Strive for Peace

Welcome to The Peacemaker, known as Conquering Without Being Violent.  Our motivator is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Strive for peace with everyone.

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14; ESV)

The Bible enjoins us to strive for peace with all people.

Think of what good you can do for people, your community, and your country. Always promote peace and love. Have good thoughts and ideas concerning humanity. Be an agent of peace. Feed your mind with good thoughts and ideas.

Avoid arguments as much as possible. There may be times when you cannot avoid arguments. In such a situation Dr. Winch, a psychologist, recommends that, instead of engaging in a protracted debate, state your case clearly and calmly, and then end the discussion.

The Bible tells us not to waste our time arguing with people when it is obvious that they are not ready to reason. End the discussion when you observe that the discussion is proving unproductive. But make your point clear before you decide not to continue.

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:23-25

23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. (ESV)

Arguments breed quarrels. God’s servant must not be quarrelsome. We must be gentle, and kind. We should teach instead of attacking people who disagree with us. Paul advises that we should be teachable when correcting people who are wrong. We should not only teach but be ready to learn from people who disagree with us if what they say makes sense. We must listen and then analyze what they say. We should always try to make friends with people even when we disagree with them.

Abraham Lincoln said, “I conquer my enemies when I make them my friends.” So, don’t consider people who do not readily accept your views as enemies. Find ways to make them your friends.

Some people do not accept their faults. They will argue and try to prove others wrong, even when they are wrong. Be patient when dealing with such people, knowing that you, too, are expressing a different opinion.

People who don’t want to admit that they are wrong will not listen to opposing views. They will vehemently argue against you and anything that you say. Don’t waste your time arguing with people who do not listen to you and don’t want to listen to you.

Just declare your position, and then let go. But let the person who is arguing with you know your position. It is important to make your views known. But you don’t compel people to accept your views. Even God does not compel us. He says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us reason together.” God does not compel us, but he encourages us to reason with him.

In Isaiah 43:26 God says, “Let us review the situation together, and you can present your case if you have one,” (NLT).

We read in Proverbs 19:11, “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”

Do not use anger or violence to correct angry and violent people. You can be stern in your remarks without being loud and angry.

You can be moderately stern, or even moderately angry just enough to express your displeasure about the attitude that your opponent is exhibiting, without being too angry or violent.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:14, “Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen,” (NIV). And in Proverbs 20:3 we read, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling,” (NLT),

Violent people love violence. Evil minds enjoy inflicting pain on people.

Evil minds lie against other people. They are cold when they lie. They even believe in their lies and don’t care about the consequences. Their conscience is seared with hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1-2) and they don’t even feel God’s Spirit prodding them when they are doing wrong.

The Ghanaian weekly, The Spectator, on Saturday, February 26, 2011, in the “Obaa Yaa” column, published a letter under the headline, “My Wife Is Very Difficult.” It was written by a man who had been married for 10 years at the time of writing. The woman he married was making life hell for him. She was difficult and refused to listen or understand him.

He wrote that his wife was individualistic and selfish. She did not consult him in anything she did. She listened more to people than to him. When he threatened to divorce her, she pleaded with him to rescind his decision and promised to change. But despite the assurances she gave him, she went back to her old ways.

Another letter by a 29-year-old man, to the Ghanaian weekly, The Mirror, was published on Saturday, June 27, 2009. The young man was married to a 25-year-old woman, and they had been married for three years and had a two-year-old daughter. He indicated in his letter that he and his wife were Christians.

He wrote,                                                         

“Recently, we had a misunderstanding and while we exchanged sharp words, she slapped me. The problem was reported to our Pastor who asked one of the church elders to help settle the dispute.

When we got home, she was in the bedroom, so I called her requesting her to come for the settlement. This irritated her so much that she came out and slapped me again in front of the church elder.

I have decided to divorce her as a result of such gross disrespect but because of our marriage vows before God, I find it difficult to do. I need your help.”

Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23 advise Christians to change their mental attitude and be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we can know God’s will, and what is proper and pleasing to him.

Study to know the will of God. The Bible explains how we should relate to each other, and how we should love each other. Feed your mind with thoughts of love and good deeds and practice them.

Use your mind constructively under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do not fight people who disagree with you. Do not curse or hate people who regard themselves as your enemies. Disagreements should not make people enemies.

Use encouraging words to correct them from wrong-doing to do what is right. Let them understand why they should avoid exhibiting negative behaviors. You can disagree with their negative stance or attitude without being frontal with your arguments.

Jesus used the reverse method of engagement when he encountered the Samaritan woman in John 4:5-42.

The woman responded sarcastically when Jesus asked her for water to drink. But Jesus responded by using the reverse approach. He ignored her remarks, but told her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Please give me a drink,’ you would have been the one to ask him, and he would have given you living water,” (ISV). Jesus addressed her needs and told her that if she knew who she was speaking to and the gift of God she would have asked for living water from him.

As you read the dialogue, you notice that Jesus spoke about life in general and the woman’s needs without demeaning the woman. Even when she eventually swallowed her pride and asked him to give her the living water, Jesus did not tell her bluntly that she had to repent of her sins of promiscuity first.

Of course, she had to confess and repent before God would forgive her. But knowing the situation between the Jews and the Samaritans, it was not wise for a Jew to tell a Samaritan in the face that he or she was a sinner and must first repent and confess his or her sins before he or she could receive the blessings of the living water. Jesus used the reverse method to make her aware of the need to confess and repent of her sins before she could obtain forgiveness.

By now, because of how Jesus had dialogued with her, she and Jesus had become friendly towards each other. So, when Jesus told her to go and bring her husband, she could tell him she had no husband. Though Jesus knew that she was living with a man who was not her husband, he did not tell her that straight in the face. He asked her to go and bring her husband, expecting her to confess voluntarily.

At this point in their meeting, the woman and Jesus were now friendly towards each other. So, she could easily tell Jesus that she didn’t have a husband, though she was living with a man. It would not have been easy for her to confess to a stranger, and a Jew for that matter, that she was living in sin with a man who was not her husband. But Jesus had changed the atmosphere from antagonistic to friendly and peaceful. And so, she could easily tell Jesus that she didn’t have a husband. It wouldn’t have been easy for her to tell him if antagonism existed between them. Remember that the Jews and the Samaritans were not friendly to each other.

Jesus had doused the enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans and made it easy for her to confess her sinful state to a stranger who was a Jew. It is easier to tell an acquaintance your faults or sins than to a stranger or an enemy. And Jesus had broken down the enmity wall between them and created an atmosphere of friendship. So, she could tell him, a Jew, that she had no husband.

And her confession opened the way for Jesus to talk about her previous life with five men, and her current situation that, even “…the man you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (ISV)

If Jesus had not first created an atmosphere of friendliness it would not have been easy for the Samaritan woman to tell him, a Jew, that she was a sinner. The atmosphere of friendliness made it possible for Jesus, a Jew, to remind a Samaritan woman of her life of promiscuity without the Samaritan becoming offended.

Jesus maintained the peace while he reminded the woman of her sinful life without offending her.

Unfortunately, some people speak like the piercing of the sword. The tongue of the wise, however, promotes healing, (Proverbs 12:18).

Training the Emotions and the Ego

The ego is the sense of a person’s worth. Ego makes us think of how important and valuable we are. Ego is not necessarily bad. Ego is self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-respect. It is not bad to have self-respect or self-esteem. However, a massive ego is bad. An unhealthy ego can prevent us from admitting we are wrong even when it is obvious that we are wrong.

If we allow our ego to dictate how we regard others rather than how they truly are, we have an unhealthy or inflated ego. It becomes detrimental because we see ourselves as more important than others. Such ego makes us arrogant. It makes us see ourselves as superior and others as inferior.

Disagreements are not necessarily bad. But the manner we react when we disagree with people might create conflicts.

Fear is not necessarily bad, but too much of fear is bad. Fear alerts us of danger and makes us to be cautious. Anger can be used to control bad situations or prevent people from doing wrong. Therefore, anger is not necessarily bad if we use it correctly.

We all have an ego to some degree. Neuroscience explains that emotions, which include anger, fear, happiness, feelings, etc., are the brain’s way of responding to situations. Emotions act like signals to what is happening around us. We are emotionally hurt when people say bad things about us. We are unhappy when people lie about us. Or when people look down on us.

However, how we react will also determine what happens next. Our reactions may pour fuel into a small fire and cause a great conflagration.

We do not like people saying things about us that are not true. We do not appreciate people looking down on us. We, too, must respect people. We must learn not to be sarcastic and insulting when we disagree with people. We must be aware of our demeanor towards people and do what we expect them to do to us. Then we would be maintaining peace.

In addressing issues to correct wrong perceptions, we must be civil and not spew vitriolic words. Invectives can shift people’s attention from the reason you responded. It could make people think you are a castigator. And could defeat the reason you responded in that manner. You could lose people’s understanding and support.

The discussion will now be about your response, rather than why you responded. You would now become the villain instead of being the victim.

Do not say or do anything that can be provocative when presenting a case that you want people to listen to and give a fair judgment. If provocations could solve the problem, you wouldn’t be presenting your case for a hearing. Do not do the same things you are condemning the other person of.

Allow the person you are accusing to speak. Don’t prevent him or her from speaking or wanting to deny. Leave the judgment to listeners.

Do not believe what people say about your opponent without giving the person the chance to defend or explain himself or herself. If the person denies what you were told, and you have not verified it, you cannot know who is telling the truth. Until you verify it, don’t believe only the accusers. Anyone of them could be lying. Until you have gotten the truth, don’t believe only one side. Proverbs 18:17 says, “He that speaks first in his own cause seems just; until his neighbor comes and examines him,” (KJ2000).

Do not direct your anger towards the person. Focus on the problems and the answers. If you fan the conflict, you make it difficult to manage and solve. Moreover, you cannot solve conflict if you refuse to listen to your opponent.

Ego does not want us to listen to the negative things people say about us. The negative things they say prick our conscience. If it is true that we do not treat people fairly, we will struggle to listen to people telling us. But if we train our mind we can learn to listen. And if we listen, we can make corrections and maintain relationships.

We may be embarrassed when people tell us what we are doing is wrong. And instead of listening, we may react wrongly and refute the accusation.

Most people can’t bear to hear the truth about themselves when the truth about them is negative. Yet they want to tell others how wrong others are. Our ego drives us on the ego trip, and we refuse to listen to our spouses when they complain about how we treat them. We feel insulted or embarrassed when our spouses tell us we are wrong. We don’t want to hear others tell us we are wrong. We want to be the only ones telling people how they are wrong.

Our ego will not let us listen. Yet we want our spouses to listen to us complain about them. We do not want to consider that how we treat our spouses, and others, might be making them uncomfortable. But we want them to listen to us complain that we are uncomfortable with how they treat us.

We say negative things about our opponents and want them to listen. But when they, too, tell us how they feel, then we become angry. We can’t, or don’t want to, listen when we are accused of wrongdoing. But we want people to listen when we accuse them of wrongdoing.

We want our spouses to listen to our rants but cannot listen to them express their disagreements with us. Ego has become our self-importance. We tell others how we think about them, and advise them to change their behaviors. Yet we are upset or embarrassed when people tell us the truth about our negative behaviors.

Ego tells us we are too important and superior to listen to people advising us to behave. Ego tells us they are inferior; they must not tell us we are wrong.

Therefore, instead of listening and evaluating what we hear, we disagree with people when the truth is told about our behaviors or character.

When politicians are on their campaign trail, they say anything to hurt their political opponents’ reputations.

When I hear what they say against each other, I wonder if the people making those statements have a conscience.

Some people believe their lies even when they know what they say is absurd. They appear to believe what they say against their fellow human beings even when it is obvious that they are lies. They say anything to gain the upper hand against their fellow human beings.

Do such people have a conscience?

When similar things are said about them, they cry blue murder. They rant and shout about how they have been wrongly accused and maligned. They demand an immediate retraction.

Can people like that be honest leaders? If a person can lie to get what he or she wants, won’t he or she lie to kill when desperate?

George Orwell stated in his essay, “Politics and the English Language,”

“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”

We live in an age that glorifies lies and supports evil. People are eager to promote lies. In our modern societies, truthful people are regarded as abnormal or weird.

As children observe their parents and older people lie, they imitate and when they grow up, they, too, become liars.

Truth is a strange concept to many people. Some people lie to gain popularity.

People, mostly politicians, who are eager to tarnish the reputations of their opponents, are quick to use anything they hear against their opponents. They do not consider that their opponents will use the same dirty tactics to play against them tomorrow. If you use dirty tactics against your opponents to gain power, your opponents will also use similar tactics to wrest power from you tomorrow.

Instead of hating and planning evil against fellow human beings, use your time for positive achievements. Attitude is a major determinant of success or failure.

Have a positive attitude. Be self-disciplined.  Restrict yourself from doing negative or evil things…  obey principles.

I read a quote on the internet about a successful businessman who was asked, “How have you done so much in your lifetime?”

He replied, “I grow great by dreams. I have turned my mind loose to imagine what I wanted to do. Then I have gone to bed and thought about my dreams. In the night I dreamt about my dreams. And when I awoke in the morning, I saw the way to make my dreams real. While other people were saying, ‘You can’t do that, it is impossible,’ I was well on my way to achieving what I wanted.”

From the answer he gave, he did not waste his time musing about how the world is full of hardships. He did not waste his time planning how to hate others. He was not musing about the negative things and lies he could say about people who did not treat him with respect. He planned, worked hard and diligently to excel. He rejected negative emotions.

Emotion is a strong feeling…  hatred, love, joy, anxiety, anger, sorrow, or fear. Emotions stir up feelings. The feelings may be positive or negative

Our motions can influence our decisions and make us act rightly or wrongly, and the results may be good or bad. Bad emotions, like uncontrolled anger, destroy relationships.

We communicate with our emotions when we express what we like or do not like. Depending on how we react emotionally, we may destroy or maintain cordial relationships. People have destroyed their relationships with loved ones because of their inability to control their emotions.

We all have strong feelings. Sometimes, we experience a battle of the emotions. Some people, however, have learned to control their emotions and so can maintain relationships with people.

There is an old Cherokee Indian fable about the two emotions battling inside each of us.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

“One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

“The other is Good – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Many people are unable to control their emotions. They let their anger go out of control.

Marriages have broken down because of uncontrolled emotions.

The good news is that we can undo habits just as we formed them.

The choices that we made became part of our daily lives. They became our habits and behaviors. But we can make choices to undo them.

Habitual behavior sometimes goes unnoticed in persons exhibiting them. An angry person can be emotionally angry at the least trigger.

However, we were not born that way. We grew up learning and practicing them. We planted or sowed them, and they took root in our minds, and we nurtured them in the brain as we practiced them. Then they grew into habits, or they become characteristics in our lives.

The brain adapts to new ways of thinking and believing. So, our brains adapted to the new behavioral thoughts that we trained our minds to accept. As we repeated the actions or performed them, they eventually became ingrained in the brain as habits or behaviors.

A person learns to smoke and becomes addicted to smoking. A person learns to drink and becomes addicted to drinking. In the same way, people become addicted to drugs. Then we start behaving in the new way — and a new habit or character is formed. Like a person who learns and practices boxing, football (soccer) or any game or trade, and becomes perfect. These actions or behaviors become automatic and almost effortless, and we became identified with them.

Romans 12:2 says we are transformed by the renewing of the mind. And Ephesians 4:23 also says we are renewed in the spirit of the mind. That is, we develop character by renewing and transforming our mentality.

Some habits may take longer to change. But anyone who is determined can change.

When we practice something, we become better at doing it. So, if we practice delaying reacting when our emotions rise, we eventually learn to delay reacting. The more you practice the easier it becomes subsequently and eventually it turns to become a new character or behavior.

Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (NKJV)

And Proverbs 19:11 says, “The discretion of a man delays his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression.”

We must settle whatever grievances with have with people as quickly as possible. We must settle misunderstandings before we go to bed and after we have forgiven and made reconciliation. So, we read in Ephesians 4:26-27 that we must not let the sun go down on our anger.

A scientific paper was published, confirming why we should not go to bed without resolving our anger, and confirming the advice in Ephesians 4:26-27 that we should not let the sun go down on our anger.

The article appeared on Science Alert webpage titled, “We now have scientific evidence for why you should never go to bed angry.” It read,

Scientists have found that sleep actually consolidates bad memories, making you live with them for longer. Sleep’s role in helping us consolidate our memories is vital in how we process and store useful information, but a new study shows that the same principle applies to negative thoughts – if we fall asleep with them, they can be harder to forget in the long term. (You may read the report on https://www.sciencealert.com/we-now-have-scientific-evidence-for-why-you-should-never-go-to-bed-angry.)

The research reflects the advice in Ephesians 4:26-27, “Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”

And in James 1:19-20 we read, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger: for the anger of man works not the righteousness of God,” (KJ2000).

Learn to deal with anger quickly, discard it before the sun sets, and before you go to bed. Learn to control your emotions and ego.

Against Conscience

Against Conscience

Albert Einstein said, “Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”

Every human being has a conscience. Conscience is an inherent ability to perceive what is wrong and right. Conscience enables us to compare our behaviors and our morals.

C.S. Lewis stated, “Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way and cannot really get rid of it.” (‘Mere Christianity’)

A person may ignore his or her conscience and do contrary to what his or her conscience tells him or her. But conscience cannot be eliminated. Whenever we want to do anything inappropriate, an inner voice opposes us by making us aware that what we intend to do is not right.

James H. Aughey, an American clergyman (1828-1911) said, “Conscience is the voice of God in the soul,” implying that God speaks to us through our conscience. That small voice speaking against what you are planning to do is the voice that God put inside you to check your behaviors. That voice is telling you that someone is watching you.

However, some people ignore their conscience. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:2 that these speak lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. They intentionally reject the urgings of their conscience. They do what their minds tell them to do. They are selfish and greedy and do not care if what they do will harm others.

A good conscience helps us to perceive right and wrong. Psychology describes conscience as the inner sense of right and wrong. It is the awareness of our behaviors.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines conscience as the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good.

Conscience guides us in our actions. A good conscience guides us in making the right decisions and doing what is right. In these turbulent times of evil, the human conscience is engulfed in the ocean of negativity. Therefore, it is difficult for many to maintain a high standard of integrity. Apart from the lure of illicit quick and easy wealth, peer pressure exerts tremendous persuasion that most people find too compelling. The lure and persuasion are so overwhelming that many people can’t withstand the pressure and so, yield to temptations.

That’s why we need God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit provides the spiritual strength for us to withstand the temptations. 1 Corinthians 10:13 assures us that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength. He will always provide a way out.

Does your conscience speak to you? What does it tell you? If your conscience tells you to do what is right, do you also feel confronted by the lure or the persuasion to do what is wrong and gratify your need?

Your financial situation might be precarious. You might be in dire need of money, and the opportunity to make some quick money through illegal means might present itself. But your conscience is also telling you that you must preserve your integrity. To make matters worse, you notice that others have abandoned good moral and ethical principles and are making money through unethical means. How do you respond to that?

Though people might feel sorry for a thief who steals because he is hungry, when the thief is discovered or apprehended, he will be made to restore what he has stolen. The Bible says he must restore what he has stolen sevenfold (Proverbs 6:30-31).

Stealing is still bad even if you steal because you are hungry. Instead of stealing, beg. If God’s Spirit indwells you, He will help you to do what is right if you ask for His help and guidance.

The dictionary defines patriotism as the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to a country or state.

Leaders encourage citizens to be patriotic. Yet some of the leaders, or most of them, are themselves unpatriotic. They expect others to be patriotic, yet they are not patriotic themselves. Many leaders take advantage of their fellow citizens, get juicy pay or remuneration, and enjoy extra benefits they have not earned. Yet they are not satisfied with what they get, and they crave more. They are always craving and striving to loot even what has been entrusted to them. They call those extra benefits perks; additional or extra benefits to their salaries. What is funny is that the perks are not given to them willingly by the people. They violently seize the so-called perks.

Nations have crafted national anthems and pledges to remind citizens of their loyalties and devotion to their countries, but people do contrary to the anthems and pledges. Leaders and those entrusted with the nations’ wealth blatantly abuse the trust of their citizens.

In every aspect of our national life, economic or social, there is blatant corruption. Corruption is eating deeper and deeper even among the religious. We claim to be religious, but we indulge in all manners of evil. Greed is voraciously eating deep into our psyche. Only a fraction is courageous enough to be faithful or honest.

Some police officers and army personnel use the weapons that are bought with the taxes of citizens to harass, bully, and deprive innocent citizens of their freedom. Innocent people have been jailed for crimes they have not committed. Some are lucky that after spending some time in jail they manage to get organizations to fight their cases. These few are fortunate to be released. Others are not so lucky, and they remain in jail, serving their sentences. A few who have been freed have gotten some compensation. Others do not get compensation after they have been released. Because they do not have the means to fight for compensation.

People value money above the good of their countries. Some value wealth above their fellow human beings.

Although people claim they love and fear God, their deeds are evil. They pray to God and claim to be God-fearing, but their actions are inimical to the welfare of their countries and fellow citizens. Some kill their fellow human beings and use parts of the bodies of the victims for rituals to make money. They do not consider that the lives they take do not belong to them. God created those lives and God will surely punish people who kill innocent and helpless people in their greed to make money. They will surely pay for their evils on the day of Judgment.

People indulge in illegal occupations and destroy the environment so they can make money for themselves. The environment God gave to humans and living beings to maintain life on earth is being rendered unfit for agricultural activities and the sustenance of life. In Ghana and other African countries, the devastation is frightening as rivers and water bodies are polluted and lands degraded.

Political opposition parties crave votes and so they make all kinds of promises. Some of them are childish, and some are outright lies. Those who make them know they are impossible to fulfill. Some also promise people who are engaged in illegalities that when they assume the reins of power, they will grant them amnesty. Amnesty so they can perpetuate their illegalities?

While in opposition, they see the rot in the ruling governments. They shout at the top of their voices that they will clear the mess when they assume power. But when they assume the reins of power, they quickly or conveniently forget the promises they made while they were in opposition.

Security agents who should arrest culprits instead indulge in malfeasance they are supposed to help eradicate. They take bribes, claiming the bribes are gifts, and they let culprits go free. Yet, these security personnel swore oaths to defend the constitution of their country and to do what is right.

Only a few people remain truly patriotic. Only a few resist the lure of money and do not contaminate their integrity.

Let your conscience speak to you and desist from negative acts against your country and fellow humans.

When people pollute the waters and poison the lands with mercury and cyanide the harm affects all of us. We eat the foodstuffs that are harvested in areas where the lands and the waters have been poisoned. The crops and waters take in the poison of the mercury and cyanide that illegal miners use in their operations. The foodstuffs are sent to other towns and cities where they are sold. When we eat these foodstuffs we eat the poison of the chemicals that the plants and crops have absorbed into their systems. So, the harm affects all of us, including those who did not participate in polluting the waters and degrading the lands.

People must stop polluting the waters and stop poisoning the lands.

Mindset is the power to self-realization and self-esteem. Your mental attitude decides how you see things in the world, how you believe in yourself, and how you respond to situations.

The physically challenged person whose mindset is positive will challenge his or her crippled legs to climb the ladder of success and achieve results.

The physically challenged person whose mindset is positive challenges himself or herself to learn to paint with his mouth, despite having no hands.

You can make things happen by changing your mindset.

However, a change of mindset alone is not enough. You need the Spirit of God to strengthen your spirit. You need to exercise willpower. God’s Spirit will enable you by empowering your spirit to do what you should do. The Holy Spirit will help you to exercise willpower when you feel weak (Acts 1:8). When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit enabled them to speak in languages that they had not learned. They spoke strange languages because the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak (Acts 2:4).

We must first have a change of mindset. The mind adapts to the new thought patterns or behaviors you feed your brain. Acting on our beliefs or thoughts changes our behaviors by reshaping our behaviors to adapt to new patterns of action.

We get supernatural power to act when God’s spirit activates God’s power in our spirits (Acts 1:8). Furthermore, our actions lead to achievements.

God is Spirit. And He lives in the human being as the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit transforms the human spirit into a new person endowed with God’s power (1 Samuel 10:6). The human body cannot join himself or herself with the Spirit of God. God’s Spirit joins himself with the human spirit and the two become one spirit living in the human body (1 Corinthians 6:17).

I use milk and water to illustrate. Both are liquids. But milk is whitish (or creamy) while water is colorless and transparent. If the milk is poured into the water, the color of the water changes. The water does not change itself. It is the milk that transforms the water to be like milk in color and taste. The transforming power is in the milk.

In the same manner, God’s Spirit, pouring into the human spirit, transforms the human spirit. As the water eventually becomes milky, so those led by God’s Spirit become spiritual children of God (Romans 8:14-16). And our spirit and God’s Spirit become one (1 Corinthians 6:17).

If the Spirit of God is poured into the human spirit, the human spirit receives divine power (Acts 1:8). However, if a person merely believes but does not allow the Spirit of God to actuate His power in him or her, he or she remains a powerless believer. He or she may still be God’s child but be powerless.

Allow the Spirit of God to actuate the power of God in you. The Father who lives in you is the one who does the work (John 14:10).

Don’t be an unbelieving believer. Jesus noticed that some of His disciples found His statements hard to understand or accept (John 6:60-63). You must believe before you can receive spiritual power (Matthew 17:19-20; Matthew 21:21; Luke 17:6; John 1:12).

God makes you partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). Despite your educational background, your physical strength, or age, you are destined for greatness. You are a conqueror because God’s Spirit is in you (1 John 4:4).

What you decree is established by God for you, (Job 22:28) because He lives in you, and because you decree according to God’s will (Romans 12:2). Therefore, we have the confidence that we receive anything we ask him when we ask according to his will (1 John 5:14-15; Jeremiah 29:12; John 14:13; John 15:7).

May God give you the grace to understand that you are God’s child because of the work Jesus Christ did on your behalf. May God make you know how much He loves you (1 John 3:1-2). Because of this privilege, God wants you to purify yourself (1 John 3:3). God is Holy so we must also live holy lives (1 Peter 1:14-17).

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is our motivator.

Change your mental attitude, stop violence, believe in yourself, press on to success

You may stop to rest and then continue the race. But don’t quit the race. You can win. So, persevere to the end and the prize will be yours. No quitting. Focus on the prize and continue running towards the goal.

The transformation

While running to get the prize, show compassion to people you meet. Forgive wrongs done against you. Let God avenge you, for he says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay…” (Romans 12:19).

Meditate always on what is noble. No lies, no gossiping, no dishonesty, and don’t hate.

In Philippians 4:8 we read,

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (ESV)

God gave us minds so we can make decisions. But our minds degenerated, became corrupted and we glided down into the abyss of hate, murder, lies, fear, and all kinds of evil and negativity.

The Bible tells us to renew our minds by rejecting and discarding all evils. The Bible tells us to feed our minds with love, kindness, and righteous thoughts.

What we feed the mind leads to action. According to neuroscience, actions are performed when neurons connect to send and receive information or instructions. Neurons are cells within the nervous system. They send and receive information within our bodies. And our bodies act per the instructions of the mind. The Psalmist says in Psalm 139:14, “… I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” (ESV).

Neuroscience explains that when information is received, the brain sends the information to the action zone. The neurons interconnect with each other to send the information to the parts of the body where actions are to occur.

The mind is an action center. And our thoughts decide how we feel and act. You cannot succeed if you don’t believe in yourself. You must believe in yourself and act on your beliefs to achieve your vision. Though we cannot get rid of our emotions entirely, we can regulate and control how we react to situations.

Success does not come easily. So, continue running until you receive the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:14).

Thoughts have creative power. What goes on in the mind attracts reality. Inventions begin as thoughts in the minds of inventors. If you constantly believe that you will be a winner, and work at it, you will break through adverse circumstances and become a winner.

The body responds to the way we think, feel, and act. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Faith begins in the mind. And neuroscience explains that there is a special relationship between how our minds work and what kind of results we get. Faith and positive thoughts make us approach life and business with optimism. Faith motivates us to overcome self-limiting beliefs. Faith motivates us and helps us to conquer the challenges in life.

Repeating an action creates a pattern of behavior that is etched in our mind or the brain. The more you practice or perform an act, the more you solidify that action. And habit is formed. In later actions, the body follows the pattern that has been formed.

Faith motivates us to act. When we repeat actions, we train the body to learn to do the actions. Actions become easier by repetitions and eventually become automatic or almost automatic. The actions are then performed with little or no thought at all.

Faith invites the Holy Spirit to work in your spirit and actualize your vision. And you eventually become what you think and do. You become stronger by overcoming obstacles.

Information creates emotions, which in turn leads to action. Your eyes (the sight) and ears (the hearing) pick information for the brain to process. Processing the information leads to action, and action turns into being.

When you do something repeatedly, your body learns to do it better, more easily, and automatically. Your mind and body are now conditioned to work together. Any time information about the action is sensed, your body can subconsciously go into action, without you consciously thinking about it. Our thoughts, therefore, are translated into how we live, how we will succeed, or how we will fail.

The mind turns vision into reality as our thoughts create the emotions to stimulate our desires and actualize the vision. And the brain processes the information we feed it and creates a pattern of behavior.

Jesus said,

22 “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” (Mark 11:22-24; ESV)

You actualize your vision when you put your thoughts into action.

Meditate on God’s love and truthfulness. Believe that God is truthful and will perform what you ask him to do (Numbers 23:19; 2 Timothy 2:13). Learn to be good, kind, honest, and non-violent. The Holy Spirit indwelling you is comfortable with these characteristics and works unhindered in such environment.

The Spirit of God indwelling you transforms your spirit. Milk transforms water by making it become milky or whitish. So also, the Spirit of God indwelling you transforms you spiritually. However, the Holy Spirit cannot transform your spirit if you do not surrender yourself completely and if your spirit is contaminated. Desire God’s Spirit and yield your spirit to God’s Spirit, and God will transform you.

If you surrender to the Holy Spirit, He will direct your spirit. Yield to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17) and He will fill your spirit with His power. He will enable you to speak and act in His power (Acts 1:8; Acts 2;4; Mark 16:17). The Holy Spirit helps us to be loving, kind, and truthful.

Neuroscience teaches that the mind decides how we perceive things and respond to challenges. Furthermore, neuroscience explains that our behaviors are developed through repeated actions. Repeating an action will ingrain it in the brain to become a habit. Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs us to shed off our former conduct, or behavior, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, by feeding the mind with new information for actions.

The world is a jungle. It is a jungle of confusion, hate, anger, struggles, and all kinds of evil.

However, with God’s Spirit, we can become what we believe. We can make life great for ourselves. But only if we actuate our beliefs and practice God’s principles.

Press on – don’t give up!

Fire for fire ends in ashes.

Abigail Van Buren said, “People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.”

Do not use violence to achieve a purpose. Patience may take the long route. But eventually it achieves success. Proverbs 25:15, “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone,” (ESV).

And Proverbs 14:29 says,

 “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.”

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”

Be tolerant and live peacefully with each other. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (ESV)

Jesus taught us to be peaceful, loving, and forgiving. And Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” (ESV).

Success and Transformation Require Mindset Change

Transformation and success will not happen without the change of mindset. Fear, hate, anger, and violence will continue to be the bane of your existence until you renew your mental attitude.

Without the change of mindset, we will continue to do what we do and will continue to get the same results. And we will continue to wallow in poverty and ignorance. We will continue to live in mediocrity, believing and wallowing in inferiority and thinking we cannot achieve great heights.

The belief that an individual can overcome challenges and do the impossible led to the invention of the airplane.

Belief makes all things possible (Mark 9:23). Belief enabled man to fly to the moon. Unless you renew your mindset, your miracles will not happen.

Do you not notice the harm, the unrest, the chaos that anger and violence are causing?

The imaginations of the thoughts of the hearts of people are evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Perversity has taken control of people’s hearts, and few people can be truthful, tolerant, and forgiving. The situation will change only when there is a change of mindset.

People are becoming more skeptical each day. Even religious people, including Christians, are becoming agnostics on matters of faith and God.

Anger has become the bane of our social lives. The political landscape is violent and full of untruths. Propaganda holds sway in most political discourses. And negative attitudes are destroying the fabric of our societies. Unforgiveness is destroying the conscience of many people. Even some Christians are caught in the web, and most are reluctant to forgive wrongs.

Mindset is the power of self-realization and self-esteem. Our mental attitudes decide how we perceive things, how we believe in ourselves, and how we respond to challenges.

The physically challenged person whose mindset is positive, can challenge his or her crippled legs to climb the ladder of success and achieve results. The physically challenged person whose mindset is positive can challenge himself or herself to learn to paint with his or her mouth, despite having no hands. The visually impaired who has a strong and healthy mindset will not throw his or her hands up in despair but will forge ahead in the quest to become successful despite physical challenges. There will be no limitations. Our mental attitude towards life can make us do things that people will marvel. Either positively or negatively.

Jessica Cox was born with no arms, but she trained to become the world’s first licensed armless pilot, as well as the first armless back-belt in the American Taekwondo Association. She graduated in psychology and a minor in communications, drives a car without modifications, and has a scuba certification. According to Wikipedia, she has not used prosthetic arms since she turned 14.

She was in Ghana for a four-day motivational seminar in October 2011. The theme of her motivational seminar was “Just As You Are, Arise and Do Something.” Note that she was born without arms. Yet she is successful in many aspects of life while many people who have arms are languishing in poverty and begging for aid.

Neuroscience buttresses the statements in Ephesians 4:22-32 and Romans 12:2 that we can renew the spirit of our mind and transform ourselves to reach the best in life. We can learn to control our minds or develop our minds and achieve higher aspirations. Therefore, Ephesians 4:23-24 encourages us to change our mindset by renewing the spirit of our mind and become a new, or a transformed, personality.

You don’t have to remain mediocre in life. The Bible explains that God’s Spirit helps to transform our spirits and enables us to live in newness of life (Ephesians 4:23; Romans 12:2).

Per neuroscience our behaviors are developed through repeated actions. Repeating an action will ingrain it in the brain to become a habit, or a characteristic. Furthermore, we deal with anger by controlling it. And we learn to control our anger by delaying action. Therefore, by repeating the action, we form the habit of controlling the anger.

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32; NKJV)

Some people have the innate desire for evil. And when they are in positions of authority, they misuse their power and brutalize suspects in their custody. Some police and military personnel use torture to make suspects confess to crimes. That is not right. For even if suspects are guilty, the use of torture can erode the credibility of the confession.

Personally, I find it hard to believe confessions that are obtained through torture. Because people may confess when they can’t endure the pain.

The Bible exhorts us to be renewed in the spirit of the mind and learn to do what is right.

Don’t be upset when you fail in a venture or enterprise. Try again and you will succeed. Put your faith into action, and you will reach the height you envisage. It might take you longer to reach success because of the lack of financial resources. But remember that though the snail crawls slowly it gets to its destination.

Though money makes success easy, yet without money, you can still achieve success. If you have faith, time, good health, and determination you can also reach the top of the mountain. Others may have the means to fly easily and quickly to the top of the mountain, while you may not have the means to fly. However, you have faith, time, health, determination, and vision. Let your vision light your path to success.

No matter how big the project is, or how far out of sight it might appear, if you work step by step, you will reach your goal – your success. You may not have enough funds for the project, but you can still achieve your aim by working and saving a little at a time. Though it may take longer for you to reach the pinnacle of success, you will eventually get there.

Julia Carney wrote in her poem, Little Things, or Little Drops of Water, about how each effort matters, however little. Every little thing can change the situation, or even change the world.

“Little drops of water, Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean, And the pleasant land. And the little moments, Humble though they be, Make the mighty ages Of eternity. So, our little errors Lead the Soul away, From the paths of virtue, Far in sin to stray. Little deeds of kindness, Little words of love, Make our earth an Eden, Like the heaven above.” (Julia A.F. Carney’s Poem, Little Drops of Water).

I like the proverb that says, “You can eat a whole elephant if you take a bite at a time.” A daunting task can be done by taking a little at a time. You can eventually raise the money for your investment when you save a little at a time. So, eat that elephant by taking a bite at a time.

Have a change of mindset and press on toward the prize – your success – your goal. You will reach the goal if you persevere (Philippians 3:13-15).

Years that pass may redefine your vision into a new or different one. But your vision to be successful should not die.

Your spouse might have forsaken you, and friends may not believe that you can make it. Your resources may not be adequate. But you still have time, hands, legs, determination, and health. Your hard work, perseverance and hope will take you to your goal. Have a strong mental attitude and you will get there.

Life will not smile at you when you are striving to reach the top of the ladder. But don’t be angry when things do not go the way you want. Anger will not solve your problems.

You may be physically challenged, or you may lack resources. These can slow you down, but they should not stop you from reaching your goal. Do what is right, leave the rest to God, and all will be well.

It may take years to reach your goal, and the going will be tough and unpleasant. But God will see you through. Have the mindset to believe that no matter how poor you are, how young or old you are, whether you are male or female, God destined you to be a success in life. You can eat that elephant (poverty, illness, or whatever the challenge is). Just take a bite at a time. It might take a long time to finish eating it, but you will finish eating it if you don’t lose hope and if you don’t give up.

God was with the Children of Israel in the wilderness journey. Yet that did not stop enemies and the Devil from attacking them. They faced many challenges. There were times they did not get water to drink, or the water was bitter. But amid the challenges, God performed miracles.

The night may be very long and lonely. But if you live an honest life before God, Jesus will always be by your side and guide you. God searches our hearts and gives us what we deserve (Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 2:6).

Don’t lose hope when help is delayed. It may take some time before your desire materializes. But “if you can believe, all things are possible…” (Mark 9:23). Be patient when learning perseverance. You won’t achieve success at a go. You must practice and repeat the actions till your mind and your body accept the new information you are feeding your mind.

Remember that you must take a step at a time. Repeat the actions until your mind accepts them. Whatever you are doing will need time. Initial stages are not pleasant. You might not see success at once. But if you practice your beliefs, your mind and body will gradually learn to adapt, and the rest of the journey, including the spiritual, will become easy.

It becomes easier as you continue working or practicing. The easier it becomes, the more flexible it becomes for the body to get used to.

Your brain adapts or changes in response to what you feed it. It reorganizes its structure or functions, as new information is fed into it. Therefore, Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs us to shed off our former conduct or way of behavior, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, by feeding the mind with new information on action or behaviors. In Ephesians 4:25-32, we are told to discard the negative behaviors and replace them with positive ones.

Practice, they say, makes perfect. Just as constant practice gives you dexterity in playing a sport, or in what you do, so also deliberate repetitions and practices are needed for new habits to become habitual and automatic. Therefore, Ephesians 4:28-32 tells us to feed the brain or the mind with positive thoughts of actions. The positive thoughts will stimulate positive actions. What we feed the mind is what will be acted on.

And so, as most people continue to feed on evil thoughts, so evil acts continue to engulf the world (Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 6:14; Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21-22).

No matter your age, you can change or learn a new attitude or habit. In Romans 12:2 we are encouraged to be transformed by the renewing of our minds to know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God so that we can practice and become new or transformed persons. Discard the old conduct and put on the new nature (Colossians 3:5-10).

You can achieve the height you aspire. Age is not a barrier. Joseph was 17 when he had the vision to become great. His family considered him too young (Genesis 37). But God proved Joseph right. He took Joseph out of prison, promoted him to be second to Pharaoh in Egypt, and used him to save the world from famine.

David was also considered by his family as fit only to tend sheep, but God anointed him to be King of Israel (1 Samuel 16:11-13). Moses was 80 years old when God commissioned him to lead the Children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. And he led them 40 years.

It is not only in the Bible that age does not pose a barrier. George Mueller, at 70, and resigning from the orphanage, embarked on a worldwide missionary tour. For 17 years he visited 42 countries until he was 87. He died at age 92. Anna Mary Robertson Moses, or Grandma Moses, was an American folk artist. She started painting seriously at the age of 78 when arthritis made her unable to embroider. She was a self-taught artist. Some of her works have sold as much as $1,360,000.

Neuroscience tells us that the brain can rewire itself and enable us to reframe our mindset. The ideas (or thoughts) we feed our brain change our mindset. If you feed your brain with thoughts of patience, endurance, perseverance, love, and goodness, your mindset will change and adapt to those behavioral thoughts. You will be renewing your mental attitude, or the spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:22), to be conformed to the will of God (Romans 12:2).

What your mind accepts will become beliefs. If beliefs grow, faith increases. The mind adapts to the new thought patterns or behaviors you feed your brain. Your behavior changes or reshapes to the new patterns as you act on your beliefs.

God’s spirit activates his power in your spirit (Acts 1:8), enabling you to achieve your aims (Acts 2:4; Mark 16:17; Acts 19:6). And your actions lead to achievements.

God’s Spirit becomes your teacher and leads you into the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:12). God, who knows the mind of his Spirit, knows what you want because of God’s indwelling Spirit. Moreover, the Spirit makes intercession according to God’s will (Romans 8:27).

God who gives you the vision of what you can and should be, knows and understands your vision, even when other people do not understand. It is your vision. No one can understand it as you do, and no one else can have the passion for your vision more than you.

Alas, many will  read or hear this message but only a few will practice it. Many Christians believe and wish, but only a few actualize the power of the Holy Spirit. It is time to arise and actuate the power given to us by Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).

God believes in you. Press on to success.

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Suspicions Can Be Dangerous!

Suspicions can be dangerous. Mostly suspicions are just mere suspicions that have not been confirmed. Yet people tend to believe them as factual.

Generalized suspicions have caused hostilities among people, destroyed relationships, and wrecked homes.

The indwelling of God’s Spirit transforms our spirits and empowers us to love each other as God loves us. The Holy Spirit enables us to live righteous lives. Milk turns water milky and tasty like milk. Similarly, the Holy Spirit transforms the human spirit and gives the human spirit divine power. The water does not change itself. It is the milk that transforms the water. In the same manner, the Holy Spirit transforms the human spirit (Acts 2:4). Jesus said, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you (Acts 1:8).

Among Christians, (and non-Christians), are people who believe that their suspicions are factual revelations of people’s intentions. They believe their suspicions are factual divine revelations from God. And these people have caused unrest in their communities with their so-called revelations.

I live eighty (80) kilometers from Bawku, an area embroiled in conflict. Conflicts have caused peace to elude Bawku and its environs. People live daily in fear of being physically attacked. They live daily in fear of being terrorized by miscreants. Infiltrations by evil-minded people from other communities, some from outside the country, have added to fears as unscrupulous persons take advantage to cause mayhem and panic.

Evil and lawless people, riding on motorcycles, shoot and kill people at random. Even the presence of military personnel has not curbed the violence, nor allayed fears. The situation has resulted in the Government imposing curfews, and sometimes restricting the use of motorcycles. Yet violence and shooting have continued.

The curfew and restrictions make life unbearable. Law-abiding citizens who do not indulge in bad behaviors are also affected by the ban and restrictions.

Countless educational fora and advice by religious bodies, government agencies and NGOs have failed to make violence-minded persons embrace peaceful co-existence.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “People only see what they are prepared to see.” Therefore, making some people to understand and accept peace can be an uphill struggle.

Pete Wehner is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and the director of EPPC’s Faith Angle Forum. He is a writer on political, cultural, religious, and national security issues. He asserts, “As human beings we’re wired to interpret new information as conforming our beliefs and reject it if it runs counter to those beliefs.”

People readily reject beliefs or ideas that do not conform to what they want.

Young ones look unto the elderly as role models. They learn from what the elderly do. They grow up emulating the elderly. In communities associated with violence, elderly ones with violent mindset usually urge children and the young ones to be hard and fight all who offend or oppose them. They instigate violence by urging them to resist violence with violence. They urge them to be brutal and offensive against people who oppose them.

Children growing up in these communities, therefore, unconsciously train their minds to respond angrily to whatever they do not like and end up patterning their minds with violent thoughts. Each time a child emphasizes on violence, the child enhances the violent habit. As the child grows up, he or she learns to live as a violent individual, distrusting people, getting angry easily, and relegating patience to the background. He or she grows up believing that patience is a sign of cowardice.

Thus, we are constantly creating violent, impatient and non-forgiving societies.

Sadly, the canker of suspicion has engulfed the Christian community, too. And some Christian leaders believe their suspicions are revelations or divine inspirations from God. These religious leaders equate their unhealthy suspicious feelings and thoughts with the Word of Knowledge. And others equate them with prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:8,10).

I know a Christian woman who suspects everybody who disagrees with her. When anyone says something that displeases her she jumps to the conclusion the person is insinuating her. I have explained to her that she should first analyze her feelings and thoughts and pray about them before conjecturing. I tell her to ask anyone she suspects has defamed her for clarification before concluding that she is right in her accusations. But she rejects my advice.

Neil Strauss said, “People believe what they want to believe. And what they want to believe is whatever allows them to justify what they want to do.”

Her suspicions of people make her to hate people. Especially those who disagree with her. She even suspects her husband to be a womanizer. Her proof is only her suspicions. Her behavior makes her husband now to suspect that she could be living with a guilty conscience. People who struggle with a guilty conscience because of what they have done, tend to suspect every other person. They reason that if they could cheat on their spouses, then it is possible that their spouses, too, might cheat on them. Liars struggle to believe others. Liars use themselves as the standard to judge others.

Some people will never accept anything that is not what they believe. Francis Bacon said, “Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true.”

If you suspect that someone has offended you, go to that person and tell him or her what you suspect. Enquire from the person if what you suspect is true. Jesus tells us to deal with problems by talking to people we think have offended us, (Matthew 18:15-17).

Do not aver that your suspicions against people are factual until after you have authenticated your suspicions.

Suspicions start in the inner space of our being (our mind). Some people feel that the spirit is speaking to their inner being. And some pastors and prophets believe that these feelings and thoughts are inspirations of God’s Spirit speaking within their spirits.

Moreover, people who do not live righteously see all others the same way. If they are dishonest, they consider all (or most) people to be dishonest. Therefore, they can’t believe that other people can have high moral principles. They think every person has low moral principles as they have.

But they are wrong because there are many people who are righteous and who will not compromise their integrity.

Participants in conflicts tend to respond based on their own feelings of the situation, rather than an objective review of the situation. We don’t see other people’s point of view when we allow emotions to dictate our responses. We must, therefore, learn to control our emotions. We must learn to take logical approaches in dealing with happenings we don’t like.

On June 7, 2012, there was a news report from the Central Region in Ghana that two people had been killed in ethnic clashes between indigenous Fantes and Ewe settlers at Ekumfi Narkwa, in the Mfantseman District.

The clashes ensued when a 50-year-old man, who was the Ebusuapanyin (the head of the family) of the Narkwa royal house, was beheaded by unknown assailants. His mutilated body was buried in his coconut plantation. Initially his body was found without the head.

Five others sustained gunshot injuries and were receiving treatment at the hospital.

The police reported that the Fantes suspected the Ewe settlers of the murder. Relying on suspicion and not on facts, the Fante indigenes ran riot and torched seven thatched houses belonging to the Ewes. A second report later gave the number of houses burnt as eight.

The Ewes retaliated in defense. Later reports revealed that several more people sustained various degrees of injuries.

The Daily Graphic, on 12 June 2012, reported that two suspects, Kweku Mensah, 37, a coconut seller, and native of Narkwa, and his 30-year-old sister, Aba Koba, were arrested for the murder. Mensah led a team of policemen to the location where he buried the severed head.

The suspects, Kweku Mensah and Aba Koba, were not Ewes. Yet the Fantes had earlier suspected that the murderer was an Ewe. If the indigenes had delayed action, or done the right thing by allowing the police to do their work, innocent lives would have been saved, and damage to houses would have been averted.

Investigations revealed that Kweku Mensah, a coconut seller, often went into the coconut plantation of the murdered person, Eguasia, to steal coconuts to sell. And Eguasia had confronted and warned Mensah severally to stop stealing from his farm. 

On Wednesday, June 6, 2012, Eguasia went to his coconut plantation and saw Mensah plucking his coconuts. A confrontation ensued. Mensah managed to overpower Eguasia and beheaded him. He dug a grave near the farm, buried the head and covered it. He then buried the body on top of the head in the same grave.

Mensah then took Eguasia’s mobile phone home and gave it to his sister, Aba Kobah. Aba Kobah warned Mensah not to tell anybody about the incident else the people of the community would lynch him.

The police later had information that a woman was in possession of the deceased’s mobile phone. So, the Police made calls to the phone. Kobah kept misleading the police as to who she was and where she lived. Eventually, the police were able to arrest Mensah and Kobah, and the two confessed.

Proverbs 29:11, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back,” (ESV). And in Proverbs 17:27-28 we read, “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent,” (ESV).

If the Fante indigenes had restrained themselves and not attacked the Ewe settlers, violence would have been averted.

Ralph Waldo Emerson rightly said that “People only see what they are prepared to see.” And Francis Bacon said people prefer to believe what they want to be true.

Suspicions can be dangerous. Suspicions generate anger. And anger can generate hate. As happened between the Fante indigenes and the Ewe settlers, anger and hate can generate conflict, and can cause destruction, pain and even deaths.

Jesus said whenever we think someone has offended us, we should reach out to the person, discuss the issue with the person, and settle the matter (Matthew 18:15-17).

When we pray, the Holy Spirit synchronizes the words of our petitions (or declarations), taking into consideration our attitudes or inner character (Jeremiah 17:10; Job 34:11), and God then gives us our answers, (Job 22:28; John 14:10, 13-16; John 16:24).

The Holy Spirit cannot perform freely in our lives while we are living unrighteous lives. The indwelling Holy Spirit cleanses us of impurities if we allow the Holy Spirit free access in our lives. He transforms our lives by cleansing us of our unrighteousness, (1 John 1:9). And we receive from God our prayer requests.

The Holy Spirit detests lies, hate, bitterness, and all negative attitudes. Lies are lies; there are no big or small lies, and no white or black lies. All lies contaminate our souls and do not allow the Holy Spirit free access to our spirits. And so, a person who bears false witness against another is a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow (Proverbs 25:18).

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Our motivator is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

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Thank you.

Nothing can stop you from reaching success if your mind is decided

Failure can be reversed, so don’t let it make you angry. Keep pushing forward towards success.

Some people are upset when they fail in a venture or enterprise. A failure should not mean the end of a venture or enterprise. You can try again and succeed in later attempts.

Nothing can stop you from reaching success if your mind is decided. God defined your destiny before he formed you in your mother’s womb. If you put your faith into action, you will reach the height you envisaged. Despite the hard knocks of life, you can climb the ladder to success. It might take a long time for you to get there because of the lack of finances or some physical conditions you might have. But you will surely get there, even if you must crawl.

Do not stop even when circumstances make you crawl. Keep moving till you reach your goal. “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26; ESV) Faith will keep you going.

If you believe in your vision, you will work assiduously to make it happen. And God will be by you to confirm his word. (Mark 16:20; Acts 14:3)

Determination and perseverance will decide how you succeed or fail.

Thomas Edison made thousands of attempts when working on the light bulb. Later a journalist asked him how he felt when he failed a thousand times. Edison replied he did not fail a thousand times. Those were 1,000 ways he learned would not work. He said, “The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Thomas Edison was not upset anytime an attempt proved wrong. He did not lose face. He knew he could try as many times as possible until he got it right. And he did.

In Genesis 4:6-7 we read,

“The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.’” (ESV)

Cain and Abel were two brothers who presented offerings to God. God respected Abel and his offering but rejected Cain’s offering. Cain was not happy and was angry with his brother. But God told him that he was wrong to be angry or upset. If he did what was right his offering would be accepted.

The bottom line was that Cain did not do what was right to receive a favorable response from God. But instead of addressing the issue, Cain vented his anger on his brother Abel.

It was not Abel who rejected Cain’s offering. God rejected the offering. Therefore, Cain should have directed his anger to God. But he misdirected his anger and vented his anger on Abel.

God told Cain he was wrong to vent his anger on his brother. Besides, he wasn’t even right to be angry at all. God would have responded favorably to him and accepted his offering if he did the right thing. When Thomas Edison made corrections, he eventually got the light bulb right.

Many people express their anger wrongly and aggressively and hurt (mostly) innocent people.

Anger is an emotional response to threats. We may use anger as a defense when attacked, insulted, or mistreated. Some people, however, do not use anger rightly. Like Cain was angry with his brother.

Lack can make some people angry. Lack of money limits people’s ability to do what they want. And some people are angry when they can’t get what they want. Lack of confidence can also make a person believe that he or she cannot achieve his or her ambitions. This may also make some people who think they are stuck in their hole angry and bitter. And make them envy those who are successful.

Certainly, money makes success easy. However, without money, you can still achieve success. Otherwise, we would not hear stories of people rising from “rags to riches.”

You may lack funds now to execute your project or business. That doesn’t mean your vision should perish. It is a temporary failure, not a permanent one.

Have faith in God. You can put it on the back burner for a while. Not because it has lost its importance, but because of the lack of funds. It could take months, and sometimes even years before you might come back to it. But no matter how long it takes, you will come out someday and shine.

Just don’t give up. Your present lack of funds should not be the demise of your vision. Consider it a temporary setback and keep it on the back burner until you can raise funds to continue the project. But your vision stays. A genuine vision should not die. Years that pass may refine, or even redefine it into a new or different project. But the vision should not die. Genuine visions do not die easily.

Violent people express their anger through aggressive behaviors. Non-violent people, on the other hand, control their anger and are non-aggressive when they express their anger. Though they may not like what is done to them, or said about them, they have control over their emotions and so can express their anger without being violent.

Some people become volatile when they are upset. When they don’t achieve a purpose, they lose face, and in their anger, they hurl invectives. They resort to incendiary rhetoric to even the scores or make others feel as bad as they feel. Even those who did not cause their problem are not spared.

Incendiary remarks are the fuel that ignites conflicts. The remarks act like petrol on fire and make the fires of hate and conflict burn intensely.

In their efforts to prove their religions superior, some religious advocates use inflammatory remarks on people who hold contrary views. Some politicians also spew out invectives at each other on radio and television.

Jesus taught us not to be antagonistic or inflammatory.

We can always try again whenever we do not achieve the results. If there are corrections to be made, make them, and try again.

Certain places are notorious for conflicts and are regarded as flash points. Unfortunately, people in such areas use inflammatory speeches instead of toning down their discussions.

Religious militants display confrontational attitudes when advocating their religious doctrines. They are angry and violent when people don’t accept their doctrines. Instead of using persuasive and intelligent discourse, they spew out vituperations against other religions.

Attacking the beliefs of your opponent is not peaceful dialogue. You are pouring fuel onto a fire. And you make people dislike you when you do that.

John Locke, writing in 1689, asserts that, “… true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God.” And that, “Confiscation of estate, imprisonment, torments,” can never really make people “change the inward judgment that they have framed of things,” (unquote… from “A Letter Concerning Toleration,” page 20, published in Buffalo, New York by Prometheus Books, 1990).

Do Not Use Compulsion.

Religious militants believe that polemics is the right way to prove their religions as the best. They insult and attack other people’s beliefs.

Discuss the essence of your religious beliefs convincingly.

Some people do not know how to present their views convincingly, and so resort to insults. They use physical violence to compel people to accept what they are offering.

Christians, however, have been recommended to emulate Jesus in convincing their listeners. Jesus was not antagonistic and was not violent. He was peaceful. He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

As you believe in your opinions and religion so also your opponent believes in his or her opinions and religion. Using force will not make your opponent understand your views. Use persuasion and logic to convince your listeners.

Jesus used logic, wisdom, persuasion, and love to make the Samaritan woman listen to him (John 4:6-42). Paul used the same method when he spoke to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers at the Areopagus (or Mar’s Hill – Acts 17:22-34). Though some mocked him, many believed him. You may not win all, but you will win some. Those who could not understand his resurrection statement told him he could come again another day to explain that.

You may have the truth, but listeners will not be convinced if you cannot articulate your message wisely. Religious militants and politicians who cannot articulate their views convincingly resort to lies and vituperations. They use violence and aggression to force people to obey or accept.

When politicians use provocative words against their opposers they argue that they are exercising their rights and freedom of speech. Freedom of speech, or the right to free speech does not mean one should use insulting language to express one’s views or disagreements. Use persuasion to speak to the minds of listeners. That will help them to make informed decisions. And they won’t feel they have been coerced to accept your views.

Persuasion, however, must be sincere, without manipulation. You must be able to explain the sincerity of your beliefs.

Anger is a normal emotion that we can use to stop people from doing wrong. Anger becomes a problem and abnormal when it gets out of control and turns violent. Then it becomes destructive.

Do not be angry if things do not go the way you want. Anger by itself does not solve problems. God told Cain, “If you do well you shall be accepted.”

Do not use anger as an excuse to hit a fellow human. Always express your anger positively. Talk about what you don’t like and how you feel you have been wronged. Using the positive method will get you favorable or good responses.

Some people are frustrated and angry because of their physical conditions. Some are even angry with God because of their physical disabilities or because of poverty. They vent their anger on everyone and blame others for their lack or inability to be like others. Envy makes them regard the world and everyone as enemies.

You, too, can become successful if you are determined to be successful.

Physical challenges and lack of finances are not permanent disabilities that should prevent you from excelling or from becoming successful in your endeavors. They will delay your success but can’t stop you. Nothing can stop you from reaching your financial and spiritual goals if you decide in your mind and believe in your heart that you can be successful.

Many successful people you see today were once like you. Some of them labored for other people, doing menial jobs to buy bread for survival. Some lived without food for days. Some slept on the streets, at bus stops, and other open spaces with the sky for their roofs.

Don’t be upset when things don’t happen the way you expect. Don’t lose face when you try and fail to get to the top. Don’t feel humiliated. Defeats or failures are temporary. Let them spur you on to get back on your feet. Don’t be ashamed when you have those temporary failures. You can always spring back onto your feet and continue pursuing your goal (Job 5:19; Proverbs 24:16).

You will surely rebound when you fall because God takes note of what you do.

“For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do.” (Hebrews 6:10; NLT)

Therefore, don’t be angry when things don’t happen as expected. Everything will be all right if you patiently endure. Always do what is right. Faith and perseverance will take you to your goal.

It may take years to reach the top. And the going will be tough and unpleasant. But a sweet ending awaits you.

Some people may not believe in you. And some who believe in you may not be able to aid you. Believe in yourself, be committed to your cause, and do what is right. Friends who believe in you will be praying for you. They might not be able to support you financially, but their prayers will touch God and goodness and mercy will follow you. God, the ultimate provider, will give you the provision.

God cares even when people do not consider you. He knows your heart. He provided for others. He will provide for you, too.

The night may be too long and lonely. But Jesus will always be by your side. He will guide you if you ask him. He will encourage you and lead you to success.

Live an honest life before God. God searches our hearts and gives us what we truly deserve (Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 2:6).

Hebrews 10:35-39

35 “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. 37 ‘For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 38 And a righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away.’ 39 But we are not like those who turn their backs on God and seal their fate. We have faith that assures our salvation.” (NLT)

Some people look at their conditions and slump into self-pity. They are convinced that they cannot do anything worthwhile. When help is delayed, they lose hope. But you should not lose hope for God is waiting to help you.

Some people do not even suffer from physical challenges, yet they give up hope and consider themselves incapable when they meet challenges.

God gives strength and ability to the weak and the physically challenged.

The Rev. Dr. Christian Adjei, who has gone to be with the Lord, was my lecturer at the Ghana Christian College and Seminary, now Ghana Christian University. The Rev. Dr. Adjei told me one day in class that I had great potential. I had just given a presentation. After listening to and evaluating my presentation, Rev. Dr. Adjei told me I would achieve great heights and travel internationally if I continued to work assiduously.

I had no financial support. I struggled to feed myself and buy clothing to wear. By the grace of God, the college had absorbed my tuition and lodging fees. That provided some relief. But I still needed to cater for myself in other ways.

Rev. Dr. Adjei himself surmounted physical challenges to rise to the top. He had polio at a tender age and his legs were crippled, compelling him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

He did not give up on life. He studied assiduously and eventually gained a doctorate. Proverbs 18:14 says, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?”

What the Reverend Dr. Adjei said about me indeed happened. I studied assiduously, gained a scholarship in the United States, and secured degrees up to the Doctoral level. I have lectured in tertiary institutions in Ghana and Singapore. I have given lectures, and academic presentations and preached in the US, and the UK. Other countries I have also been to are France, The Philippines, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Zimbabwe, among others.

Your desire may take time to materialize because you presently lack funds. But Jesus said, “…If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes,” (Mark 9:23).

Keep yearning, thinking, and believing in your heart, wanting to achieve the best. Pull yourself together to do what you want. Your entire personality will pattern itself to the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of your heart. Your mind and body follow the dictates of your heart. You will achieve your desire according to how strong your heart yearns, and how enthusiastic you are.

Proverbs 23:7 — “… as he thinks in his heart so is he…” People strive hard to get what their hearts yearn for. That is why some, unfortunately, will even kill or use their children, spouses, or relatives, for rituals to gain wealth.

The heart and the mind dictate or influence our passions. The mind conceives the idea and sows it in the heart. It germinates and grows into a strong desire. And the whole human personality is influenced to do what the heart dictates. Use this power that is in you for positive things. Shun the negative.

Be strong in your mind and body. The journey is long, and the lack of funds is hitting you vehemently. But you can do the impossible through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).

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How Multiplying one talent into millions of talents is possible

Making one into millions is possible with the right mindset. You can multiply the little you have into millions. You can make it if you have the determination, and if you are patient, persevering, and assiduous.

We have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. (Please, stay with us and continue reading to learn the miracle of turning one into millions). We do not need any other rituals to perform to get access to God. God pours His spirit upon us (Joel 2:28-29) so that we can live in the spirit (Galatians 5:25). The Spirit then transforms our spirits and makes us spiritual and mighty. Words that come out of us are energized (or enabled) by the Holy Spirit, (Acts 2:4). And signs and wonders are actualized.

I use milk and water for illustration. Both are liquids. But milk is whitish (or creamy) while water is colorless and transparent. If the milk is poured into the water, the water changes color. The water does not change itself. The milk transforms the water to be like the milk in color and in taste. The more you pour the milk into the water, the more whitish or creamy the water becomes. Eventually, the water loses its color and taste and now looks and tastes milky.

In the same manner, the Spirit of God is poured into the human spirit to transform the human spirit. And just like the water becoming milky, so also as many as are led by the Spirit of God they become spiritual children of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God (Romans 8:14-16). Our spirit and God’s Spirit become one in union (1 Corinthians 6:17) as God pours his Spirit into our spirit (see the illustration with the water and milk). God’s power to perform miracles then indwells us.

Our union with God gives us direct access to God. So, 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “He that is joined (kollao – to join oneself to, to glue together) unto the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

This is not so in other religions. In the New Testament, in Christ Jesus, we have a better covenant and a better way to God. (Hebrews 8:6-9)

God’s Spirit indwelling the individual actuates God’s Spiritual power in us.

Do not vent your anger and frustration on people when people fail you.

Some people feel neglected by their relatives and friends. They don’t understand why their siblings or friends who have been blessed by God will neglect them and let them suffer in poverty. And so, they vent their anger on them.

Some Christians angrily complain to me that their churches do not give them aid when they need it. Though churches should consider helping the needy, the churches may not always be able to help everyone who needs aid. Churches have their own pressing needs and can only give what they can or what is available. They can’t give beyond their means.

Churches that can help must do so. Because the Bible tells Christians to love and help each other. That is how the Church started (Acts 2:44-47). However, we must also consider the financial ability of the churches.

I have heard some people curse their siblings because their siblings have not given them aid when they needed it. They assert that God expects those he blesses to also help others out of their financial difficulties.

It is wrong for us to hate relatives and friends for their failure to give us aid. Though God expects us to aid those who are in need, we can’t hate people who do not help us. It is God who gave them their wealth. And everyone has the right to do what he or she wants with his or her wealth. We have no right to be angry with people who do not share their wealth with others. They might also have helped some others before you came to them for aid. And so, they might not be financially able to give you the aid you requested from them when you asked.

Take your problem to Jesus. He knows what to do.

I do not curse people. Not even those who hate me, or those who wrong me. I obey the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus not to hate and not to curse.

You, too, can be successful if you do what others did to become successful.

It could take a long time for you to rise to the top if you are poor and have nothing to start with. But surely you can get to the top one day if you persevere. You can become successful if you have faith, seek God’s wisdom, and invest wisely. And you must be prepared for a long and difficult journey. Because it is a hard and rough road that you will be traveling on.

Psych yourself up for challenges that you will meet on your journey to wealth or success. It will prepare you to face the challenges before you meet them.

And don’t be like Cain who was angry with his brother Abel when God rejected his offering. If you do well, you will reach success.

“The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.’” (Genesis 4:6-7; ESV)

God is telling us, by this passage in the Bible, as he told Cain, not to be angry when others are successful, and we are not. God wants us to do what is right, so that we, too, will be accepted or be successful.

Success is hard to reach, and good things are hard to get, especially if you are not financially endowed.

People who are controlled by anger become angry when they don’t get what they want. They vent their anger against everybody. Yet they will not do what they are expected to do to get what they want. Cain would not do what was right, yet he wanted God to accept his gift.

Our actions decide what we get. We reap what we sow. If we sow maize seeds, we shall harvest maize. We do not reap tomatoes by sowing contrary seeds. We must sow tomato seeds to reap tomatoes.

God told Cain his sacrifice was rejected because he did not follow the rules. The passage does not say that Cain provided rotten crops as some people claim. Cain took the best of his crops to offer the sacrifice to God. One does not offer rotten crops to the person one seeks favor from. His brother, Abel, on the other hand, presented animal sacrifice.

Both would present the best to please God. Cain did not present the right offering, that was why God rejected his offering. Abel, on the other hand, presented the right sacrifice and so God accepted Abel’s offering. Therefore, God told Cain who presented the wrong sacrifice, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.”

The rules must be followed for God to hear and answer our prayers. What Cain had to do was to obey the rules.

Before the comprehensive ritual sacrifice system was introduced years later, the only sacrifice we noticed in the Garden of Eden was animal sacrifice. God took away the fig leaves that Adam and Eve had used to cover themselves and replaced them with animal skins.

That meant animals died for their skins to be used to cover Adam and Eve. Now God would see the animals, instead of Adam and Eve as they were covered by the skins of the animals. It would, therefore, be right to intimate that animal sacrifice preceded all forms of sacrifices. It is also noteworthy that the animals died so their skins could be used to cover Adam and Eve. And the death of the animals was the means of atonement so that Adam and Eve would not die immediately. Their lives were substituted with the lives of the animals that die. Their deaths were postponed into the future when they would eventually die.

So, we can understand how animal sacrifice became the standard for atonement until the death of Jesus replaced that.

Therefore, when Abel used some of the first lambs as a sacrifice to God, he was performing atonement for himself. As God had done for his father and mother when God used animals to make atonement for Adam and Eve. And in that, Abel was honoring God.

God had not yet instituted sacrifices that included crops. The only sacrifice they might have known or had an idea of was animal sacrifice as the atonement. The Bible does not say if Adam and Eve continued with the atonement. But we come across the atonement and the reason for the atonement in Leviticus chapters 9 and 16 and in other books of the Old Testament. When God delivered the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage God told them, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you;” He also asked them to keep the Passover as an annual memorial (Exodus 12).

So, where did Cain learn of any other kind of sacrifice? Other sacrifices were introduced later by God’s direction.

God answers our prayers because we obey him. God multiplies and increases our wealth for us as we trust, and obey him by keeping his commandments.

“And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.”  (1 John 3:22; ESV)

Jesus said,

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7; ESV)

We receive from God what we ask because we keep his commandments. Not only because we have faith. Unbelief and sin prevent God from working miracles in our lives.

If we have faith in God, do what is right, plan well, and work assiduously God will also multiply our efforts and gains into millions of dollars, pounds, or cedis.

Age is not the problem. Abraham was 75 years old when God called him (Genesis 12:4). Moreover, before God called Abraham, his wife, Sarah, was a barren woman, (Genesis 11:29-30). With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Luke 18:27).

Twenty-five years later, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90, God visited Sarah and she had Isaac. When Abraham was 99 years old, God appeared to him and renewed the promise and covenant he had with Abraham, (Genesis 17). God told Abraham that he would give him and Sarah a son (Isaac). Abraham was stunned and asked, “How can I, 100 years old, have a son by Sarah who is 90 years old?” (Genesis 17:15-17). In Genesis 18, God renewed the promise. Sarah at 90 years old, and Abraham at 100 were both given a son (Genesis 18:14; Genesis 21:1-7).

Moses lived forty years in Midian with his wife and father-in-law, Jethro (also known as Reuel). He took care of the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro. Though Jethro was a priest, he was not the priest of Yahweh, the God Abraham worshipped. Moses was 80 years old when God appeared to him and asked him to go back to Egypt and deliver the Children of Israel from bondage (Exodus 3 and 4).

Therefore, age is not your problem. Furthermore, whether you have money or not should not be a problem. What you have is what God is going to use to multiply wealth for you. God told Moses to stretch the rod in his hand (Exodus 14:16-30) for God was going to use the rod in Moses’ hand to part the sea for Moses and the Children of Israel.

God makes the impossible to be possible. What you have is what God is going to use in prospering you. (Jeremiah 32:27; Exodus 14:16-30)

Joseph was a prisoner when God caused him to be taken out of prison and promoted to second-in-command to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt.

God is the one who multiplies your talent into millions. That is, if you believe in God and put your faith into action and if God’s Spirit indwells you.

Faith in action makes things happen. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26; KJ2000)

God’s Spirit actuates and actualizes your vision when you put your faith into action.

Many people think they must have a lot of money to make wealth. But with God by you, you can rise to the top of the mountain even if you are not as strong as others. And no matter how poor you are.

Start with that one talent or unit you presently have, that you consider as too little or inadequate. God who makes possible what is impossible will multiply it for you to become wealthy. (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

You need faith (belief), perseverance, determination, tenacity, and passion for what you want to achieve. God will use these to actuate your vision and actualize it.

A man traveling gave money to his servants and asked them to occupy until the time he would return.

On his return, the first came and said, “Lord, you gave me five talents. I have made five more, and now I have ten.”

The master told him, “Well done, good servant. Because you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Come and share your master’s joy.”

The second came, saying, “Lord, you gave me two, and I have earned two more. And now I have four.” His master congratulated him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Come and share your master’s joy.”

The third who received one talent came and said, “Lord, I knew you. You are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not spread. I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the earth. Here is the one talent that you gave me.”

His lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not spread. You ought, therefore, to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received my own with interest. Take the talent from him, and give it unto him who has ten talents. And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:14-30)

The man who had only one talent regarded it as insignificant. Remember that each, according to his ability, would double what he had. One added five to his five talents, and the second person added two to his two talents. Based on his ability the one who received one could also have doubled his, adding one to the one talent he had.

He was not expected to add five or more than he could. Just as the others did, he, too, could double the one talent, or one pound, or cedi that he had, by adding one. His master would do the rest by adding more – making him ruler of many things and sharing his joy with him. Those are the added blessings God gives as he multiplies the one talent you invest.

Let us do a simple calculation and see how faith, perseverance, determination, tenacity, and passion can help us to multiply one cedi, one pound, or dollar and make wealth out of the little we have.

As stated earlier, one must not necessarily have a large sum of money to become rich. You can start with the little that you have and build it up.

I didn’t have money when I had a vision of becoming successful. I used my hand to make money to pay for my secondary school education. I planted vegetables, burnt charcoal, dug trenches, and did different menial jobs to earn money. Because I did menial jobs, and the pay was small, it took me many years to get my secondary school education and eventually my tertiary education. And now I have my doctoral degree.

Faith, perseverance, determination, tenacity, and passion to succeed kept me striving. Some of my friends gave up when the going became tougher, and the hill became steeper for climbing.

Sometimes, I wanted to give up. But when I considered my position in life, the life I was living, and the pain of poverty, I decided to continue.

I did not have capital, so I had to work hard to make the money. While some people used short periods to get what they wanted, it took me a long time to make the money I needed.

It would take the one who had one talent, or one pound longer than those who had five or more. But tenacity will take him or her through the challenges. Just as perseverance and hard work on the part of the one who had two talents increased his wealth into four, so also perseverance and hard work will increase your one talent into two.

Without capital to start with, the journey to prosperity is long. In most instances, very long. That scares many people. And so many people stay poor.

You can multiply one talent into millions. Starting with 1+1 we get 2; 2×2=4; 4×2=8; 8×2=16; 16×2=32; 32×2=64; 64×2=128; 128×2=256; 256×2=512; 512×2=1024; 1024×2=2048; 2048×2=4,096; 4,096×2=8,192; 8192×2=16,384; 16,384×2 = 32,768; 32,768×2=65,536; 65,536×2=131,072.

By the seventeenth period, you would have a total of 131,072.

I was able to build my training facility thirty (30) years after I conceived the vision (because of peculiar circumstances). That was 360 months. More than 17 periods. If we assume a period to be two months, then that would take 180 periods to cover 30 years.

However, you may not take 30 years to reach your goal or success. If we assume that two months may represent a period, then we will have 34 months to cover the 17 periods. Two months short of three years. If we assume a period to be three months, then we have 51 months, making it 4 years and three (3) months to reach 131,072.

It took me 30 years to do what I had planned because of some strange reasons. It could have taken me less. So, 4 years and three (3) months should not be too much for you. However, to make up for decreasing returns and other shortfalls we give ourselves five (5) years for the entire project.

Starting from the bottom without a dime and working with your hands to make 131,072 in five years should not be too burdensome. If you consider that it could be more. Remember it took me thirty (30) years from the time I conceived the vision to when the center was built.

If you invest 131,072 properly, and work hard, in about another five years, you could become a successful entrepreneur. So, in all, it could take you a total of ten (10) years to be an entrepreneur with that one talent.

Making money is not easy. Besides, only a few people may understand your vision or sympathize with you. Therefore, depending entirely on gifts is not easy and not the quickest way to be successful. That’s why many people are still poor. They are waiting to receive large donations before they start building their businesses.

It took Moses 40 years, Abraham 25 years, and Joseph 13 years. It will not be the same for everyone. But those who believe and put their hands to the plow shall surely harvest.

When Paul converted, he did not have it easy in the first stages of his ministry. He took three years to carefully study the scriptures and comparing to be sure. When he came to Jerusalem, things didn’t work out as he expected.

The disciples helped him to sneak away and escape from the Jews who wanted to kill him. He went to his hometown, Tarsus. Fourteen years later there was an awakening in Antioch. Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to Antioch.

While in Antioch, Barnabas remembered Paul, who was then known as Saul. He went to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch and they stayed there a whole year teaching the new disciples, (Acts 11:19-26).

It took Paul 3+14 or 15 years, adding the one year in Antioch, (about 14-18 years) after Jesus called him to rise to the top in his ministry.

You, too, are destined to be successful. But you must be patient even when others don’t notice you, or if people don’t think you can be what you think you are destined to be.

Don’t lose hope. Believe in God. Climb the ladder to get to the top and secure your success.

You can multiply that one talent into millions.

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Conquering without being violent is also The Peacemaker Platform.

We discuss peacemaking, conflict resolution, principles of prosperity, and principles of spirituality.

Our motivator is Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace.

Our beliefs and actions define our destiny

Our beliefs and actions define our destinies. We are constantly defining our destinies through our beliefs and actions. God created us with the potential to succeed. But we derail our destinies or alter them by our beliefs and actions.

Focus on the goal ahead of you, even when the journey becomes rougher and tougher. If you veer off to the left or the right, you will miss the mark. The goalpost will still be there. If you do not reach the goalpost it is not because the goalpost has shifted. It is because you have taken your sight off the goalpost. To reach the goalpost you must return to the path that leads to the post. Your action defines the outcome.

You can achieve whatever vision you have if you stay focused and do not allow distractions to veer you off the path. You may encounter challenges as you pursue your vision, but you must not give up. What you do eventually determines your future. Your actions determine what you get and how you succeed in life.

You may put your vision of what you want to be on the back burner if challenges make it difficult for you to continue. You are not abandoning it when you put your vision on the back burner. You can bring it forward and put it on the front burner at the appropriate time. I do that when I am faced with challenges that make it too complicated for me to proceed as I would. I do not abandon any vision I believe in. I always know that someday I will execute it, and make it happen. It may be on the back burner for the time being, and at the right time, when it is conducive, I bring it onto the front burner.

I am the one who defines or determines my destiny. Not people. I follow the course that God planned for me. And with God helping me I can make my vision happen. Though it delays because of challenges it will eventually happen.

If God gives you a vision, he will make the provision for it at the right time. You may not know the time, but God will surely make it come to fruition.

You are the one defining your destiny. You are the one making it happen. Not people. If you cannot believe in yourself and in the vision that God gave you, you may follow everybody’s suggestion and finally fail. So, you see, you are the one defining your destiny.

No matter how you feel about hurt or an offense, violence or vandalism are not the right methods to employ in registering your displeasure.

Whatever we do will come back to us, either positively or negatively. If what we do is positive, then the payback will be positive. If it is negative the payback will be negative. So, we are the ones defining how we will be in the future. We are the ones also determining the future of our communities. We are the ones determining how rich or poor our communities will be.

In areas that are prone to conflict and vandalism, the repercussions are negative. People fear to relocate or to accept transfers to conflict areas.

When people vent their spleen by resorting to vandalizing properties, they are expressing their rights in the wrong manner. In their angry reactions, they vandalize businesses and properties. Their actions send wrong or negative signals to the world that their communities and environments are not friendly.

There is no true peace and tranquility in areas that are prone to conflict. People live mostly in fear, and one does not know what may happen to one at any moment.

And so, by our attitudes, we define how our communities will progress or retrogress. If violence is associated with a community, businesspeople will dread investing in that community. No businessperson will be confident about investing in a community that does not guarantee the protection of investments.

People who indulge in such wild and unreasonable behaviors tend to be adamant and reject the advice of well-meaning people who advocate peaceful co-existence. They reject peaceful ways of resolving disagreements. They are controlled by their emotions and prefer violent ways of expressing themselves.

But as we observe communities that are prone to violence, we notice the destructions that are perpetuated. We notice how people are killed or injured, and how commercial activities decline in such communities. We notice retrogression in economies because of the stagnation of economic activities. Basic and critical services, including health, education, farming, etc., are affected.

Violent people use violence to settle scores, even when it is obvious that violence is a bane of economic activities. He who is slow to wrath has great understanding (Proverbs 14:29a).

By our attitudes, we are defining the future state of our communities. The violence and destruction we unleash on each other determine how others regard us. And we are constantly nurturing poverty in our communities as new businesses are not established. Existing ones are relocated to other communities that are peaceful because ours no longer provides a conducive atmosphere for business activities.

Destruction of properties and businesses retard economic progress. And so, by our violent and destructive actions, we are defining the state of welfare and economic health of our communities. The violence and vandalism that we unleash are destroying the well-being, happiness, and prosperity of our communities. Yet ego will not let us do what is right by eschewing violence.

As we go on rampage and destroy properties, we are defining the future for our communities. The children are the ones who will suffer when they take over the reins of affairs. If parents destroy the facilities and economic structures of the communities what then will be left for the children to use when they take control of the affairs of the communities?

If parents are unable to give their children the required financial support because they lack the means or the ability, should they not leave enabling environments so the children can manage their economic situations when they take over from their parents?

Sometimes, the vandalism extends to infrastructures in the community. If parents leave the infrastructures as they are, even if they are not able to enhance them, the children can at least have something to depend on in the future to use for production and the advancement of their economies.

Curfews may be imposed in communities because of the recurrence of violence and murders. In Ghana, the use of motorcycles was restricted in Bawku, in addition to the curfew imposed. It made life, which was already harsh for the people, more restricted and harsher. Law-abiding citizens who did not indulge in the negative behaviors were unfortunately also affected by the ban, making their already difficult situation more difficult.

Yet, despite these restrictions and the presence of security personnel, people who indulge in conflicts, violence, and vandalism continue to perpetuate them. Ironically, most of them live in poverty. And one would think that they would rather be thinking of upgrading their economies rather than destroying them by their negative acts. Most of them are not also able to provide tertiary education for their children. Therefore, many children in those communities will not have strong foundations to stand on and propel themselves up economically in the future. And poverty will persist in that area for as long as they do not stop their negative behaviors.

Let us stop vandalizing infrastructures in our communities, so our children will have some stepping stones to stand on and propel themselves in their economic ventures. However small these may be the children can use them as stepping stones to climb on and build their future.

My father could not send me to the senior high (which was known then as secondary school). However, he laid the foundation for me by making sure I completed the elementary school, which was known as the Middle School. The little education I had enabled me to gain employment, though menial in some instances. I was able to earn money, which I saved to further my education.

People who know me might think that my father provided my secondary and tertiary education. It is the little that he provided (the elementary school education) that served as my foundation. I used that to work and secure the means to climb the educational ladder. Now I have a doctoral degree.

I am grateful to my father for building the foundation on which I could stand to work and make progress in furthering my education.

Violence and vandalism are destructive. They do not create but pull down what exists. They retard progress.

We can always resolve misunderstandings through dialogue. Some people think dialogue is a slow method of resolving disputes. Though dialogue may be slow, it is the right method. No matter how slow it is, dialogue eventually provides resolution.

Conflict may be a quick way to end misunderstanding, but it destroys economies. Conflicts may also result in the deaths of loved ones and injuries.

Sometimes, members of political parties fight and injure each other during elections. This is senseless. Why should members of the same political party fight, and some die, in an exercise that seeks to elect a representative for their party? Are there ulterior motives (or gains) they are fighting for that we do not know?

Violence brings pain and loss, or deaths, in its aftermath. But when emotions rise perpetrators of violence do not consider that.

People clash with the Police when they know that the Police will eventually subdue them. Yet their emotions do not let them think properly.

In the Eastern Region of Ghana, the youth clashed with the Police about the youth’s intention to lynch a suspect. They caught a man they claimed killed a woman. They took the suspect to the Chief’s Palace. The Chief informed the Police to come and take the suspect to the Police Station. When the Police were taking the suspect to the station, the youth confronted the Police and demanded the suspect be handed over to them so they could lynch him.

Of course, the Police would not allow that. The youth then decided to take the law into their own hands. They started vandalizing properties.

The Police responded by firing warning shots. Some people were injured in the melee and one person who was taken to the hospital for treatment died. The Police arrested about 71 suspects but later processed 37 for court.

So, what did the youth achieve through their violence? If they had allowed the law to take its course, nobody would have died, no one would have been injured and no one would have been arrested. The actions of the youth determined the outcome.

God does not compel us to change our behaviors that are not good. He does not compel us to do what he wants us to do, although he wants us to do what is right. Why then do some people want to force fellow humans to do what they want?

We disagree with others, and we insist it is our right. Yet some can’t countenance others disagreeing with them even when they are also disagreeing with those people.

When we accuse others and indicate that we would take measures or actions against them we don’t regard that as a threat to them. But when they also indicate their intentions to act against us, we cry loudly that they threaten us.

It is a paradox that people who do not show mercy usually are quick to beg for mercy and expect to be granted mercy. Yet they refuse to listen to the pleas or cries of people who ask for forgiveness from them. But when they are at the mercy of the people they mistreated, they are quick to turn around and beg forgiveness from them. They ask for justice to be tempered with mercy.

In Ghana, a military officer was brutally beaten to death in Denkyira-Obuasi, in the Central Region. As his attackers beat him, the man pleaded with them to stop. He told them he was a military officer.

They could have taken him to the Police Station, or to the military camp, to verify. But they didn’t. They beat him until he died.

In court, the culprits were found guilty, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Their relatives were on television begging for mitigation. They asked the government to temper justice with mercy. The culprits who attacked and killed the military officer did not temper justice with mercy when he begged them to spare his life. If they had tempered justice with mercy, he would not have been beaten to death. If they had tempered justice with mercy, they would have taken him to the Police Station and handed him over for the law to take its course.

Their relatives were on television lamenting that sentencing them to life imprisonment meant they would not see their loved ones again. But in saying that, they did not consider the relatives of the military officer who was killed. They, too, would not see their loved one again, as he is dead, killed by the culprits.

So, you see, our actions define our destinies. We define our future by our actions. God wants us to be successful in life, and to live in harmony with each other. But we are altering God’s intended plan for our lives, and disrupting the peaceful co-existence that God intended for us.

And by such actions, we are redefining the destinies that God prefers for us.

We reap what we sow. God prefers we sow good seeds so that we can reap good rewards. However, God will not compel us to sow the seeds. He will not take the free will he gave us. We sow our seeds and define our destinies as against the destinies God preferred for us.

God allows us our free will and how we choose to use that. Though he wishes that all will live well and be saved, (1 Timothy 2:3-4) he does not compel us. We change the plans that God has for us by our wrong actions. And so, by our actions, we define our destinies and deviate from the plan that God wishes for us.

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Lies and the Impact of Lying

Falsehood is dishonesty. Falsehood is untruth, even if the person saying it may think he or she is saying the truth.

Some people lie intentionally. They lie deliberately to mislead.

Though falsehood is untruth, not all falsehoods are intentional. A person may be telling a lie and may not know he or she is lying.  However, that does not make such falsehoods true.

Lies have become normal for many people. Because of that sometimes it is not easy to identify the truths in our daily interactions with people.

Some people lie to boost their egos, and some lie just for plain fun. Some, too, are habitual liars. They lie to feel good.

Some people delight in tarnishing people’s reputations by lying against them.

It is painful when a spouse deliberately lies to outdo a partner. Some spouses lie deliberately to appear as victims when they are, in fact, culprits.

If you notice that your partner regards the relationship as a competition, then it is time to reevaluate your marriage and the relationship. Why does he or she want to outdo you? What is it that drives your spouse to want to win against you? Why would he or she regard your relationship in the marriage as a competition?

Usually, the wrong person is the unsavory one. They have unhealthy pertinacity to insulting behaviors and comments towards their partners. They will only yield if they win or are allowed to do what they have determined.

Unhealthy pertinacity ruins marriages or relationships. Yet obstinate persons do not listen to advice, not even from their relatives, mothers, siblings, uncles, friends, or pastors.

Most of them know that they are wrong, but their ego will not let them admit that they are wrong. They are jaunty in all their demeanors. They display self-confidence in their egocentric strides and exude malicious superiority feelings towards their spouses, or any other persons.

Lying has become a normal behavior for many people. Some people feel good when they tell a lie.

But some people may not know that they are lying even when it is obvious that what they are saying is a lie.

Lying is so common and regular that parents will brazenly tell their children that they are going to the next house, or somewhere not far away when they are going elsewhere. Most women in Ghana say that to their children when they don’t want their children to follow them to where they are going. They think such deceptions are not lying. But that is falsehood. And every falsehood is a lie. Every lie is untruth.

Why can’t they teach their children that ‘yes’ is ‘yes’ and ‘no’ is ‘no’? If you deceive anyone, no matter how small a lie you think it is, God sees it as a lie.

The use of mobile phones is also making people lie. John was driving and talking to Mark on the phone. John wanted to know if Mark had delivered a parcel he had asked Mark to deliver. Mark answered that he was at that moment near the house where he was to deliver the parcel, so John should not worry.

As soon as they ended their conversation, John noticed Mark driving ahead of him. John then wondered why Mark told him he was already near the delivery point. Mark lied when he told John that he was around the delivery point.

Some people make lying a pastime. They lie for enjoyment. They lie to amuse themselves.

Some also lie to hurt people. They feel good when they hurt people with their lies.

Pathological liars constantly lie to make themselves appear important. Some lie to hurt people or amuse themselves. They are uncomfortable when they miss telling a lie. To them, it is more convenient to lie than to tell the truth.

People who want to impress others may lie to lift their egos and raise their self-esteem. They are constantly trying to impress people and lift high their low self-esteem.

Narcissists lie to convince people or win people’s sympathies. They lie to manipulate people. They blame other people for their faults. They make it seem they are not being treated fairly by others when they are the ones who are not being fair to people.

Egoists are arrogantly conceited. They boast and deliberately lie to lift their egos.

When liars are exposed, instead of being sorry, they may become angry. The embarrassment makes them angry.

Lies damage our reputations. Nobody can trust you if you are a known liar. Even when you tell the truth, people don’t believe you. People think you are lying because you are known to be a pathological liar.

Chronic liars have the impulsive urge to lie even about small or insignificant matters. They have compulsive lying habits. They are uneasy when they do not lie. Therefore, they lie even about insignificant matters; whether big or small. They have become prolific liars and lie so frequently that lying has become their normal characteristic. And so, people cannot tell when they are telling the truth.

Pathological liars do not have a healthy relationship. Their behaviors disturb peace in their marriages.

Compulsive liars manipulate people’s feelings. They use lies as manipulative tools to control their partners. Their behaviors cause conflicts in their marriage relationships. Yet they blame their partners for the conflicts that their negative behaviors cause. They don’t admit their faults.

They talk about only one side of the coin – the side that puts them in a good or favorable light. They do not talk about the other side of the marriage coin. They know they will be exposed if they talk about the other side of their marriage coin. Proverbs 18:17 tells us,

“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (ESV).

The first to plead his or her case appears right until the other person speaks and cross-examines him or her. The cross-examination reveals the other side of the matter.

Bad people lie and quarrel when people do not accept their lies.

Some spouses have destroyed their marriages with lies. Some spouses take advantage of the tolerance of their partners and systematically destroy their marriages with their lies.

I know a man who tolerated his wife for more than forty (40) years. The woman lied against her husband and accused him falsely. The husband tolerated his wife for more than forty (40) years, trying to make his wife understand that in marriage it takes two to make it work. The husband tried to make his wife understand that in marriage, it is ‘give and take’ that creates peace.

But the woman is the dominating type. She is the one who must be obeyed.

Their adult children know that their mother is the cause of the problem between their father and the mother. And they know that their mother has been lying against their father.

The woman’s relatives, her mother, aunts, uncles, and her friends, etc., know how wrongly she treats her husband. All who know the couple even wonder how the man can continue tolerating his wife when she hurls invectives at him.

She abandons her marital home and goes to the big city. Sometimes she is away for a year, two and a half years, six months, three years, etc.

Not all men can be as tolerant as that woman’s husband.

The man is now considering a divorce. In their old age, now that they should be together and comfort each other, his wife continues to indulge in her lies and unfriendly behaviors.

After tolerating her for more than forty (40) years, the husband now says, “Enough is enough.” His wife’s toxic behaviors, including insults, lies, etc., are now driving the husband to seek a divorce so he can live his remaining life in tranquility.

The woman thinks she must be obeyed at all times. She believes that she must always be in charge. She believes that she, not the man, must be in control of all matters. She has no patience for differing opinions from her husband, or anyone else. She regards differing opinions or suggestions from her husband as offensive. And she shouts back at her husband when he offers opinions. She refuses to let him speak and offer suggestions.

Her behavior angers their adult children. They tell her not to speak that way to her husband, their father because their father does not disrespect her.

Though she claims to be a Christian, she ignores the fact that the husband is the head of the wife and that she owes her husband respect (Ephesians 5:22-23). The Bible says the husband is the head of the wife and the wife must submit to the husband as the church submits to Jesus Christ.  While wives are to submit to their husbands, their husbands also are admonished to love and care for their wives as Christ loved and died for the Church. (Ephesians 5:24-25)

Since they became husband and wife, the husband has never maltreated his wife. It is rather the wife who reneged on the agreement they had before they married. But though the wife has mistreated her husband, called him names, and been unfair to him many times, the man has remained faithful as the Bible admonishes husbands to be to their wives.

The wife treats her husband like she is a despotic ruler. She believes her ethnicity (or tribe) is superior to that of her husband. And she has severally intimated that to her husband.

Their children have become more uncomfortable with their mother’s behavior toward their father. And they have clearly stated that to her.

She takes her husband’s tolerance to be weakness and a sign that she can continue treating him like scum.

She lies outrageously to make her husband appear a villain. However, everyone who knows them knows the truth.

It is unfortunate when good people are taken advantage of by mean and unscrupulous people.

It is a truism that some husbands, too, can be obnoxious. So, it is not only women who are obnoxious.

For more than forty (40) years, the woman has been wandering in the wilderness, and despite all the efforts she has made, and the help her husband gave her, she has yet to make progress. The money that she said she was leaving her husband in search of has eluded her.

Lies interfere with divine actions. Lies and negative behaviors interfere with the work of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:15-17,

“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.” (ESV)

The Divine Spirit is Holy and works in environments that are clear of deception and lies.

When Abraham lied, God exposed him. When David committed adultery and later murder, God exposed him and even punished him.

God rejected Cain’s offering because Cain did not do what was right. God told Cain, “If you do well, (if you do what is right), you shall be accepted. And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7)

Perhaps God is telling the woman, as he told Cain, “If you do well ( if you do what is right) you shall be accepted, and progress shall be yours.”

Doing right or being true enables the Holy Spirit to actualize God’s presence and power in us.

Jesus said we must worship God in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)

Christians must stand firm in the truth, live righteous lives, and be firm-footed in the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:14).

God does not hear sinners (John 9:31). The prayer of the person who turns away from God’s law is an abomination to God (Proverbs 28:9).

Our iniquities are the barriers between us and God. Our sins and lies conceal God’s face and make it difficult for God to listen to us when we pray to him. (Isaiah 59:1-3)

Lies are among the sins listed as preventing us from entering heaven (Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22;14-15.

God hates lying tongues. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

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The Paradox of Truth: Difficult To Say And Difficult To Believe

It is a paradox that truth can be difficult to say and difficult to believe. The more truthful you are the less impressed people may become. The more you try to be truthful the more people disbelieve you.

Despite being honest and trying hard to maintain an honest stance, circumstances can ruffle the wind of life and disturb the environment. No matter your effort to be truthful you will find yourself wading through circumstances that make you helpless to the point of losing hope and wanting to succumb.

Circumstances can test your integrity, putting your integrity into question despite you being truthful. Your resolve will be tested to the point of almost succumbing to pressures. You will hear negative voices suggesting to you to bend the truth a little and do what others do in similar circumstances. But you will also hear the still voice of God encouraging you to press on, to continue to have faith in God, and not yield to the pressures of the negative voices. Your resolve will keep you on the path of righteousness.

Integrity insists that you speak the truth always even when situations urge you to do otherwise.

Then the paradox hits you as the people you want to impress become cynical. The more you try to be truthful, the less impressed they are.

Truth can be hard to speak sometimes, or most at times. But integrity still demands you tell the truth always. While negative voices insist that you succumb to lies, you will hear the still voice of God (or your conscience) stressing that you remain truthful). Negative voices will be stressing that you succumb and tell a lie to please hearers. But you must not yield to the pressures to lie. You must remain truthful.

It is a paradox that people doubt you when you are speaking the truth.

Negative voices will suggest that you say what people want to hear. The pressures of the negative voices will be dousing your faith to make you waver so that you won’t be able to hold on to integrity. But despite the pressures of the negative voices, you must remain defiant and be truthful.

The paradox will hit you harder as the people that you are trying to impress with your truth become more cynical. And you see yourself betwixt telling the truth and telling a lie. Many people, sadly, will tell what they claim is ‘a small or soft lie’ to please the people.

However, there is no small or soft lie and there is no big or hard lie. A lie is a lie. God abhors all lies. The Bible states categorically that liars shall not inherit God’s Kingdom, (Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15).

Every lie robs part of our integrity and bruises our souls before God. Every lie taints us before God and makes us lose part of our true selves.

The Christian Church does not experience many miracles presently because of contamination. Untruths have contaminated many Christians. Otherwise, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus is still performing signs and wonders. But sins, lies, have contaminated truth and holiness in the Church. Therefore, the Holy Spirit does not function freely as He should. The Christian environment is flooded with untruths. These interfere with the free flow of the Holy Spirit among Christians

God’s Spirit operates freely when the atmosphere is not contaminated with lies, and when people live holy or righteous lives. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:15-16,“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy,’” (ESV).

Hebrews 10:36 tells us that we need endurance, so that when we have done the will of God we may receive what is promised, (ESV)

It is always right to tell the truth even when people think you are lying. It is always right to tell the truth even at the expense of people calling you a fool.

Sometimes, you know that the truth you are telling is hard for people to believe. Yet you must maintain your integrity. You may even have to sacrifice to do that.

You may be doing your best and helping people with all your heart, mind, and soul. But the same people that you are sacrificing your time and life helping can impugn your integrity.

Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. They were in bondage and cried for a deliverer. God sent Moses to help them out. They were glad when Moses come to deliver them. They saw Moses as a hero.

No one compelled them to follow Moses out. They wanted to go out of bondage. And they jubilated as they went out with Moses.

While everything was okay, Moses was the hero. Everyone loved and praised Moses. He was the greatest and most honest leader.

But as soon as they smelt trouble, they quickly turned against Moses. They accused Moses of being the reason for their plight. They said, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt, so you have brought us here to die in the wilderness?”

Moses who was the hero some days earlier had now become a villain, a scoundrel, an evil person. He was now the person to blame for their misfortune. Moses was no longer seen as the truthful person leading them out from bondage into freedom.

They said to Moses, “Is it not what we told you in Egypt, saying ‘let us alone so that we may be slaves to the Egyptians?’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians as slaves than for us to die in the wilderness.”

It pains when people disbelieve you or blame you for what you have not done. It pains to be regarded as a liar when you are telling the truth.

In a situation like that, you might want to try and convince them to believe what you are saying. But the more you try to explain, the more they are convinced that you are lying.

You find yourself in the middle of brutal circumstances and your integrity is at stake.

Remain calm despite the unfair criticism they hurl at you. Try not to be emotional. It will not be easy. But with prayer and faith in God, you can do it.

Most people are full of emotion, bristling with prejudices, and motivated by pride and vanity. No matter how sincere you are, you will find some people who will see you in bad light.

Moses had a genuine intention, but the people were not seeing that.

Using logic and facts to argue with people who are controlled by their emotions will be futile. Angry and suspicious people don’t want logic. So, Moses did not waste his time arguing and trying to convince them to believe him. The emotional person is not in the mood to listen. He or she only wants to share his or her feelings.

When people accuse you, turn to God, and pray for courage and wisdom. God will give you wisdom.

Moses turned to God and God told him to stretch the rod he was holding over the Red Sea. He obeyed and God made the winds to part the sea in two. God will always provide the miracle you need. Trust God and remain truthful always.

God will always provide the solution to your difficult problems. And will also prove your integrity.

The law of life is also the law of belief. We demonstrate what we believe. People who look at circumstances and believe they are helpless will remain at a standstill in life. What we sow in our hearts will be what we reap. If you sow thoughts of fear, sickness, enmity, and hate, you shall reap the same in abundance. The law of harvesting gives more of what we sow. Therefore, those who sow thoughts of greatness, prosperity, and health reap the same abundantly.

Maintain the vision of what you want to be. Stop whining. Maintain your integrity, no matter what situation you find yourself in.

Be truthful to yourself and God. Let your integrity be transparent even when people doubt you. If you remain true to God, He will make your integrity shine for the doubters to see.

Remember that each of us will give an account of himself or herself to God (Romans 14:12). Do what is right always and leave the rest to God.

There will be times when you would feel that the load is too heavy to bear. Even then, it would be right not to give up. Be truthful always.

You might be blamed for situations that you have no control over. When things are good, and everyone is happy, people will call you an angel. But when there is a problem, people blame you for what is even their fault.

If the Spirit of God indwells you, He will produce compassion and forgiveness in you despite the ingratitude people hurl at you.

The paradox of truth is that the more you try to be truthful, the less impressed people are. The more truthful you are the more people may disbelieve you.

Truth can be difficult to say and also difficult to believe. But you must remain faithful to God and truthful in all that you do.

“If we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13; ESV).

Have a good conscience, even when people speak negatively of you.

“For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:17; ESV)

Maintain an honest conduct always, that whereas people speak negatively against you, they may, by your good works, which they behold, glorify God, (1 Peter 2:12).

Be morally right in everything you do or say even when dishonesty appears enticing.

Many people believe lies easily. And you may be lured to play along and lie to please them. But remember that God, the Almighty Judge, is aware of what you do or say, and He records everything.

It is difficult to predict life. Anything can happen. And when the unexpected happens, some people may want to lie as the easy route out.

But even when the truth hurts, and nobody seems to believe you, God still expects you to be truthful. So, be honest and trust God to take care of the consequences.

In 1 Peter 5:7, we are advised to cast all our cares upon God, for He cares for us.

Be assured that when the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit, (Psalms 34:17-18; ESV).

Walter Darby Bannard intimated that “The problem with truth is that it is hard to believe. It is even harder to get other people to believe.”

And Os Guinness said, “Truth is true even if nobody believes it and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it.”

People may not believe you because they base their acceptance of truth on their personal opinions and feelings.

Proverbs 19:1 tells us, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool,” (ESV).

Philippians 4:8 advises us, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things,” (ESV).

Lies will shield you temporarily. You may hide in the dark, doing negative things and lying, but one day, there will be an exposure. The exposure can be devastating. The exposure will remove the mask covering your true nature and erase all the false glories you were basking in. And your shame will be unbearable.

Jeff Olson said, “Time will be your friend or your enemy; it will promote you or expose you.”

Untruth will make you lose your relationship with God, the Almighty Creator and Judge. When you are unmasked, you will see that the lies that covered you were not worthy. Lies will make you a despicable person.

Telling the truth is not always easy. Therefore, many people do not speak the truth.

People may tell lies to make themselves appear important. They lie or wear masks to hide their true selves and appear to be what they are not.

People may lie when they want to win a debate or argument.

The Bible advises us to put away our former corrupt ways of life and be renewed in the spirit of our minds, (be made new in the attitude of our minds), put on the new person, or the new character of righteousness and true holiness, and stop lying to each other, (Ephesians 4:22-25).

People lie to please others even when they know that what they are saying is not true. Politicians are full of grandeur promises when they go to the electorate for votes. They say anything that will convince the electorate to vote for them.

After they win power, they come back to the electorate with excuses to explain why they can’t fulfill their campaign promises. They lament that the period of their mandate is too short and inadequate to allow them to achieve their monumental visions. That the period is too short for them to fulfill the fantastic and gigantic promises they made.

They were aware of those shortcomings when they were on the campaign trail, yet they made those grandeur promises.

Nikita Khrushchev was right when he said, “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers.”

Though lies can be enticing, learn to tell the truth always. Because that defines who you are.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”

Remember that the Almighty God, the Creator, and final Judge, abhors lying lips. “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” (Proverbs 12:22; ESV)

Some Christians exaggerate what God is doing in their lives. They compete with each other and tell all manner of exaggerated lies to project themselves highly. Such people succeed in deceiving people because, as Ralf Waldo Emerson said, “People only see what they are prepared to see.”

Francis Bacon also said, “Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true.”

Though people may prefer lies to truth, the child of God must remember that God hates lies. Moreover, since we shall all stand before the Great Judge on Judgment Day, to give an account of ourselves to God, (Romans 14:12), stay with the truth till you meet the Great Judge. God will render to every person according to his or her deeds, (Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Even when people disbelieve you, continue being truthful. And like Joseph was vindicated and promoted to a high position in Egypt, the day will come when God vindicates you and lifts you.

So, finally, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; KJV).

We have direct access to God and the Power of His Holy Spirit

We have direct access to God and the Power of His Holy Spirit. Other religions do not give individuals direct access to God. The Holy Spirit makes individuals too powerful, and they cannot be defeated.

The Bible tells us to acquaint ourselves with God and know who we are as God’s co-workers (Job 22:21; 1 Corinthians 3:9). Learn how to operate in the spirit and experience fruitfulness and power. Those who know God carry out great exploits, (Daniel 11:32).

Christians have direct access to God. The Christian does not need to pass through mediums or perform rituals as it is done in other religions. God’s Spirit indwelling the Christian enables miracles to happen as the Christian calls upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3).

Learn to actuate and actualize the Holy Spirit’s power and soar high above everything. Become the master of your circumstances.

A deeper study of the Bible explains how we get direct access to God and the Holy Spirit’s power, (Acts 1:8; Joel 2:28-29; John 14:23). God abides in us by His Spirit, (1 John 3:24). In Christianity we have direct access to God’s divine power by His indwelling presence.

In most religions, the individual does not have direct access to God. They pass through mediums or perform rituals

Many Christians, however, are not actualizing the spiritual power (the Dunamis) God has deposited in them. Therefore, only a few manifestations of miracles and power are experienced by Christians.

“Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday and today, (yea) and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8; ASV).

The power of the Holy Spirit has not diminished. He is still active and performing miracles. Unfortunately, few Christians are experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. Few get prayers answered. And what is more, many receive answers only after intense travailing prayers. Yet God says He is near to all who call upon Him in truth. He hears the prayer of the righteous, (Psalm 145:18; Jeremiah 33:3; Proverbs 15:29).

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The Holy Spirit makes an individual too powerful and who cannot be defeated. But many are unaware of this divine invincibility of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Many are crippled with doubts and fears and so are not able to actualize the power (dunamis) of the Holy Spirit.

James encourages us to not only believe but to put our beliefs into action; to actuate what we believe and so actualize our faith. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead,” (James 2:26).

He is emphatic that faith, by itself, is dead if it does not have works accompanying it, (James 2:17). Prove your faith by actions. Because faith works together with action to actualize God’s words in our lives, (James 2:22).

The Christian is a dynamite against obstacles and opposing spirits. You shall decree what you want, and it shall be established for you, and light will brighten your ways, (Job 22:28; John 15:7). You become one spirit with God (1 Corinthians 6:17) if you join yourself to the Lord. And you shall make your prayers and he shall hear you, (Job 22:27).

God pours His spirit upon us (Joel 2:28-29) so that we can live in the spirit (Galatians 5:25). The words that come out of us are energized (or enabled) by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4) if we live in the spirit.

The individual hearing the word must first believe and be ready to receive. He or she must learn to open his or her spirit to receive God’s Spirit.

The preacher (or the presenter) must also believe in the impartation of the Holy Spirit’s power so he or she can confidently impart the knowledge to hearers.

Above all, the Holy Spirit should be allowed free entrance into the spirit of the receiver (the hearer).

God is Spirit. He took soil and formed the human being. Then He breathed His Spirit into the body He formed, and the created being became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). The human being, therefore, is spirit living in a body of flesh. Thus, when God pours His Spirit upon an individual, He pours His Spirit upon that individual’s spirit.

I use milk and water for my illustration. Both are liquids. But milk is whitish (and creamy). In this illustration, the liquids represent the Spirit of God and the spirits of human beings. Thus, the milk represents the Spirit of God and the water represents the human spirit.

If you pour the milk into the water, you notice the water changing color. The water does not change itself. It is the milk that transforms the water to be like the milk in color and taste. The more you pour the milk into the water, the more whitish or creamy the water becomes. Eventually, the water loses its color and taste and looks and tastes milky.

In the same manner, the Spirit of God transforms the human spirit. And just like the water becoming milky, so also as many as are led by the Spirit of God they become spiritual children of God. The Spirit of God indwelling us makes us children of God. The Spirit of God Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God (Romans 8:14-16). We are born again in the spirit and not in the flesh (John 3:5-6).

The human body is a temple for both the human spirit and God’s Spirit.

If the individual is not fully open to receiving the pouring of the Holy Spirit into his or her spirit, the Holy Spirit will not force Himself upon the life of the individual. God’s Spirit will have access to the human spirit and operate if the individual person’s spirit, by faith, receives the Spirit of God.

Belief (or faith) enables us to accept or receive the Holy Spirit into our spirits. Furthermore, accepting the Holy Spirit must be followed by the actuation of the Spirit in our lives.  The 120 disciples believed, accepted the Holy Spirit, and prepared themselves as they waited for the actuation of the Holy Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, actuated the Power of God in them, and gave them the enablement to speak in tongues (Acts 2:4). They first believed, and then prepared themselves for the actuation of the Holy Spirit.

Actuation is done by the Holy Spirit Himself. But the individual must prepare himself or herself to allow for the actuation. The miracles are manifestations of the Power of the Holy Spirit. If we believe, but do not allow for the actuation of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit remains inactive in our lives or spirits. We will still be God’s children, but weak and inactive.

By the spirit (your spirit and God’s Spirit working together – 1 Corinthians 6:17) all things are possible. God’s Spirit makes it possible.

Your spirit and God’s Spirit become one because you join yourself to God, (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is a hard saying, but delving deeper into the Bible enables us to understand the mystery.

When you pray, the Spirit of God synchronizes events with your declarations, or the words (Job 22:28), and causes realities to occur. Your desires become realities (Mark 11:24) because God’s Spirit turns them into realities (John 14:10).

The Christian’s direct access to God is made possible by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:18). And so, the Christian relates directly to the Creator, the Spirit of God. Thus, the Christian does not have to go through mediums and rituals like the pagans, and other religions do. God’s Spiritual Power indwells the Christian, and the Christian’s spirit becomes one spirit with God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). Just as we illustrated with the milk and the water.

Becoming one spirit with God

The Apostle Paul writes that when a Christian is joined to the Lord, he or she becomes one spirit with God.

“But the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”  (1 Corinthians 6:17; ISV)

The King James Version renders it, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”

As we delve deeper into the Bible with open mind, the Holy Spirit helps us with answers to critical questions like,

  • How does a person become one spirit with God?
  • How does God’s Spirit work in the human spirit?
  • Jesus, in John 10:34, quotes from Psalm 82:6, “You are god(s) (Elohim).” What did Jesus mean?
  • How do we actualize God’s power in our lives?
  • How does the Christian become spiritually invincible?
  • How does the human spirit overcome the powerful spiritual forces of darkness?
  • Job 22:28 says “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you.” How does that work in the life of the Christian?

In subsequent discussions, we will study how the Christian becomes spiritually invincible.

The Bible says,

  1. You will not lack because God is with you (Psalm 23).
  2. God’s Spirit in you makes you become God to other people (Exodus 7:1). El means mighty one. Elohim is the plural of El and means mighty ones. It is also an attribute of God or a reference to God the Creator. Christians are God’s spiritual children (John 1:12; Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6-7; 2 Peter 1:3-4; John 10:34; Psalm 82:6).
  3. God, by His divine power, makes us partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
  4. God gives you the power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
  5. God goes ahead of you, clearing obstacles and dangers, and enabling you to become victorious over your enemies (Deuteronomy 9:3).

Why are some Christians unable to actualize the power in their lives?

Jesus Christ said the Christian shall receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit indwells him or her.

“But you shall receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8; NKJV)

The Greek word used is ‘dunamis’. In Luke 10:19, when Jesus was with them, he gave them ‘exousia’. That is, permission, (or power of authority) to act.

But in Acts 1:8 He told them, “You shall receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Dunamis means power, inherent power, and power to perform miracles. Why did Jesus say power later in Acts 1:8?

Subsequent discussions will delve into how the individual, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, becomes an active and powerful witness of Jesus to the world. And how we are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Jesus said,

 17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  (Mark 16:17-18; NKJV)

The power is in the name of Jesus. And the Holy Spirit indwelling you actuates the power.

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we become empowered by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Christians should have tremendous power to be His witnesses.

A Christian in whom the Holy Spirit dwells should not be spiritually or physically weak. Because Jesus works miracles through us. Christians should be able to get healing from sicknesses and diseases.

The Apostle John assures Christians,

“You have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world,” (1 John 4:4).

He that is in you is God, the Spirit.

Jesus said in John 14:12-14,

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do.” (NKJV)

The name ‘Jesus’ carries dynamite. If the Holy Spirit indwells you, and you mention the name ‘Jesus’, the Holy Spirit activates the power to perform actions and miracles.

Why then are some Christians not able to achieve these promises in their lives?

In subsequent discussions, we will study how the Christian can allow the Holy Spirit to actuate the power of God and actualize the promises. We will study how God demonstrates His love, power, and signs through the Christian. We will study why many are not demonstrating this privilege that God has deposited in them.

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Climbing the ladder of success is faith in yourself and in your vision

Success happens to people who can continue believing and working to climb the steep mountain when rejection, loneliness, and failure are staring them in the face. Success is faith in yourself and in your vision.

“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure people,” (Proverbs 22:29; NKJV).

Achieving success is arduous and diligent work. It takes great effort to achieve success in life. It requires great physical effort, mental focus, diligence, and perseverance.

The journey to success is difficult, long, winding, tiring, and frustrating. Sometimes you feel like giving up because of uncertainties. You can’t see the results happening as you want. The delays and frustrations overwhelm you.

Proverbs 13:12 says,

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (ESV)

Though everybody wants to be successful, not everyone perseveres to the end. And so, only a few people reach the pinnacle of success.

Some people, after struggling and not seeing results, take the quick and easy way to become successful. Some manage to get wealth the quick and easy way by dubious means, or through satanic rituals. But they don’t live long to enjoy their wealth. They die miserably within a short time after making their wealth.

Some contract strange spiritual and chronic illnesses, live miserable lives, do not enjoy their wealth as they wished, and die painful deaths. Some also land in jail for using shady deals to make their wealth.

Along the way, some people become frustrated because the journey doesn’t seem to end soon. The pains continue to increase as they encounter odds and uncertainties. Beyond is unclear, and they wonder if they will be successful at all.

Only the daring, only those who have confidence, press on. The few people who persevere and obtain their wealth the right way, live long to enjoy their wealth with their families.

Paul said he did not consider himself to have reached the point yet regarding what he was pursuing. He said, “I forget the past that is behind me. And I try very much to reach the things that are in front of me.”

Paul was always running straight towards the goal ahead. He was always pursuing the goal, to win the prize of God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-15).

He admonished all to think the same. To continue to press on toward the heavenly goal. In all things that we do, we must keep working, improving, and believing in ourselves and in God. We must correct the mistakes and continue to press on.

In Romans 12:16-18 Paul advises that we must learn to live in harmony with each other. We should not be arrogant but must associate with humble people. We should not think we are wiser than we really are.

There is always room to acquire more knowledge and wisdom.

He said we must not pay back evil for evil but focus our thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. And as much as is possible we must live peaceably with all people.

Proverbs 20:22 advises us not to seek vengeance. We must let the Lord God avenge and deliver us.

I live by that principle, and it pays me well. I have enjoyed life peacefully and happily. God has avenged me many times and in many ways. Though He does not always do that immediately, God has never failed to avenge me.

No matter the situation, remain honest and peaceful. Remain faithful and committed to your cause. No matter how many times you fall or fail, pull yourself up and continue the journey.

Many people are not able to continue pursuing their goals to win their prizes when the going gets tough, and when the future looks gloomy and uncertain. The darkness and uncertainty make them fear and they lose the courage to proceed further.

Loneliness also contributes to scaring them. Many of your friends may lose confidence in you. They wonder if you can make it. They forsake you. Alone, you struggle to keep on. If you lose faith, you will fail.

It is not easy winning the prize. Therefore, only a few people brave the storms and odds to continue climbing the ladder of success.

Do not envy people who are successful. You don’t know how much pain and frustration they endured before they reached the top.

Don’t be angry when successful people seem not to care about your suffering. They may not be in a position to assist you at the time you came to them for help. Others might have gone to them for help, and so by the time you came to them, they may not be in a position to assist you.

Life does not smile on the poor. Life does not treat the poor with kid gloves. Life treats all of us the same. Moreover, God sends rain to both the righteous and the unrighteous and makes His sun rise for both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you do what is right you, too, will reach the top. Use any opportunity or chance available to you. And with God’s help you, too, will make it. God told Cain, “If you do what is right you, too, would be accepted.”

Many people do not reach the top of the mountain because the mountain of success is not easy to climb. It is steep and high.

Don’t be angry at successful people when they do not lend you a helping hand. Besides, it is God who gives us help. God knows who will be in the right position to offer you help when you need it.

The pain of loneliness becomes your companion when people abandon you. But remember that God is always by your side. If you call Him, He will respond.

Some loved ones may even become fed up with you and forsake you. While people are sleeping comfortably, you would be struggling alone in the darkness, trying to make your vision come true.

Life is hard… you must accept the fact and be prepared for the hard journey to success. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.”

Sometimes you might even wonder if you can or will succeed at all.

You will face constant rejections when you want people to understand you and empathize with you. Many will tell you bluntly that they are not interested, or that they don’t believe your vision is viable.

When doors are shut in your face, and no one is ready to receive you, you will feel despondent. The rejections and cold receptions can affect your confidence. They may shatter your faith in the vision you are cherishing to accomplish.

God told Gideon, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.” (Judges 6:14)

As you struggle to climb higher, the effort becomes increasingly difficult. But you must fight back feelings of discouragement. You must persevere. You must have the confidence that you will succeed. You have what it takes to be successful. So, do not quit! Press on! Success and prosperity take time to mature. Success starts slowly but picks up gradually. Then at a point, it increases rapidly.

You must also cultivate the habit of savings. If you don’t have capital, you must save some amount of money from your meager earnings for investment. It is not easy, but you must discipline yourself and cultivate the habit to save.

Discouragement is like water poured on sparks that you are trying to keep on. Discouragement quenches the sparks of hope in you and makes you lose the vim to pursue your aim.

Constant rejections will dissipate your confidence. You fear people will reject you when you want them to hear you or to help you. They don’t give you the chance to demonstrate what you believe so that they can then make an informed decision to reject or accept your proposal.

You hear people openly despising you. They tell you in plain words that they don’t see anything good in you.

But though people may not see anything good in you, remember that God knew you before He created you. You were created with great potential. God placed potential in you when He created you. Therefore, you are not useless.

Let the Spirit of God motivate you and actuate the ability to achieve your vision.

You are not defined by how people see you. You are not defined by how people measure you. What people may think is not necessarily what and how God estimates you.

Prepare your mind to face the challenges and move on with your vision.

And don’t forget that God created you because He had confidence in you. Even the physically challenged are reckoned by God in high esteem. Anyone that God created and allows to be part of humanity is reckoned by God to be important.

Nobody can alter your destiny. You are the only one who can do that. You can persist and fulfill your destiny or walk away from the destiny that God planned for you. If you walk away from the principles and the path that God outlined for you then you would be changing your destiny by walking away.

God does not interfere with our free will. You can decide to do what you want. God will not force you against your will. But you will bear the consequences of the choices you make. God will take responsibility to make sure you achieve your goal if your choices are in tune with God’s principles for your life.

If the Spirit of God indwells you, and you allow Him to work as He should, then miracles will happen. The Spirit of God in you will do wonderful things in your life. The Spirit of God will make possible the impossible things to happen in your life, (John 14:10, 12-16; Mark 16:17-18).

God’s Spirit indwelling you will give you the tongue of the learned and the ears of the learned (Isaiah 50:4). God shall be with your tongue and teach you what to say and how to articulate it, (Luke 12:12; Exodus 4:12; Jeremiah 1:5-10). That is, if you allow God’s Spirit access to your spirit.

The Lord God who created you planned your destiny when you were in the womb of your mother. Therefore, your destiny is not determined by people.

I am not moved by what people think. I am confident that I shall always be successful because God says so. In God I live, move, and have my being (Acts 17:28). Therefore, it is not what people say that matters. What God says about me is what matters to me.

You won’t toil in vain nor bear children doomed to misfortune. You are the blessed of the Lord God. His protection is upon you, your children, and your descendants (Isaiah 65:23).

If you remain in God, and your children and descendants remain faithful to God, then God’s protection shall abide with you, your children, and your descendants.

Moreover, when you call, God will answer. Even before you start calling, He will answer because He is all-knowing. He is aware of things that will happen before they happen, (Isaiah 65:24). But you must remain faithful to the Lord God. Because God will not condone evil.

In Christianity, we relate to God, the Creator of the world, directly. We relate to God by our spirit. We do not go through mediums, like fetish priests, mallams, soothsayers, magicians, etc. We do not perform rituals like magicians, soothsayers, fetish priests, etc. Moreover, the Old Testament rituals have been completed and done away with by the death of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews chapter 1:1-4; 7:11-12, 18-19, 22-28; 8:6-13).

Because of the work that Christ did for us, we now go directly to God. We connect to God directly through Christ Jesus by the spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will be available to tell us what to say or do. He said it will be given to you at that moment what you should say (Luke 12:12; Exodus 4:12; Matthew 10:19).

In Mark 13:11 we learn that it is not we who speak. It is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God Himself. And He is the one who speaks through us when He indwells us, and if we allow Him to operate.

The individual person’s spirit is transformed by God’s Spirit. And the words that the person speaks are transformed by the Holy Spirit and energized or enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

Isaiah 50:4 says the words that come out of your mouth are the words of the learned. God’s Spirit sanctifies the words. On the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit that filled the 120 people enabled them to speak different tongues (Acts 2:4).

The Spiritual Power Himself, the Holy Spirit, indwells the Christian. The Spirit of God is the Creative Power, the Creator, the dunamis that God the Creator pours into our spirits when He comes upon us.

Many Christians do not know that the power, the dunamis of God, is in them and that the power, the dunamis of the Holy Spirit, has made their spirit one with God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).

The Spirit of God will motivate and make your human heart and spirit love peace, have confidence, and have the spiritual ability to excel in the things you do.

The human heart is corrupt and evil. It is prone to evil. But the Spirit of God will transform your human spirit to be loving, kind, peaceful, and forgiving.

In Ezekiel 36:26 God promises to give us new hearts, new spirits within the deepest parts of our beings. So, the Spirit of God will transform our spirits. The Spirit of God will produce in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control, etc., (Galatians 5:22-26).

Those who want to hear strange teachings and so-called new revelations are easily deceived by charlatans and false religious people. These false religious people claim to have received special revelations. The Bible, however, tells us that the New Testament writings are the only teachings or doctrines that we need for our salvation, peace, and prosperity.

Jesus commanded the Apostles to pass on to us what He taught them (Matthew 28:20). If you study the Acts of the Apostles, you will notice that the Apostles and the disciples taught only what Jesus commanded them (Matthew 20:18-20; Acts 2:42).

Therefore, all other doctrines or so-called new revelations by people that do not agree with what the Apostles taught are fake. You don’t have to believe them, and you do not have to fear not believing them. Such new doctrines that are not compatible with the New Testament teachings handed down by the Apostles are deception.

If Jesus wanted us to practice them, He would have commanded the Apostles and His disciples to teach them.

Peter writes that prophecies are not for private interpretations. Therefore, we should disregard anyone who claims to have special or new revelations that are not included in the New Testament teachings handed down by the Apostles (2 Peter 1:20-21).

People who want to reach success quickly and easily, those who want to become rich quickly and easily, are the ones easily deceived by people.

If you study the Bible well, you will notice that all who became successful worked hard and diligently. They followed the principles of success. They did not sit idle waiting for manna to fall into their hands.

Proverbs 22:29 says the diligent will excel and become successful and prominent.

The victory road is not a smooth and easy one. Climbing the ladder of success is not easy. But faith in God, believing in yourself, and working diligently, will take you to the top.

Principles of Success

YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE IF YOU ARE DETERMINED.

Obstacles nor persons cannot stop you unless you allow them.

Our mindset determines how we think and how we act.

When people seek a quick and easy way to make money they become gullible and vulnerable to the deceptions of unscrupulous people who take advantage of their gullibility and eagerness.

Many people believe and rely more on juju, miracles, and mallams. Some also believe in scams to get rich quickly. Their eagerness to get rich quickly and easily becomes the weakness unscrupulous people exploit.

When people are desperate for anything they easily become pliable. And so, unscrupulous people easily take advantage of their weaknesses to manipulate them. People desperate for quick wealth typically do not believe that there is no quick and easy way to become successful in life. They easily believe fairy tale fantasies about how to become rich overnight. They easily believe anything they hear from people who pose as messiahs.

In their desperation to make quick and easy money, they allow themselves to be cheated by people who promise huge and quick financial returns on their little investments. They think that they cannot succeed in life because they have little or no money as capital.  Therefore, they think the only way is to take the shortcut.

They lack confidence and cannot believe that they can succeed with the little money they have. But the truth is, you can make money just as you are, even without money. You can use your hands to earn money and make a small capital to start your business.

Some people also think that their geographical locations are paramount in determining their success. However, you can become successful wherever God places you. There is wealth everywhere. Even in the desert you can make wealth if you are determined.

For a long time, Ghanaians believed that it was impossible for northern indigenes to become highly financially successful in the northern parts of Ghana. It was the notion that the northern parts of Ghana were not endowed with wealth. Therefore, it was believed that people from the northern parts of Ghana would remain poor unless they traveled to the southern parts of the country to work.

Those who believed that notion didn’t consider the fact that there were poor people, too, in southern areas of the country. Just as the prevalent notion that one must travel to Europe, America,  etc., before one can make money, without considering that there are poor and homeless people struggling in Western and European countries.

We now know that it was a lie that a person could not make wealth in the northern parts of Ghana. We now know that the northern soils of Ghana also possess gold and other rich minerals. People are now mining gold in parts of the Upper East and the Upper West Regions of Ghana. Areas that were previously considered so poor. Gold mining is going on in the Bongo and the Talensi areas, and in other parts of the Upper East Region. Yet the Upper East Region was previously regarded as the poorest region in Ghana.

Lithium has been discovered in the northern parts of Ghana. And other minerals are being discovered in other areas of the country.

Success begins in your mind. No matter how poor you think you are, you, too, can become a wealthy person.

Though money makes success easier, without money you can still achieve success. We hear stories of “from rags to riches,” emphasizing that people who believe in themselves can also rise to the top of the economic ladder. Therefore, do not be limited by the lack of anything. Though lack can hinder progress, lack should not stop you from achieving success. No matter how slow you are, you can also reach your goal.

In 2 Samuel 18, we read of an interesting account. When Absalom was killed, there was the need to send someone with the information to David regarding the outcome of the battle. Joab asked a Cushite to take the message to King David.

Ahimaaz, who was a fast runner, told Joab to let him go instead. Joab told him he could take a message another day, but not the present one.

After the Cushite had taken off, Ahimaaz came again to plead with Joab to let him also run. Joab allowed him. Because he was a fast runner, Ahimaaz came upon the Cushite and passed him on the way.

Do not be angry when others are progressing ahead of you

The Cushite could have been angry with Joab for allowing Ahimaaz also to run when everyone knew that Ahimaaz was a faster runner than him. He could have become angry and heartsick to continue running when Ahimaaz passed him. He could have envied Ahimaaz for being the fastest runner, and for competing with him.

But he didn’t allow these negative feelings to destroy his confidence. Rather he believed that he, too, was relevant.

Believe in yourself.

You may not have the facilities as others have. Nevertheless, you can believe that you are also significant and that you are capable of achieving great success like everyone else. The Cushite was not a fast runner like Ahimaaz. But he had self-confidence and self-discipline.

Success is for those who really deserve it. God reserves success for the people who really want to be successful. People who truly desire to be successful will go all out to achieve it. Self-pity will not bring you success. Respect whatever you have and believe that you can make something great out of what you have.

Jesus told a parable of three persons who received talents from their master. One received five talents, another two, and the third received one. While two believed they could achieve success with what their master gave them, the third who got one talent did not have faith that he could achieve something worthwhile with his one talent.

The one who had two talents believed he could achieve some success just as the one who had five talents. What you do with what you have is important. It is not how much you have. It may take a longer time to get rich, but you will make it.

Most of my achievements happened gradually. They grew slowly to become great achievements.

If the one who received the one talent had also invested his talent, he would have gained another one. And it would have continued to multiply if he continued to re-invest.

Many people want to be successful, but only a few will do what it takes to be successful.

Work diligently…. Persevere against the odds… Believe in yourself and in God.

In fairy tales, people become rich instantly. But even in fairy tales, those who suddenly become great or successful first went through trials. After going through trials, good luck then comes around in the form of a fairy and makes everything to work out easily and smoothly for them.

Real life is not a fairy tale though. Unless you were born into a wealthy family, you will take the hard road to reach success. You must make conscious efforts and must have the determination to reach success.

Many start but do not get to the finishing point. They are the ones who say it is not possible to reach success by doing right. Yet some of us are making it despite such claims.

People easily believe sweet words of “quick and easy returns.” Francis Bacon said, “Men prefer to believe what they prefer to be true.” So, some people believe in fairy tales of getting rich quickly without sweating.

If someone tells you to invest your money for quick and easy returns, especially when the returns are fantastically huge, about fifty percent profit within a couple of days or months, think twice before you leap. Do proper calculations, a proper check on the person, and do not be satisfied with what others may tell you. They may be spreading rumors.

While you are waiting for that miracle to happen in your life, start something. You can be expecting your miracle to happen, but don’t be idle. James tells us that faith must be accompanied by work. If we claim to have faith then we must prove it with action. Faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with action, is dead, (James 2:14, and 26; ISV).

There are two ways of making money… the bad (or wrong) way and the good (or right) way... working hard or diligently, which is the long and narrow way, and the quick and easy way, which is dealing in evil ways, cheating, drugs, prostitution, etc.

When people are in debt, they usually want the quick way out… some will cheat, steal or borrow.

When you borrow, you create a huge financial burden to carry for a long time. Debts are difficult to get off your back. When you pay with what you earn, you are left with nothing, or you have little left. And you feel like borrowing again to survive.

Therefore, learn not to borrow unless you are in a life-and-death situation, or in a real emergency.

Get rid of your debts so you can breathe well to continue with the journey to success. And you must determine to want to come out of debt before you can come out of it.

Don’t daydream! Don’t wish… Put your plan into action!

  1. Consolidate all your debts and work out a plan to pay in monthly installments.
  2. Take a percentage of the money you earn, (however small) for savings.
  3. Increase the percentage of the savings when you clear or pay off some of the debts.
  4. Use part of what you used to pay those debts that you have cleared to increase the percentage of the remaining ones that you are still paying so you can pay off the remaining ones quickly.
  5. Determine to cultivate a habit of savings — be frugal and persevere.

People usually see the negative side and will tell you that you cannot achieve the task. You must see the positive side as well. Every coin has two sides. Don’t focus on one side only. Believe that the other side can override the side that you are seeing now.

People who think all is negativity look at themselves, and they think you, too, are like them. Therefore, they think you, too, cannot achieve because they have not yet achieved success.

I read about a highly successful businessman on the internet who was asked how he managed to achieve so much.  He replied that he grew great by dreams. He said he turned his mind loose to imagine what he wanted to do. On his bed, he thought about his dreams. In the night he dreamt about them. And when he awoke in the morning, he saw the way to make his dreams real. While people were saying that it was impossible for him to achieve his goals, he was well on his way to achieving what he wanted.

Many people have heard of John D. Rockefeller and his achievements. John D. Rockefeller was not from a rich home. His mother struggled to keep the family surviving.

However, John D. Rockefeller, as a youth had two great ambitions… to make $100,000 (at the time that was a huge money), and to live 100 years.

According to accounts, at 20 his business grossed $450,000. He did not stop pursuing his ambitions. His seriousness projected him to become a millionaire. He established universities, and businesses, including Standard Oil, Rockefeller Foundation, etc.

By 2007, according to reports, the legacy Rockefeller left behind was estimated at $336 billion.

He died in 1937, in just two months he would reach 98 years; almost the 100 years of his ambition.

God told Gideon, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.” (Judges 6:14)

If you think you cannot be free from debts, then you will continue to be saddled with debts. And that will make you continue to borrow. You will continue borrowing because you think borrowing is the answer. The Bible says the wealthy rule over the poor and the one who borrows is a slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).

Learn to borrow when it is only necessary to borrow. I have learned to live without borrowing. I used to borrow and buy things on credit. Then I realized that was not the way to success. So I cultivated the savings habit. It was not easy. I had to discipline myself to cultivate the habit.

Proverbs 18:14 says, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?”

Many let their spirits break down when the going becomes tough. When that happens, only the tough continue moving on.

The poor do not save because they feel they earn little. However, if you discipline yourself and save a percentage, no matter how small, you will eventually make capital out of the little savings.

Nothing comes easy. Many people want to achieve the easy way. However, the rich will tell you that they labored to build their wealth.

Whatever you earn, you can save part. No matter how little. Little drops of water, they say, make the mighty ocean. In Ghana, it is cedis and pesewas. In the USA it is dollars and cents, while in the UK it is pounds and shillings. Whatever your currency, just a little and a little, and it will eventually grow big. For instance, in Ghana, five cedis a day x 6 days in the week gives you 30 cedis. Multiply that by 52 weeks and you will get 1,560 cedis; multiply that by 5 years and you have 7,800 cedis.

Though it appears small, 7,800 cedis is capital enough that you can use to start a small business.  You need only a little patience and perseverance. Some people in Ghana go in for only 1,000 or 2,000 cedis to start businesses.

On the other hand, if you can save 10 cedis daily for six days a week, it will become 60 cedis at the end of the week. Multiply that by 52 and you will have 3,120 cedis for the year. You can use that for a start-up business. On the other hand, if you want more and you are consistent for 5 years you will have a total of 15,600 cedis. You can use that as startup capital without going in for a loan that attracts interest.

Therefore, you can come out of your debts, and you can be successful if you really are determined.

Don’t envy those who have made it in life. Don’t be angry when no one is helping you. If you want to be angry, then be angry with God. But then, too, you would be wrong. Because God gave you the potential to become successful.

God will not help you when you will do nothing for yourself. God is waiting for you to start and then He will meet you on the way to direct your steps to success.

That “good luck” you are waiting for is ahead of you. You will meet him on your way as you start doing something. Start utilizing the chance available to you now and you will attract good luck and success.

I was penniless and had no one to assist me. However, I was determined to succeed. Therefore, I labored, sacrificed, and saved for my future. My friends who would not do as I did, are still struggling.

Don’t faint in adversity.

Our world is full of deception, violence, hate, and all kinds of evil. Envy is eating and destroying us. People are sarcastic and evil-minded towards fellow humans. The human heart is full of evil and planning destruction against fellow human beings.

C.S. Lewis said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

So, start from where you are and make a brand-new ending. Don’t succumb to pressures and give up. Don’t let people dictate to you how to live your life. You are the commander of your destiny with God by your side. Let people say what they want. They may see you the way they want, but you can prove to them that you are not a failure.

Remember that no one will make your life for you the way you want it. You will have to make it yourself. Furthermore, do not be angry when people despise you. Instead, use your energy to improve on how you climb your ladder of success.

Tyler Perry said,

“It doesn’t matter if a million people tell you what you can’t do, or if ten million tell you ‘no’. If you get one YES from God, that’s all you need.”

Don’t take so-called shortcuts. Don’t listen to people’s bad advice. Don’t cheat and don’t steal to become successful.

Others are living in the same community or in the same environment as you. Yet they have chosen to remain honest. They have labored through the same challenges that you are complaining about. But they are persevering with determination to do what they must do to achieve their goals.

Jesus said that God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust. What each does with what God makes available determines each one’s success or failure. Therefore, God has given everyone what we call “good luck.” How you use it determines what you will become.

In Ephesians 4:22-29, we read that we should put off the former behavior by renewing the spirit of our minds; we must renew our way of thinking and behaving. The mind processes what we feed the brain.

When you perform an action, the brain registers it as a pattern of behavior or action. Repeating the action eventually makes it become ingrained and a habit is formed.

You can become rich or successful by forming the habit of saving a percentage of what you earn. How long it will take you to get what you want will depend on the percentage or how much you save. And perseverance will make it possible. It may take a longer time if what you are able to save is small. But you will reach there someday if you persevere.

Be focused and patient. Change your thinking and you will change your situation. Renew the spirit of your mind by feeding the mind with positive thoughts. Determine to be a winner and you will be a winner. Determine that you will not steal, or cheat. Practice that until your mind is renewed by adapting to the new honest and persevering attitude.

Don’t be angry when others have made it in life, and you are still struggling. Don’t engage in armed robbery to make it in life.

Cain was angry with his brother Abel when things did not go the way he wanted. He envied his brother Abel. But God told him he was wrong.

6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7; NKJV)

Nobody is preventing you from prospering. Search your heart and be sincere with your yourself.

We read in Proverbs 5:21-23,

21 For God is closely watching you, and he weighs carefully everything you do. 22 The wicked man is doomed by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. 23 He shall die because he will not listen to the truth; he has let himself be led away into incredible folly. (TLB)

Work and focus on doing what is right in God’s sight.

Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise,” (NKJV).

Note that the passage says that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise. The passage also mentions ‘endurance.’

Our mindset, therefore, determines our actions. Every action we take begins in the mind. We must have the will to practice what we want to be.

Willpower is determination, self-discipline, self-control, and self-regulation. Practicing will renew your mind and enable willpower to operate in you. Self-control is a necessity for survival and achievement.

Many want to achieve success the easy way. However, honest rich people will tell you that they labored to make their wealth.

Angry people cannot wait and think over an issue before reacting. Angry people have little or no patience. Angry people want to be in control.

Some people have risen from grass to grace by dint of hard work, saving the little that they earn and using that to start businesses.

Winners win because even when others have passed them, and they are alone, they continue running; they do not give up. When they find themselves in hostile environments or situations, they do not lose their composure and confidence. They press on. They don’t give up when the going gets tough. They keep feeding their minds with ideas of success as they face difficulties.

Frustration is an emotional response to opposition. Some people deal with frustrations through physical engagements or verbally assaulting their opponents. An individual suffering from frustration may feel powerless to change the situation and may be pushed into anger. He may react in several different ways; some of them negatively. Some people vent their anger by attacking the person that is the cause of their frustrations.

It can be very frustrating and painful when one person is doing everything to make a marriage or relationship work and the other is doing everything that will derail the relationship. That can make some people to get angry and explode.  Often, the one who is causing you to have these feelings does not bother how you feel.

We read in Ephesians 4:26-27,

26 Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.

Furthermore, Proverbs 14:29 says that the man who is slow to anger has great understanding, but the impulsive person exalts folly.

Whatever you aim at succeeding, remember that you will encounter difficulties of some sort. There will be hills and mountains, and there will be valleys along the way.

However, no matter the circumstances at any point in time, never give up. No obstacle will be able to defeat you unless you allow it. The obstacles may slow you for a while, but they cannot completely defeat you. Do not let any obstacle you encounter discourage you. Let them serve as incentives for you to work harder.

How To Deal With Disagreements

Returning anger for anger does not resolve conflict. If you hit or insult a person in return for what he or she did, he or she will likely retaliate.

Proverbs 24:29, therefore, says, “Do not say, ‘I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work,'” (NKJV).

The late Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Aesop illustrates this truth in one of his fables, “The Lion and the Boar.”

On a hot day, a lion and a boar met at a small water body for a drink. They argued and fought about who should drink first. Some vultures on a tree watching them took sides. One side said the lion had the right to drink first, while the other said the boar had the first right to drink.  As they fought on, more vultures gathered. They, too, took sides. The lion and the boar tore at each other as the vultures cheered on. After a while, they were tired and stopped for breath. Then they realized that the vultures were waiting for one of them to die or both to die so they could feast on their carcasses. The lion and the boar then decided that it was best to make up and be friends rather than become food for the vultures. They stopped fighting, drank the water together, and went on their separate ways.

People who encourage you to fight take advantage of you.

When people or countries fight, other people and countries enrich themselves by selling arms to them. After the war, reconstructions take place. And those who stood by watching are the ones who are engaged and paid to do the reconstructions. 

Learn to listen to your angry opponents though you disagree with them. It makes it easier for them to listen to you, too. Listening to your opponent explaining or expressing his or her views will help minimize the conflict.

Let your opponent know that you are interested in what he or she is saying even though you disagree with him or her. This helps to create an opening for you to engage the opponent, and provide the opportunity for you, too, to express your views.

Listening will help you to understand your opponent, even though you may still disagree with him or her. Fault-finding and name-calling will rather ignite more arguments, and intensify your opponent’s anger instead of solving the matter. Everybody believes that he or she is right.

Some people conceal their aggression. They hide their anger and hate. They have what is known as a concealed form of aggression. They express their anger without communicating their feelings directly. It is called passive aggression. The dictionary defines passive aggression as a behavior characterized by indirect resistance to the demands of others while avoiding direct confrontation.

They dish out criticism, using reverse attack, but cannot withstand others critiquing them. They like hurting their opponents. They love to attack the integrity of their opponents or say anything to hurt the emotions of their opponents. They spew out vitriolic words even when they know what they say is not true. They speak like the piercings of the sword, (Proverbs 12:18).

Remain calm and avoid further arguments with them.

Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (NIV)

Don’t let what they say ruffle you. Think before you speak. “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. (Proverbs 15:2; NIV)

It will not be easy initially, because as a human being, you will be hurt by their insults. However, if you practice ignoring what they say, the sting in their words will lose its venom and you would not feel the hurt anymore.

Jesus always listened carefully before answering accusers and those who verbally attacked him.

  • The Samaritan woman was hostile and sarcastic. But Jesus did not hit back at her. Eventually, he was able to calm her emotions and her prejudice and make her listen to him.
  • Some Jews asked him whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus responded wisely by telling them they should give what belonged to Caesar to Caesar and what belonged to God to God. The coin they showed Jesus had Caesar’s image. Human beings, on the other hand, are created in God’s image. It is right to give back to Caesar what Caesar gave you in the form of taxes. But worship belongs to God who created us in his image. Therefore, we must worship only God.

If you make what you present pleasant to people, they will want to listen to you. Then as they are listening, you can help them to understand your point of view. In that, you are helping them to make informed decisions.

Don’t be offended when your opponent suggests alternative opinions to yours. Listen carefully and evaluate what you hear so you can confidently say how yours is right or better. You could also be wrong.

Know when to stop arguing. Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (ESV)

Don’t be sarcastic with your responses. Respect your opponent’s views and intelligence. You are not the only wise person in the world. Don’t be like Job’s friends who regarded themselves as the only wise persons in the world. Job told them, “No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.”(ESV)

Stop contending with people if you realize that they are not interested in listening to you, and will not allow you to explain your side of the matter. The more you contend with a person disagreeing with you, the more that person rages and fumes.

Proverbs 26:21 says, “A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood,” (NLT). 

Ingratitude

It is painful when your spouse, your child, or your friend, forgets the good things you have done for him or her and accuses you of being uncaring. Some people choose to forget the good things you have done for them but rather will accuse you of bad things that you have not done.

Ingratitude is everywhere, in all generations, and among all peoples. Even in the Bible, we read of people being ungrateful to God.

People can be selfish and quick to abuse kindness. They quickly forget the kindness that you have done for them. And will swear you have never done anything for them. They will even gang up with people who seek your downfall.

No matter how many times you help them, when you are unable to help them, then they will forget any good thing you ever did for them.

It happened to me several years ago. I have been slashed by the tongues of people I have helped feed. People I have aided have turned against me and even denied that I have ever helped them.

Fortunately for me, some residents knew what I did to those people who had turned around to falsely accuse me.

One resident could not hide his astonishment. He said to me in astonishment, “What? I can’t believe what I am hearing from this person! This person who is accusing you was the person who hailed and praised you for being an angel. Whenever you helped him, he would tell me and shower praises on you. Today he denies you ever helped him. I find it difficult to believe that this is happening. Fear man!”

Ingrates don’t care even if for very good reasons you cannot help them when they need your help. They choose to forget that you were the same angel who helped them in their times of need.

Ingrates are never satisfied – they don’t remember any good deed you did for them.

Even if you have ever saved them from death, and paid their debts for them, they will decide to forget your kind deeds when you are not able to continue helping. They will call you stingy and evil. They will not recollect that you had been a benefactor to them and to their families when they were hungry and needed help.

Most people are generally not appreciative. While you are trying to please them, they are accusing you. They use all the negative descriptions they can against you.

God noted this about the human character in Genesis 6:5,

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (KJ2000)

Perhaps you have also been a victim of such people as I have.

When that happens, the first thing that comes to mind is to swear not to help anybody again.

But if the Spirit of God indwells you, you cannot resist the urge of the Spirit to demonstrate the character of God, your Father. You will obey the urgings of the Spirit of God to do good to both the thankful and the unthankful (Matthew 5:45; Luke 6:35-36).

The ingrate cannot appreciate the good things you do for him or her. He or she rather complains that your help is not good enough. They are always complaining and whining. They think it is their right and so they demand good deeds from people while they will not stretch a hand to help anyone. Some will not say even say, “Thank you,” for what you do for them. They think the world owes them good deeds and favors.

They always want more and are never satisfied. They find fault with you no matter how hard you try to please them.

You can be with them for forty or fifty years and they will never remember anything you did for them. Their mantra is always, “He or she has never done anything for me.” Of course, they are lying. You did so much for them. Ingratitude has filled their hearts, so they don’t appreciate anything that anyone has done for them.

They blame you for the mistakes they make themselves. They don’t blame themselves for their own mistakes. And so, it is always someone else who is the reason they are not successful in life.

However, they are quick to take the glory of your success and wear it. They attribute your access to their efforts even when they did everything possible to make you fail. They fail to remember that they were persuading you to stop striving because they didn’t believe you could be successful. Now that you are successful, they want to claim your glory.

Though they themselves are not successful in life, they are always pointing and laughing at people they think are not successful.

They don’t care about how you feel. They care only about themselves. They will do everything to make you miserable so they can be happy.

They are always praising themselves even when everyone sees them as failures.

Their hearts are filled with hate and bitterness. They don’t have compassion for anyone. Yet they believe they are the only compassionate ones in the world.

When you do something from conscience to help them, they praise you for your loyalty. They will say you have done what people of conscience do. They will call you a patriot for doing that. They praise you and say you are Godfearing. Because only the Godfearing will have the conscience to do for them what you did.

But if one of them also does what you have done, if the help or good deed is not for them but for others, they will shout on top of their voices, and condemn. They will call him or her a traitor.

They are quick to forget that some people responded to their conscience and took a similar stance to help them, vote for them, or agree with them. When others did that for them, they did not reckon that to be a betrayal. They admired the boldness and integrity of the people who took bold stances to support their cause. They prayed to God to send people like them who, for the sake of conscience, will be bold to do and say what is right.

But now that one of them, too, has done what you did, they interpret the action to be a betrayal. If it is coming from their camp, from their own people, then it is a betrayal.

That is how the world treats us.

It is good if it is against their opponent, but bad or treachery if it is against them. If it is against them, then disagreement becomes a betrayal.

Conscience can make a person do what a person believes is right, even if it might be against the person’s own friends, relations, or even interests.

Your spouse may refuse to do what you want and think it is his or her right to do so. But when you, too, do the same, then your spouse may feel hurt and accuse you of betrayal. That is the color of ingratitude.

They call people traitors when people change their minds to do what they had earlier agreed to do.

Perhaps, after thinking through, their conscience spoke to them. And because conscience is powerful, they rescind their decision to go ahead with what they had previously agreed to do. But ingrates don’t see it that way.

We must learn to persuade and not compel people against their will.

People may call you a fool if you are very tolerant. If you are someone who forgives people for treating you negatively, people may regard you as a fool.

People can forgive the evil done them because of the Spirit of God indwelling them. If you allow the Spirit of God to operate in you, you can forgive evil people others think do not deserve forgiveness. You can forgive any evil done to you if God’s Spirit of love and compassion operates fully in you.

I am happy, and I thank God that I live in this world despite all the evils and other negative things happening. I allow God’s Spirit to direct me in all that I do.

I have the heart to forgive all who trespass against me. Because of that some people think I am a fool. They don’t understand that I am a peacemaker, and my motivator is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Wherever God places you in this world, whichever community God places you in, know that you are God’s representative. God expects you to represent Him. To be good, and kind, show compassion to everyone, and help people who need help.

However, you can do that according to your capacity, the ability that God has endowed you with. God does not expect you to do beyond what you are able. God will provide the means, the capacity. Do what you can do and leave the rest to God.

Don’t be worried about what people say. If you don’t have the capacity to do beyond what you are doing to help people, God knows. What people say in their ignorance does not change God’s perception of you.

Therefore, in the village, in the city, and wherever you are, God expects you to do your part as He wants. Fulfill God’s purpose for creating and placing you where you are now.

Don’t disappoint God.

Show your gratitude to God by doing good, being kind, and representing God in all aspects of your life. Do not be conformed to the world. Rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind to know what God wants and expects you to do (Romans 12:2).

We read in Ephesians 4:22-24,

22 … put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (NKJV)

From this passage, we learn that the brain restructures and reframes to adapt to new information we feed it.

Conduct (that is, your manner of life, your behavior) is changed if you renew the spirit of the mind. Change your mental attitude; learn what God wants you to do.

Your belief creates or destroys.  You become a new personality by reframing your thinking and adopting a new way of doing things. We are, therefore, instructed in Ephesians 4:24-32 to feed the mind with positive thoughts, and good ideas, and act on them.

The spirit of the mind is renewed as we feed the mind with new thoughts and actions (Ephesians 4:23).

The body obeys the mind by putting into action what the mind suggests. And so, we feed the brain with new thoughts or ideas. The brain then forms new patterns for the new behaviors that we perform in accordance with the actions suggested by our thoughts or minds.

We learn in Romans 8 that God’s Spirit indwelling us transforms us into the spiritual nature of God’s Spirit. However, we cannot advance into spirituality if we cannot believe and obey. Our beliefs dominate our lives. Your beliefs create or limit your potential. Furthermore, the spirit in your body directs your body and transforms you to become a new person, living a new way.

The body, which is the temple of your spirit, is also the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit, pours into your spirit when God pours his Spirit upon you. Just as milk blends with water when you pour milk into it, and both become one, so our spirit is changed to adapt to the nature of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 6:17, tells us, “But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. (NIV)

We cannot reinterpret the statement any other way. If the Holy Spirit wanted us to understand it differently, the Holy Spirit would have inspired the writer to use the appropriate words.

The Bible simply tells us that God’s Spirit, indwelling your body, makes you spiritual. Just as the milk turns or transforms the water to be whitish or creamy. The water does not change or transform itself. It is the milk that changes or transforms the water.

Therefore, allowing God’s Spirit full access enables the actualization of the Spirit in our spirits and lives. The presence of the Spirit in us actuates the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.

Therefore, Jesus said,

“… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” (Acts 1:8; NIV)

The Spirit in the body demonstrates God’s presence and power in the human person.

On earth, Jesus (the Word of God), lived in a body and demonstrated God’s power in the Spirit.

Your intention – the beliefs in the mind – starts working when you act on your faith.

Therefore, Ephesians 4:23, advises us to be renewed in the spirit of the mind.” That means, changing your thoughts, changing your mental attitude.

Therefore, in Ephesians 4:22-24 we read,

22 … put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (NKJV)

As inferred earlier, conduct (behavior) is changed by the renewal of the spirit of the mind, by renewing your mental attitude.

The brain can restructure and reframe to adapt to new information. Therefore, we are instructed in Ephesians 4:24-32 to feed the mind with positive thoughts, and good ideas, and act on them.

The spirit of the mind is renewed as we feed the mind with new thoughts and actions (Ephesians 4:23). The spirit then becomes renewed or changed (or transformed). The body has the capacity to attract and put into action what the mind suggests. The brain then forms new patterns for the new behaviors according to the actions suggested by our thoughts.

In Romans 8, we read that God’s Spirit indwelling us enables us to become spiritual. So, it is the Spirit of God that makes us spiritual or transforms our spirit to become like God.

Our beliefs dominate our lives. Our belief enhances or limits our potential in us. The Spirit living in the body directs the body and transforms it into spirituality.

As mentioned earlier, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). And God’s Spirit, indwelling your body, makes you spiritual. The Spirit in the body is God’s presence and power in the human body.

This is demonstrated in the Bible when, on earth, Jesus (the Word of God), demonstrated God’s power through the Spirit in his human body.

We read of the ingratitude of the Children of Israel in the Bible. They repeatedly showed ingratitude towards God. They accused God of neglecting them. They did not remember anything God had done for their fathers or for them. They forgot that God parted the Red Sea for them to cross to safety, while he drowned their enemies. He drowned the Egyptians to save the Children of Israel. But they forgot what God did for them.

Another example of ingratitude is in Luke 17:11-18,

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?  18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (NKJV)

His own people, the Jews, did not return to show gratitude for what God had done for them. They took it for granted. The foreigner, a Samaritan, rather showed appreciation for what God did for them. The Samaritan returned to show his gratitude to Jesus.

Jesus wondered why the others did not remember to return and show their appreciation.

As indicated earlier, ingratitude is not new. It has been in existence since the creation of the world.

Adam and Eve displayed ingratitude toward God when they listened to the serpent rather than believing God. They wanted more and ended up losing God’s protection. Their ingratitude caused their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Furthermore, they lost the abundance that existed in the Garden of Eden.

Psalm 78:11-33 outlines the example of the ingratitude of the Children of Israel.

Your intention – the beliefs in the mind – starts working when you act on your faith. That is why the Bible advises us to be renewed in the spirit of the mind (Ephesians 4:23).

Let us learn to be grateful and appreciate what people have done for us. Don’t be an ingrate. Let the Spirit of God help you to appreciate the good things that people have done for you.

Be thankful to God and allow the Spirit of Christ to indwell you.

Winning without being violent – conquering by love and patience without hating

Winning without being violent and conquering by love and patience makes the world peaceful.

We can win without being violent. We can conquer by love and patience without hating. We do not have to win by violence.

Proverbs 25:15 says, “By long forbearance, a ruler is persuaded, and a gentle tongue breaks a bone.”

By Long Forbearance A Ruler Is Persuaded, And A Gentle Tongue Breaks A Bone (Proverbs 25:15)

Using persuasion takes time. Therefore, violent and impatient people do not want to take that route. Impatient people want immediate results.

Persuasion wins without the ugly consequences associated with violence. It avoids deaths, injuries, and destruction of properties associated with violence.

Jesus taught us to love, to tolerate, and to forgive.

We can’t use hate to make people like us. The more we hate, the more people dislike us and eventually hate us. We convert even our hostile enemies into loving people when they become our friends.

Win without being violent. Conquering by love and patience without hate makes our world peaceful. Therefore, Abraham Lincoln said, “I conquer my enemies when I make them my friends.”

I Conquer My Enemies When I Make Them My Friends (Abraham Lincoln)

Jesus met a Samaritan woman by a well (John4:5-43). The woman was antagonistic and sarcastic.

The situation between the Jews and the Samaritans at the time was almost at the boiling point of hatred. The Samaritan woman saw hate, anger, and vengeance, and so focused on hate, anger, and vengeance. But Jesus ignored her antagonistic stance and took a peaceful approach. Jesus felt the time had come for hate to end. It was time to banish hate by sowing seeds of love. Jesus, therefore, reached out to her with love.

Initially, the Samaritan woman was antagonistic in her response. She reminded Jesus that the situation between the Jews and the Samaritans was hate and anger.

Jesus continued to engage her with love, striving to turn her into a friend. Eventually, Jesus won her confidence and friendship.

We live in an age of hate and violence. People nurture hate and instill anger and hate into their offspring. They train their children to grow up hating people who disagree with them.

Jesus used the story of the Good Samaritan to teach us how we should love and help people. (Luke 10:25-37).

We may disagree with what others like or say. Nevertheless, we should allow them to express their views. We should not be angry when people disagree with our views.

It is right to be unhappy about negative things people say about us or do. However, we should control our emotions not to respond physically and violently. Violent reactions indirectly and wrongly provide proof for the perception that we are angry and violent.

Love conquers

Love Conquers, But Selfishness Prevents Us From Loving
Love Conquers

Some people express their feelings through anger and violence. Jesus, however, taught us not to return violence for violence.

In many parts of Africa, communities in rural areas have suffered economic depravity because of conflicts. Economic progress eludes these communities because investors are afraid to invest in such communities. Even indigenes of the communities prefer to invest in other communities rather than in their own.

Terrorists use violence to coerce people.

On September 21, 2013, a group of armed terrorists, the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, forcefully entered the Westgate Mall in Nairobi’s Parklands area and unleashed senseless violence upon customers and workers.

The al-Shabaab’s quarrel was with the government of Kenya, not with the ordinary people or the shoppers. Yet they unleashed their anger on innocent people who had no part in their quarrel. They thought their actions could coerce the Kenyan Government to kowtow to their demands.

The Westgate Mall massacre, by 2 pm September 22, claimed the lives of 67 people and wounded at least 175. One thousand people were rescued.

What happened in Kenya on September 21, 2013, was similar to what happened in the US on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, when a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks were launched by the Islamic terrorist group, al-Qaeda, upon the United States in New York City, and Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Terrorists pick on helpless people while those they have disputes with are untouched. Yet terrorists do not consider that.

Suicide bombers express their grievances by killing innocent and helpless people.

Religious militants attack and kill helpless people to get the attention of governments.

But their actions make people hate them. People do not sympathize with those who hurt them.

Conquer by persuading or by convincing people. Do not use force.

A German proverb says, “Patience is a bitter plant, but it has sweet fruit.” A similar one, “Patience is bitter, but it bears sweet fruit,” has been quoted by some as of Turkish origin, while others have attributed it to Aristotle, or to Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Jesus Christ taught Christians to express their views or beliefs by love. He told Christians, “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.”

Jesus used persuasion to win people’s love. He spoke to their conscience. In the face of provocations, Jesus always remained calm and discussed issues so convincingly that his opponents could not ignore them.

A woman was accused of committing adultery and brought before Jesus. The accusers reminded Jesus that the Law of Moses demanded that anyone who committed adultery must be stoned to death.

Jesus did not engage them in a lengthy argument. He did not try to talk to them to forgive the woman. Jesus said, “Anyone among you who has never committed any sin should throw the first stone.”

They all walked away without hurting the woman. Jesus turned to the woman and told her that he, too, was not going to condemn her. However, he advised her to go and sin no more. Though Jesus did not condone what she did and did not condemn her, he told her not to repeat the sin.

Do not allow your emotions to blind your reasoning. With patience, you can use persuasion to make people understand your point and accept your suggestions or views. Persuasion does not force people. If you use persuasion properly, people will not realize you are actually making them do what you want.

You may use force to get what you want. But you would live with the fear that your opponents may hurt you for revenge. You may conquer your opponents by using force and make them serve you. But that will not make them love you.

Violence breeds violence and reprisals. And that can continue without end.

Agree to sit at the negotiating table with your opponent to discuss an amicable end to the conflict or disagreement.

Anger is a difficult emotion to control. Angry people may think they are right when they are actually wrong. Anger overshadows their reasoning.

Many people are egoistic and care only about themselves. Anger, hate, and unforgiveness are always on their minds. They will hurt people and do anything to achieve their aims. They are unforgiving, insulting, sarcastic, and violent. They love hurting people with their words.

We read in Proverbs 12:18, “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.” (NKJV)

Our emotions can affect how we process our decisions. Anger can make us make wrong decisions.

In Ephesians 4:22-29, we learn that we should renew the spirit of the mind by putting on the new personality. We must shun anger and all evil practices by living and practicing good deeds.

Uncontrolled anger inspires an aggressive response. When we are angry, what comes first to mind is to fight or attack.

Express your anger assertively without being aggressive. Don’t attack people if you are not happy with what they say. Calmly explain to people how they are not treating you fairly.

We must always remember to control our internal responses to be calm.

Practicing makes action becomes ingrained in the mind and transforms it into habit
Practicing makes action perfect

If you feed your mind with new thoughts and act on them, they will eventually become patterns of behavior. Your new mentality directs you to do things differently.

We, therefore, have the capacity to change. Our habits are the routines of behaviors we repeated regularly until they became embedded in our subconscious mind.

The first step to take to stop being angry is to delay reacting in anger. Seneca said, “The greatest remedy for anger is delay.”

Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (NKJV)

Our attitudes define our happiness.

We are the architects of the peace in our communities.

We can win without being violent.

Persuasion Is Better Than Force

Dealing with Personal Attacks, Overcoming Adversities and Winning Without Being Violent

Dealing with personal attacks, overcoming adversities and winning without being violent, are some challenges many people struggle with daily.

It can be depressing when people blame you for mistakes you have not committed. It pains when you are accused of something you did not do. Some people scold and blame others for the troubles they encounter. They always justify their own mistakes but will blame others for any trouble that comes their way.

Emotional people do not use logic when arguing

People will hurt and make you angry by being ungrateful and insulting

Though you may feel like reacting, do not let anger make you hate them. Show goodwill towards people – to both the good and the evil – despite their unfair criticisms or treatments. Don’t harbor hatred. God makes His sun to rise on both evil and good people and makes His rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).

As much as possible try to control your emotions. It will not be easy, but with prayer and faith in God, you can do it.

Do not stop the good works that you are doing. Criticisms against you may be unfair. However, never withdraw the good services you are doing for the community.

People will praise you and turn around to curse you

Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. They were in bondage and cried for a deliverer. God sent Moses to help them out. They were happy and hailed Moses as their hero. They jubilated as they went out with Moses.

When everything was okay, Moses was the hero everyone loved and praised. He was the greatest.

But as soon as they encountered trouble, they quickly turned against Moses. They accused Moses and said he was the cause of their plight. They said,

“Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11; ESV)

Moses who was the hero a few days earlier was now a villain, a scoundrel, an evil person. He was now the person to blame for their misfortunes.

They said to him,

 “Is not this what we said to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:12; ESV)

Remember that no one forced them to go out of Egypt with Moses. They all went out of their own volition. Because they wanted to go out of bondage, they sang, jubilated as they marched out of Egypt following Moses as their leader.

When everything is okay with people, they will say nice things about you. The same people will call you the devil when things go bad for them.

Arguing is a waste of precious time when dealing with angry people. Angry people are emotional, full of prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity. When people find themselves disadvantaged, they look for scapegoats to lay their blame and failures on them.

No matter how sincere you are, some people will always see you in a bad light. Some will always suspect your good intentions and will have something evil to say about your good deeds.

They blamed Moses and put all their problems on him. Moses had a genuine intention to help the people in their sufferings. He was not benefitting directly. After all, he was living comfortably with his wife and father-in-law, Jethro the priest of Midian, before he came back to Egypt to deliver them.

In such situations do not be eager to vindicate yourself by debating them.

Hold back your anger. Look for points you both agree on and try to make them see that you seek their welfare. Then encourage them to help you find the solutions to the problem.

See beyond their ingratitude. Think of how you can help to correct the problem. Later, when the problem is solved, you can help them know how ungrateful they had been to you.

When you are confronted by the ingratitude of people, only love can make you continue to help.

Your passion for what you are doing will urge you on when things look bleak and ingratitude stares you in the face.

Your personality is patterned according to your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Proverbs 23:7 says

“…as a man thinks in his heart so is he…”

Jesus also said,

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (Matthew 12:35; NKJV)

You may be crippled by your problem; however, you will overcome if God is in you and His word and healing power working in you. Problems are temporary. You will find the solutions to them if you are focused.

You may have started late but you can still make it

Do not wait for someone (or good luck) to pull you out. No matter how little you perform or how slow you progress, work on and you will succeed.

David believed that the battle was for the Lord and that the Lord himself would fight for him.

However, David did not fold his hands and wait for God to fight. David took pebbles, a sling and went out to face Goliath. He used his feeble weapon against the mighty Goliath who wielded a mighty weapon. And he won (1 Samuel 17:45-51).

Go out with your sling and pebbles, backed by your faith in God, and see God fight and win the battle for you.

God told Moses to tell the Children of Israel to march forward against their obstacle – the Red Sea – and away from their enemies – the Egyptians.

Leaders must have confidence that success is possible. Leaders must stand firm despite the challenges confronting them. Moses encouraged the people not to be afraid.

13 “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’” (Exodus 14:13-14; NKJV)

Of course, God was going to divide the sea, but he asked Moses to stretch his rod over it as a sign of faith in God and in God’s Word.

Moses acted and God divided the sea, making a way for them to cross over. (Exodus 14:15-23)

The Israelites walked on dry land and crossed over to the other side. But when the Egyptians followed, God again asked Moses to stretch his rod over the sea and close it over the Egyptians. The Egyptians were destroyed.

Angry people are too emotional to listen to logic

You cannot share useful information with people when they are angry and shouting at you.

Moses did not waste his time trying to argue with the people when they accused and blamed him for their many problems. Whenever they blamed him or accused him, Moses turned to God and prayed for courage and wisdom and moved on.

The emotional person does not use logic. If you try to use logic and facts to argue a point with someone who is already emotional, it will not work. When people are angry, they become emotional. The emotional person is not in the mood to listen. The emotional person wants to talk about his or her feelings and blame people.

We demonstrate what we believe. And so, people who look to circumstances and believe they cannot succeed remain poor and helpless.

If you sow thoughts of fear, sickness, enmity, etc., you shall reap the same in abundance. Therefore, those who sow thoughts of greatness, prosperity and good health reap the same in greater quantities.

Most of the Children of Israel believed they could not succeed. Moses, on the other hand, believed that they could succeed.

Stop complaining against people who do not help you. Stop groaning about how life is difficult and unfair. Life is difficult and unfair to many people. Complaining, whining and groaning will not change your situation. Put your faith into action and believe God to stand behind your faith.

Your present life may be bitter and frustrating. However, if you do not stop believing and working, tomorrow will be great.

The height of your success will be determined by how high your aspiration is. In the same way, your lowest level of inferiority is determined by how low you conceive yourself to be.

Think constructively. Think positively and act on what you think. If you do not act you will not achieve anything.

Remind yourself always of the good fortune that awaits you at the other side of your ‘Red Sea’. Stretch forth your hand and part your Red Sea.

If your hope is on a fellow human being, be it a rich friend or a brother, to help you, you might be disappointed. You may look for help from many places, but let your faith and hope reside in the Lord, and he will find the help you need. Psalm 75:6-7 says,

6 “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (KJV)

Moses did not look up to the people. The people saw only Moses. They did not see God in the picture. That is why many people are followers. That is why only a few are leaders. Leaders believe in themselves and look unto God for direction. They know they will succeed.

Decide on what you want to be in a few years’ time from now. Moses looked beyond. His mind was to get over to the other side of the Red Sea. That sea was a hindrance, but he knew he could overcome it.

Every problem is outmatched by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit living in you. 1 John 4:4 says,

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (NKJV)

Romans 8:31 assures us,

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (NKJV)

No problem can defeat you. You are the master of your problems. Rise up and conquer your mountains.

Most people blame material circumstances as the source of their difficulties, trials, and failures. Most people blame their failures on a lack of financial resources. Though these are factors that make success difficult, they are not ultimate barriers.

Adverse conditions, environments, and circumstances should be challenges that should spur you to success. Climb over the obstacles. Use the obstacles as steppingstones.

Jesus said,

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” (Mark 11:23; NKJV)

Match your prayer and belief with works, because faith without works is dead. (James 1:22-25)

Do not waste your time in frivolities or other vain things. Think always about what your future should be like. And do not waste your time arguing and trying to prove you are right or good. Your deeds will eventually prove your integrity.

People will notice you if you are successful

When you become a success people will then recognize you and your worth. And then they will care about the story you say about yourself. Because they will want to learn from your success story.

Whatever you do, do it to attain the goal ahead.  While the people accused Moses, Moses focused his mind on God. Rather than hitting back at them, he took the problem to God. Seek guidance and answers. Don’t stop to argue with complainers. Winston Churchill said,

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” (Unquote)

Initially, things would be difficult. And it would not be easy to persevere. But with practice and persistence, you will learn to persevere. And your perseverance will take you to your success.

Persist in your spirit. Do not let any obstacle dampen your spirit. Proverbs 18:14 says,

“The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?” (NKJV)

Work persistently. Make good plans and review or update them periodically.

Save a percentage of what you earn – do not touch your savings now. Discipline yourself and let your little savings grow into a huge investment capital tomorrow.

Do not let people dictate how you should live. Some people allow others to pull their strings. You can never live your life to its fullest by living according to other people’s definitions of success.

Your parents, your friends, or politicians, cannot truly define your life to its fullest. They may suggest some things, but the ultimate decision of what you want to be would be defined by yourself. James Baldwin said,

“I was not born to be what someone said I was. I was not born to be defined by someone else, but myself only.” (Unquote)

You must have the confidence that you will succeed. Your confidence will lead you and urge you on to success. Without confidence, you will not have the urge to continue when the tempest of failures assail you. Your passionate desire to achieve your goal will drive you on when challenges confront you.

Procrastination is said to be the thief of time. When you procrastinate you push your future further into the farthest future.

When you fail, do not quit. Try again, and again, and again, till you succeed.

Let these words of Micah be your mind,

“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.” (Micah 7:8; NKJV)

Plan on how to tackle the problem. Give yourself time for the execution and the achievement of the plan of action. Work daily towards achieving the goal. Review your plans weekly or as often as you can. Make corrections or modifications, and where necessary make deletions. Be enthusiastic about your project.

However, if you do not see any improvement after persistently failing many times, ask yourself whether you need to review your plans or change them entirely. If by two or three years you do not see any improvement, you may need to change your plans. That is why you should have a three-year, five-year and ten-year plans. These periods should see some marked improvements as you march towards your goal.

To become successful, you must focus your mind and energy on the actions that will take you closer to the goals you want to achieve. Don’t let the pain of temporary failure weaken your determination.

We read in Proverbs 24:10,

“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” (NKJV)

Stand up and face your problems. Like Moses, be calm and face your ‘Red Sea’. With faith in God and full of self-confidence Moses parted the Red Sea.

If God’s Spirit is your partner, His knowledge and wisdom will guide you.

One spirit with the Lord

“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1 Corinthians 6:17: NKJV)

The Spirit of God indwelling you will enable you to overcome. Not by might, nor by power, but by the spirit of God… (Zechariah 4:6).

After the Red Sea incident, the people complained again any time they encountered trouble. They complained against Moses and Aaron.

Even though it was apparent that it was not Moses, but God, who was the provider, they complained against Moses and Aaron and blamed the two for their problems.

People will blame you when there is trouble even when it is not your fault.

At some point, they even became violent and ready to stone Moses. Ingratitude at its highest. They had forgotten so soon all that God did for them through this same Moses. In such a situation you might feel like giving up.

They did not consider that Moses was facing the problems with them. All they thought of was their own selfish interests.

Though he was not happy with their attitude, Moses went to God any time they were confronted with severe challenges. He did not blame anyone.

In your dealings with people, no matter how transparent you are, some will find fault with you. Some will accuse you. Some will hate you, and some will slight you. No matter how honest you are, some people will dislike you and will lie about you.

Moses continued to show love and kindness despite the people’s ingratitude and hate towards him

In every community, there will be a mixed multitude. When the children of Israel left Egypt, we read in Exodus 12:38 that, a mixed multitude went up with them. They are fair-weather people.  In Numbers 11:4-6 we read how they caused great commotion and great trouble among the Children of Israel.

4 “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (NKJV)

We will come across these kinds again in the New Testament. This time, the New Testament refers to them as “lewd fellows of the baser sort.”

“But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.” (Acts 17:5; KJV)

The American Standard Version refers to them as “vile fellows of the rabble,” the Amplified Bible describes them as “wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the marketplace.”

The mixed multitude, the lewd fellows of the baser sort, will cause ‘earthquakes’ in your life. But you must stand firm when the earthquakes hit you.

Moses and Aaron lived lives of prosperity and victory because they did not pay back evil for evil. They planted good seeds of love, kindness, and goodwill. They, therefore, reaped goodness, love, prosperity and the best of health. Aaron lived 123 years (Numbers 33:39) and Moses 120 years (Deuteronomy 34:7).

Most often our responses to the evil done to us are to repay people according to the manner they treat us. However, Proverbs 24:29 says,

“Do not say, ‘I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.’” (NKJV)

Use your time profitably and let God avenge you. Romans 12:17-21 says not to avenge ourselves. Focus on doing good and leave the rest to God. “Vengeance is mine”, says the Lord.

If all of us would live that way, there would be less or no violence in our communities, and our societies would be peaceful, healthy and full of happiness.

If we would all use our time and energy to nurture and practice peace, we would have tranquil communities rapidly progressing economically.

Do not let your emotions run you and control your actions. Manage your anger and aggressive feelings. Be a peacemaker always.

Sometimes, our rash responses inadvertently create or aggravate conflicts, and we ourselves suffer the consequences.

Some people cannot see how they are wrong. So, they fight back when you correct them.

The Bible says in Isaiah 52:7,

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things…” (NKJV)

Furthermore, we read in Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (NKJV)

Jesus says in Luke 6:31-33

31 “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. 32 But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.  33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” (NKJV)

Do not act when you are angry. You might do something terrible. You might hurt a person, an animal or destroy valuable properties.

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How to Retrain your emotions, renew and reframe your mind

Retrain your emotions, renew and reframe your mind to adapt to any change…

You can retrain your emotions, renew and reframe your mind to adapt to changes and form new habits at any age.

The brain can restructure, renew and reframe to adapt to changes.
The Brain Can Renew and Change

We can reprogram ourselves mentally to eat less, spend less, stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, stop stealing, stop lying, stop hating, and stop all negative or evil things. I used to drink and smoke, but I stopped because I determined that I wanted to.

We can retrain our minds to love, to forgive wrongs done us, and to do good for society.
We can retrain our minds

We developed our behaviors out of repeated learning and experience. Some were practices that we intentionally performed and some we did by unconsciously imitating other people.

Confucius said, “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential … these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” (Unquote)

Faith produces expectations and motivates us to pursue goals.

Research on neuroscience (and mental science in general) show that we can retrain our mind and replace our feelings and actions.

Ephesians 4:25-32 teaches that we change our wrong or bad actions by repeating and practicing correct actions. Medical science calls that retraining. The Bible calls that renewing the spirit of the mind.

According to mental science when we repeat a new action, new cell-to-cell connection pathways (known in medical language as synapses) take place in the brain. Whether the repetitions are done covertly in our mental imagery or overtly through actions, the brain recognizes them, and patterns of behaviors are created.

Ephesians 4:25-32 explains that we are renewing the spirit of the mind by replacing the old corrupt ways or actions with new good or correct ones as the new patterns of behaviors are created.

According to mental science we change old emotions with new ones when we replace them with new ones. This changes our mentality and eventually our attitudes.

We change our thoughts by reframing them, a process known as cognitive restructuring. When we do that we reframe or change the interpretation of our thoughts. By repeating that several times we establish new patterns of thoughts.

Romans 12:2 says we become new personalities by feeding our minds with new thoughts and actions. When we repeat them several times we eventually form new habits and characteristics.

Lao Tzu said, “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” (Unquote)

Our emotions affect the process of our decision-making
Emotions affect decisions

In our emotional state, such as anger, our decision-making is different than when we are calm. Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (NKJV)

We can retrain ourselves not to react angrily and violently to emotional triggers.

The great men and women of history that you admire today were ordinary people like you. The only difference is that each had a vision, each had passion, each wanted to do something, and they pursued their aims. Their achievements made them become extraordinary people. They were ordinary like you and they pursued and achieved extraordinary laurels.

You, too, can do what they did. After all you, too, are ordinary like they were.

By trying often the monkey learns to jump from tree to tree
The monkey learns to jump by practice

Belief increases the firing capacity of the brain – sending messages to the mind and increasing the capacity to act. Faith convinces that you will be what you visualize for yourself to be. Faith makes us continue against challenges.

Someone said, “A river cuts through a rock, not because of its power but its persistence.” (Unquote)

The soft character is also strong. Water is soft, yet it can penetrate sand and earth and can bring down houses, trees, etc.

To retrain the mind and adopt new characteristics we must put off the old self and feed the mind with a new attitude; that is, put on a new self. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Vince Lombardi said, “The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.” (Unquote)
Retrain your emotions … renew and reframe your mind.


How to listen to angry opponents when you are angry

Why you should listen to your opponent when you are angry … Part 2

It is difficult to listen to angry opponents when you are angry.  Therefore, calm down. Anger inflames tension.

When an angry person engages you in angry and heated debate, do not try to prove that you, too, can spew out acidic words. Instead, invite him or her to a peaceful dialogue.

Listening and observing Robert Baden-Powell

You may become frustrated as you try to make your opponent listen to you and understand your point of view.

Control your emotions. Do not engage in fault-finding. Fault-finding ignites arguments and creates conflicts instead of solving issues. Your opponent can become adamant and resist your views if you engage in fault-finding.

Everybody believes he or she is right.

People can be emotionally shocked when they hear that they are wrong. That can provoke fierce, and even hysterical, resistance from fanatics or die-hard believers. And that can make them want to hurt their opponents by attacking the integrity of their opponents or say anything to pierce the emotions of their opponents.

Don’t respond in like manner. Always remain calm in the face of negative reactions.

Don’t let the hard words of your angry opponents disturb you.

You are human and you would be hurt by hard words. However, if you try ignoring what they say, the sting in their words will lose their venom and you would not feel the hurt anymore.

Addressing the concerns or needs of the listener can help create favorable reactions.

Lead the listener gradually to the point where the listener can assimilate the truth.

Jesus listened carefully before answering accusers and those who verbally attacked him.

  • The Samaritan woman was hostile and sarcastic. But Jesus did not hit back at her. Eventually, he was able to calm her down and make her accept him and his views. (John 4:7-30)
  • Some Jews attempted to provoke Jesus by asking him a controversial question as to whether it was right for Jews to pay tax to Caesar. Jesus responded wisely by telling them it was appropriate to give what belonged to Caesar to Caesar and what belonged to God (worship) to God. (Matthew 22:15-22)

If you make what you present pleasant, and not insulting, people will be comfortable listening to you. Don’t look down on them and don’t disregard their views even though you don’t agree with them. Get their attention to listen to you. As they are listening you can then help them to understand your point of view.

Help them think and reason through so they can make the right conclusions. Ask questions that will make them think.

Analyze what they are saying. It will help you to know how right or how wrong they are.

Whoever restrains his words ... Proverbs 17:27

We read in Proverbs 17:28,

“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (ESV)

Don’t be sarcastic with your responses.

Stop argument before it develops into a quarrel.

Stop contending with people when you realize that they are not listening to you and will not give you the chance to explain your side of the matter.

If the wsie man must not contend with the fool ... Proverbs 29:9

The more you contend with a person who disagrees with you, the more that person rages and fumes.