that man should be alone..."
God created us to work better together.

I love a verse in 1 Chronicles chapter nineteen-
"Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you." (Vs 12)
That's Joab, a Commander in David's army, talking to his brother Abishai. Don't ever underestimate what people can do, especially when partnering with someone else. Joab did not look down on his brother, he formed synergy with him and they conquered. God has given you the gift of people, just look around you. They may be your friends, younger ones, subordinates or even employees. Those people aren't doing much because they are not synergising. Form a team with them and you will be amazed at what they can do.

Sometimes you'll have the stuff and lack the wisdom. At other times, you may have the wisdom and lack the stuff. Remember the young dude's lunch that fed five thousand grown up men in John chapter sixteen? The boy had the stuff but lacked the know-how. Meanwhile, Jesus on the other side had the know-how but lacked the stuff. Hence, the need for SYNERGY. The kid was not a super-hero dropping from heaven with some once-in-a-life-time kind of miracle bread and gold fish. He was an ordinary boy with ordinary bread and fish. Miracle can happen with what is in your hands right now if you believe and engage in teamwork.

What about prophet Elijah and the widow of Zeraphath? Elijah had the "Stay-Anointing" but had nothing to exert it on and the widow had something she wished could "stay" but didn't know how to make it. If Elijah had not met the widow, they both possibly would die from something they both could "kill" by synergising.

You will go far if you know how to work with others.
And let me say as I close up on this writing, You definitely must bring something to the table. You bring the bolt, I'll bring the nut. You bring the horse, I'll bring the cart. You bring the tools, I'll bring the experience. You bring the idea, I'll bring the capital. We both must have something that work together for us to be able to work together. That suggests that we can't partner with just anybody. We must get people who have our energy and drive and can complement us in our pursuit.

Proverbs 27:17 says "You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another." (MSG).
You don't use wood to sharpen steel. If you do, you'll ware one out faster than the other without any improvement. Be sure that the person you are synergising with share your energy (not necessarily strength) and your belief.
the bottom line is two are Better than one... Synergise.
You are Great.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

RELATIONSHIPS: Good Idea vs God Idea


"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." Prov. 16:25 (NIV)



Ministering to a man in 2005, to surrender his life to Christ so he would escape the perils of hell, he said "I can cope with hell, I am married"
Should this be the experience of everyone in marriage? Many people in marriage today are seeking way out and I wonder how they got into it in the first instance. To them, marriage has become bondage. I've heard it said, on several occasions that wedding ring is the world's smallest handcuff. Pitiful, isn't it? Where did that mentality come from? What about this, "there are three rings of marriage, engagement RING, wedding RING and suffeRING. Where are we going wrong on the marriage issue? Marriage is designed by God Himself to solve problems, not to create them. For help not for hurts. For companionship and complementing not for competition. For what's right not for who's right.
Apparently, humanity's problems began from man seeking the freedom of choice. And choosing a life partner is one of the most important choices of our lives. The greatest enemy of God's choice for us, when it comes to relationship, is not the devil, it's our own inclination to make a good choice for ourselves. At best, our good choice is good, but God's choice is always better.
To show how naïve we are on choice matter, the same reason for which we chose our partners today may be the same as why we don't want them anymore by tomorrow.
A man who chooses his wife because she's outspoken, social and meticulously detailed may become irritated of her qualities and become tired of listening once they are married. What he initially admired in her may now become the main reason he is trying to put her away.
A lady that chooses her husband because he is agile, vigorous and hardworking may start complaining of him coming home late and loving his work more than family. The same reason he was appealing before marriage has become the reason he is repelling in marriage.
We cannot not totally trust our senses, especially on the area of choosing who to marry. It is to our advantage to partner with God and let Him call the shots. You will save yourself from a lot of troubles if you allow Him to help you out in respect to who to marry. He created marriage, the Bible is eternally the manual that will help us enjoy it to the fullest. Quit leaning on your own intelligence, the harder you try, the deeper you're likely going to sink. Partner with God, don't do it alone.