Celebrate your progress

Philippians 3:12-14 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those […]

Philippians 3:12-14
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Apostle Paul was saying, “I AM NOT THERE YET BUT I HAVE MOVED”.
In some places, Apostle Paul looked at life as:
a) An adventure of faith with all the uncertainties and discoveries; with the frills and thrills and
b) A war consisting of many battles with victories and defeats. May your life not be a continuous battle!
But in this Scripture, he looks at life as:
a) A journey – not a sprint but a marathon and
b) A game.
He was not a spectator but a player. Are you a spectator or a player? He was not just playing for the fun of it, he was playing to win. He was running for a medal.
Whatever your view is, to win you must do the following and more:
1. Determine your goal; your destination. Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission. Have a dream and a big one too. But beware of dream killers or dream takers. Let me tell you the most dangerous persons to have around you. People who have lost their dream: they tend to kill the dream of others through their negativity.
2. Choose the right game. Some people don’t know which game they are good at. Sometimes you may play many games before you discover the one you play well. You can only excel doing what you are gifted or talented for. When you discover you are on the wrong road, change! When you discover you are in the wrong game, change! Make changes that will lead to better results!
3. Develop your potentials. People don’t fail because of what they don’t have but because they neglect what they have. The Prophet Elisha drew the attention of the widow woman to the little pot of oil she had left and showed her what to do with it. At the LDI, we help people discover who they are and how to build on it. Listen, you are not empty. You may not always have something around you, but you always have something in you. May the Lord open your eyes to your instrument of recovery! May the Lord open your eyes to your instrument of greatness!
4. Understand your resources – financial, material and human. God has surrounded you with a vast amount of resources which you must discover and use.
5. Pray for openings – there are always fresh opportunities. The thing is most opportunities come disguised as danger. That is why only risk takers advance rapidly. Be ready to do what no one has ever done. Be willing to go where no one has ever gone. Be prepared to go the extra mile. Be prepared to train harder than others.
Determine your direction. The song writer says “I am pressing up the upward way, new heights I am gaining everyday.” Make sure you are moving in the right direction. Make sure you are running towards the finish line; otherwise your efforts will be wasted. Without direction, you feel lost. You are not lost; you just need directions.
Many of us know where we are – sometimes disappointed, dissatisfied, and experiencing little peace of mind. And we know where we want to be – at peace, fulfilled, and living life abundantly. We just need directions. It doesn’t take much to find the high road to success, but to reach it you need an agenda for the present. You need directions for today. You need a purpose. Listen to the advice that the president of Lincoln University gave to a group of incoming freshmen: “Your life can’t go according to plan if you have no plan!” People who have direction in their lives go farther and faster and get more done.
6. Take baby steps. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Inspiration without aspiration leads to frustration. You can never finish a journey you have not started. Many don’t take that first step because of fear. What is fear? “Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be.”
7. Work hard and smart. Success comes to those who work for it. Success does not come to those who sit and wait for things to happen to them but those who go out and happen to things. God promised the children of Israel the land of Canaan but they had to fight for every square inch of the land. Work translates your dream into reality. If life was a game I will not like to be a spectator but a player. Both spend time and energy on the same game; one pays, the other is paid. Get in the game and play and play to win. I have also discovered that those who need help the most won’t pay the price. The ladder of success works like any other ladder. Very few have climbed it with their hands in their pockets.
8. Celebrate every step forward. After each match, celebrate your victory. Some people always postpone their celebration. Satisfying one need always brings another to the surface but we must learn how to celebrate each little step forward. Learn to reward yourself for every goal fulfilled. Give yourself a pat on the back. If no one congratulates you, congratulate yourself.
9. Harness your errors. When you lose, find out why and make adjustments. Learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. Failure is not in falling but in not getting back up. Understand that failure is a short step towards success. Most successful men have failed more times than you know. Make failure your teacher not your undertaker. In the book of Proverbs 24:16, the Bible says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again… ”
10. Have a winning mentality. Fill your mind with thoughts of your destination and what you want to become. You become what you think about. Do you really want to become what you think about?
Let me tell you the story of an 8-year-old English boy who wanted to be the Prime Minister and even had his picture taken as a schoolboy standing in front of Number ten Downing Street. Becoming Prime Minister was not only his goal, but he could envision himself as Prime Minister of England-and yes, his name was Harold Wilson.
You become what you think about. Understand that your thinking determines your actions, and your actions determine your rewards. Stay close to your source of inspiration.
11. Learn to show appreciation. Appreciate God, your team members, your customers and all those who contributed to your success. There is always the danger of thinking that we did it by our own strength. No matter how good you are, you cannot achieve greatness by yourself alone.
12.    Stay put. Persistence is the greatest quality of winners and champions. Persistence destroys resistance. Winners never quit and quitters never win. Those who quit don’t know just how close they were to their breakthrough or to the finish line. Keep knocking at the door; it will soon open. Don’t breakdown, your breakthrough is around the corner. Your crown is waiting; the celebration party is ready. The red carpet has been rolled out. Your effort is about to pay off. You are a champion!
If you look well there is always something to be grateful for. Why am I celebrating today?
• I am alive
• I am hopeful of a better tomorrow
• I am not there yet but I have moved. Your present achievement may be small but it is significant.
Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.
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