THE STEPS TO A LIFE OF FULFILMENT.
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
1. Law of hard work.
…Hard work not in terms of hardship or hard labour but in terms of industry (diligence).
Proverbs 22:29
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean [men].
Ø Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your heart.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Ø He that does not work let him not eat.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2. Law Of Planning
Ø He who wants to build a house must first of all count the cost.
Luke 14:28
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he has [sufficient] to finish [it]?
Ø Go to the ants. Learning from the Infinitesimal creatures should teach us that greatness does not spring from the big but the miniature things of life.
Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
3. Law Of Investment
The kingdom of God is like a man who found a goodly pearl and sold all he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
4. Law Of Savings
Gather the fragments and let nothing be wasted.
Matthew 14:20
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
Mark 6:43
And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
Mark 8:19
When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
Mark 8:20
And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
Luke 9:17
And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
John 6:12
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
John 6:13
Therefore they gathered [them] together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Remember Joseph's advice to Pharoah: in the seven years of plenty store up grains so in the seven years of famine there will be no lack.
Genesis 41:25-37
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
5. Law Of Making Wise Decision
Deut. 31:19
Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20 For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Isaiah 7:15-16
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
Proverb 20:18
Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Decision is the door to reality. Foolish decision can be costly
vRemember Ananias and Saphira.
vWhat of Gehazi,
vJudas Iscariot,
vCain,
vThe two sons of Eli.
1 Samuel 4:11
And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
vAbsalom made the decision to overthrow his father David and it cost him his life. He was foolishly fighting for the thrown that would have rightly belong to him.
2Samuel 15:2
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was [so], that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city [art] thou? And he said, Thy servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.
vQueen Vasti foolishly decided to disobey her husband on the wrong day. She may have been doing it like that before but this time it cost her the thrown. Another took her place. No one will take your place. Esther 1:1-22
vKing Herod made a good decision to reward a good performance but it was not a wise one because he made out a blank cheque that cost the life of John the Baptist and he was never a happy man for the rest of his days.
Mark 6:22
And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give [it] thee.
vThe men of Babel made the decision to build a tower which height will reach unto heaven. The decision was good but was not wise. It is possible to make a good decision that is not wise. To build a high tower was good aspiration but with the height reaching to the heavens was arrogance, pride and foolishness. Must it get to heaven? Is a tower not high enough? God decided to confuse their language.
GENESIS 11
1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
vIt is better to make a bad decision that is wise than to make a good one that is foolish.
vA woman was frequently beaten up by her husband and some times she fainted. People advised her to leave her husband, she disagreed on account of scriptures that 'what God has joined together let no man put asunder and also the wedding vow of till death do us part. It was a good decision not to leave her husband but not a wise one as later event unfolded. One day the husband beat her up again to the point she fainted and she never regained consciousness. She died. So in death they parted. No man put them asunder but the husband did.
vThere are some good decisions that are not wise. May you not make unwise good decision! It is more polite to put it as unwise good decision than to call it foolish good decision. Do not make such mistake, it can be costly.
vA young man on his way to Europe was deported after many months of being stranded from Libya, that same week he decided to go back again through land. On his way to Kano he was involved in a ghastly motor accident and he died.
vIt was a good decision to try again and never give up nor quit. But it was not wise because he did not settle down to reason out why it failed the first time so he can map out a better option. He was too in a hurry to travel again and he did not live to tell the story.
The list is endless. The decisions they made changed the course of event in their lives.
vThe idea may be good but is it a wise one? Times shall tell!
vWe shall see the anus of the fowl when the wind blows.
v Wisdom, the scriptures says is justified of her children.
v Don't be hasty in making decisions. By good counsel make war.
[Every] purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. Proverbs 20:18
vMake a good decision and a wise one.
6. Law Of Consistent Sowing Into God's Kingdom.
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Matthew 6:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Be not deceived God is not mocked for Whatsoever a man soweth the same shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Remember the rich fool
Luke 12:16
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
7. Law Of Accumulation
Synonym: Growth, Increase, Addition, Enlargement and Buildup.
Antonym: Loss; Erosion
The ants gather their food in summer so they can have what to eat in winter. Something has to be added to what is already available. There must be a sign of increase and addition.
Proverbs1:6
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
v Watch out for the right opportunity for partnership.
There are some people you cannot do without. You need them for your next level. Do not overlook the relationship that exists in that partnership.
Consider the ants. They work together as a team. There is a place of teamwork: you cannot omit it. Teamwork is relevant in a life of fulfilment.
8. Law Of Debt Management (Relief) System.
Ø Owe no man.
Romans 13:8
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Ø Do your best to pay up your debt because a borrower is a servant to the lender.
Proverbs 22:7
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower [is] servant to the lender.
9. The Law Of Non Surety Ship.
PROVERBS 6:1
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Proverbs 11:15
He that is surety for a stranger shall smart [for it]: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.
Proverbs 17:18
A man void of understanding striketh hands, [and] becometh surety in the presence of his friend.
Proverbs 20:16
Take his garment that is surety [for] a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; And hold him in pledge for a wayward woman. (Word English Bible)
Proverbs 27:13
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
10. The Law Of Contentment.
Luke 3:14
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your wages.
Philippians 4:11
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.
1Timothy 6:8
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Hebrews 13:5
[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Proverb 20:17
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Luke 12:13
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Be satisfied in God.
