That You May Be Successful Anywhere

On The Path Of Winners

BY BAYO OGUNMUPE

That You May Be Successful Anywhere

GOD wants you to succeed in life – Joshua 1:8. Once you are convinced of success, you should take into account your temperament. A fillet steak cooks best at a very high heat for a short time, but a roast joint cooks best at a lower heat for a longer time. Either way, you can have a delicious meal. You just need to know what kind of meat you have, and how to cook it.

  Two, overcome your fear of being different from others. Because Daniel would not eat the King’s food or bow to his idols, he landed in a lions’ den. But he came out and was promoted to a top spot in government, Daniel 6:28. You cannot be part of the crowd and still stand out. To achieve great things you must trust God, disregard the negative opinions of others and pursue your destiny. Three, resist the apathy that often accompanies ageing. Keep the enthusiasm of your youth and mix it with the wisdom of your old age. Never lose your sense of idealism. Do not let day to day difficulties discourage you or allow life’s disappointments get you down. At every age and stage of life, there are obstacles and advantages, trials and triumphs. It is up to you to make the most of the positive by not letting the negative derail you. At age 70, Apostle Paul said, ‘‘I am ready to come to Rome to preach.” At eighty, Moses led Israel out of slavery. At 85, Caleb said, ‘‘Give me the mountain the Lord promised me.” You are only old when your regrets take the place of your dreams. ‘‘That you may be successful wherever you go,” Joshua 1:7.

  The kernel of the message is that, in spite of your weaknesses, you will succeed wherever you go because real power comes from God, not from us, 2 Corinthians 4:7. We have the treasure in jars of clay to show that this all – surpassing power is from God and not from us. Some people do not read the scriptures because they think it is all about the saints whose lives have no bearing on reality.

  If you feel that way, then read the Torah. The dysfunctional families there will make yours seem normal. Cain was jealous of his brother – Abel, so he murdered him. Lamech introduced polygamy to the world. Noah, the most righteous man in the ancient world got drunk and cursed his children. Abraham slept with his wife’s maid, got her pregnant, then banished her and her son to the wilderness because his wife, Sarah complained about the other woman. Jacob’s firstborn son. Reuben slept with one of his father’s wives. The list is endless.

  The question is, why would Jehovah include this cast of characters in the Bible? To make the point that we are all flawed in some way. We like to think we are normal but by Allah’s definition, we all fall short of the glory of the Almighty. We all have bad habits we are struggling with; past mistakes we cannot undo, and evil tendencies we can’t overcome without His help. God said, ‘‘My power shows up best in weak people,” 2 Corinthians 12:9. If God used perfect people only, His work would never get done.

  Finding enjoyment in all the days which God gives is the reason why you may be successful anywhere. In thousand times in the scriptures, we read, it came to pass: It means nothing is permanent. Things change, only Jehovah lives forever. Knowing that helps you handle bad times, stopping you from clinging so tightly to the good times. Practice these truths: one, enjoy today. It is God’s gift. Solomon said, ‘‘To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life is a gift from God.” Even though you are moving close to a new goal, learn to live in the present. Do not put your joy on hold or let it slip away while you are waiting for your investiture.

  Two, learn to appreciate others, the love of a good friend; a kind deed; a fresh insight, and the delight on your child’s face. When you appreciate what you have, it multiplies. When you are grateful, God will give you more – Mathew 25:23. Three, each ending brings new beginnings. Never believe these myths. First, the forever myth, which says your situation will never improve. The second is the never myth, which says if things get worse you will never be able to handle them. Both are distortions of the Nigerian reality. Everything comes to pass and while you are going through it God promises to strengthen and help you. So any ending brings new beginnings. So continue to trust God with the believe that with Him you will be successful anywhere.

  Our champion this week is Charles Evans Hughes, the American jurist and statesman, who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1910-16), U.S. Secretary of State (1921-25) and the eleventh chief justice of the United States (1930-41). As Chief Justice, he led the supreme court through the controversy arising over President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal social reform orders.

  As a member of a New York law firm, Hughes gained fame in 1905 as counsel to New York state legislative committees investigating abuses in gas, electric power and life insurance business. In 1906, he defeated the flamboyant newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst for governor of New York. Re-elected in 1908, he resigned to accept an appointment to the Supreme Court by President Howard Taft in 1910.

  In 1916, Hughes resigned from the Supreme Court upon receiving the Republican presidential nomination. He was narrowly defeated by President Woodrow Wilson. Warren Harding, Wilson’s Republican successor appointed Hughes secretary of state in 1921. He returned to private law practice at the end of Calvin Coolidge’s first term. Appointed Chief Justice by President Herbert Hoover in 1930, Hughes led a proactive court generally favouring the exercise of federal power. He retired at 79 in 1941. He died at his home in Massachusetts in 1948, aged 86.