“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth”. Ephesians 4:28

If you are not a worker, you will end up a thief.

Remember, Jesus said, “…Occupy till I come.” Therefore, if we must be fulfilled, then we must be productively engaged in our various endeavours (Luke 19:13; Proverb 14:23).

It is important to know that many destinies are tied to ours; thus, we cannot afford to be slothful and irresponsible. If we fail, we would disappoint God, because He has paid every price required for us to have good success. Therefore, we must wake up and take responsibility for a highly productive life that will turm us into men and women of exploits.

Sacrifice

Jesus said:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour”. John 12:24-26

Sacrifice is a universal demand for the making of stars and it is impossible to emerge a star in life without embracing the law of sacrifice. No wonder Martin Luther King Inr said, “Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice.” 

I have often said, “There there is no star without a scar and the scar of every star is sacrifice” (Luke 12:49- 50; Philippians 1:21).

Sacrifice, in this context, is denying ourselves of certain comfort and pleasure, for the success of an assignment or a goal.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”. Matthew 16:24

Furthermore, it is going beyond one’s best to achieve a given task. Doing our best in the pursuit of a particular goal is diligence; but going beyond our best is sacrifice. This is because there is nothing extraordinary on to own, it is man’s extraordinary input that makes it so /2 Corinthians 6:3-10).

However, there are certain fundamentals of sacrifice that we must be acquainted with.

• Sacrifice is a choice: Sacrifice is not a gift, but a choice. It is the choice of the wise. As it is written:

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

Remember, we are presented with choices daily, which either move us up on the success ladder or otherwise. However, the right decisions that move us up the success ladder always require sacrifice.

• Sacrifice commands rewards and benefits: The benefits of sacrifice always outweigh its cost. Many want the success, but they don’t like the sacrifice because they forget that the cost is never greater than the glory. That’s why whenever it’s time to sacrifice, we must ignore the present and look to the future.

For instance, Jesus for the joy that was set before Him endured the inconveniences of the cross, the beatings and the pains so that we can be partakers of His glory (Hebrews 12: 1-2).

• Sacrifice requires putting our body under subjection: Apostle Paul said: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (1 Corinthians 9:27; see also 1 Corinthians 15:31). He further said:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20

It takes the cup of wisdom and the baptism of sacrifice to emerge a success in any of life’s endeavours.

Meekness

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”. Matthew 5:5

Meekness is a priceless treasure because it defines greatness. Concerning Moses, one of the greatest men who ever lived, the Bible says that he was the meekes of all men in his days. As it is written:

“Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth”. Numbers 12:3

For instance, despite the fact that Moses saw God face-to-face, divided the Red Sea and performed strange works by God’s hand, Jethro (his father-in-law) could still counsel him. Jethro, the Priest of Midian, was Moses’ coach, and Moses hearkened unto him. It is the quality of our meekness that defines the limits of our greatness.

The Spirit of meekness at work in Moses gave him his unique place in destiny. Moses was so great that when he spoke of Jesus in prophecy, he said:

“The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken”. Deuteronomy 18:15 (see also Acts 3:20-22)

Jesus came like unto Moses and He said, …I am meek and lowly in heart… (Matthew 11:29). In Luke chapter 9, Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration and spoke with Him. That was how great Moses was, but meekness was the foundation of his greatness.

The treasure of meekness is one of the vital treasures i the making of any kingdom star. In fact, the Bible delines the virtue of meekness as an ornament of great price.

“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price”. 1 Peter 3:4

The enlargement of any star in the Kingdom is limited by his degree of meekness. Therefore, meekness is a blessing; pride, on the other hand, is a curse. Remember that God resists the proud but He gives more grace to the humble (James 4:6). That means, meekness grants us access to more grace. It is grace that makes great. Paul said: But by the grace of God I am what I am (1 Corinthians 15:10). 

Many people have lost their destinies to pride, which has shut them out of grace. For instance, Satan lost his leadership place to pride. No doubt, the treasure of meekness is the covenant gateway to greatness. It opens us to grace, which makes great and unveils to us insight that makes high fliers.

You will not lose your place in destiny to pride, in Jesus’ name!

Let’s recognise that Christianity is all about accepting …

This text is an extract from the book “FOLLOWING THE PATH OF THE EAGLE” written by David O. Oyedepo. 
We invite you to read the following article “MAKING A DIFFERENCE“.

Diligence. Diligence. Diligence. Diligence. Diligence.