Hold On

(A poem from my book, Poems for life)

Someone without
Someone with doubt
The stomach rambles
The begging humbles
Will life go on?
Faith calls hold on
Someone without
Someone with doubt

Someone worn out
Someone in doubt
A toil so long
Stand firm and keep strong
Will life go on?
Faith calls hold on
Someone worn out
Someone in doubt

Someone in pain
Someone in strain
Gone is health
Gone is wealth
Will life go on?
Faith calls hold on
Someone in pain
Someone in strain

Someone in moaning
Some sees no morning
Thoughts clouded with sorrow
Better is the morrow?
Will life go on?
Faith calls hold on
Someone in moaning
Someone sees no morning

Be Inspired

Always Remember these 4 Principles

Always Remember these 4 Principles

In 2006, I came to the realization that the success of world class athletes is not a mere coincidence. There are four principles that they use to create, or increase their chances of achieving, success in their lives and that these principles are universal – they can be applied in any area of our lives and still produce the same result: SUCCESS!

Want to know what these principles are? Then read on.

§        World-Class Athletes run a given and fixed course.

The World-Class Athlete cannot choose to start the race
from any position, to run in any direction, to run any length
or to finish the race anywhere on the track.  NO!  On the
contrary, the World-Class Athlete is shown a specific
starting point, a fixed route which he or she must follow
as well as a specific finish line. If the World-Class Athlete
fails to adhere to these guidelines he or she is disqualified from
the race.
________________________________________________

When God created you, He did so with a
specific purpose in mind [Jeremiah 1:5].  
Find out what it is. Ask Him what it is [James
1:5]. See what it is; write it down and run with
it [Habakkuk 2:1-2].
________________________________________________

§        World-Class Athletes increase their chances of
winning by training themselves regularly

Nobody likes discipline but everyone loves the benefits that
come with it.  Likewise, a World-Class Athlete takes on
the discipline of training him or herself regularly.  He
or she does this in order remain in shape and to
improve his or her performance, thus, increase his or
her chances of winning.  
________________________________________________
Discipline yourself to begin to do things that
enhance your chances of achieving your
ultimate goal – fulfilling your purpose. Taking
a single step at a time, begin to spend more
and more time doing these things.  In the end
they will become a part of your life and each
day you will find yourself in a better position to
fulfill your purpose.
 ________________________________________________

§        World-Class Athletes all have one objective: To WIN!

In their own right, all World-Class Athletes are winners.  For
anyone to reach the world-class level they will have
outperformed those they competed against at preliminary
levels.  Also when they reach the world stage their primary
objective remains to outperform their competitors. That
being the case, we can conclude that World-Class
Athletes are winners [who are] looking for another
win at a higher level of competition in the same game.
________________________________________________

Your ultimate goal in life should be to
fulfill your purpose. However, this is not an
event, it is a process: you achieve your purpose
in stages.   So, set out to win in every stage.  
Each successive win will get you to the BIG race
- where will fulfill your purpose.
________________________________________________

§        World-Class Athletes are crowned the best
Everyone who competes at world-class level wants to either
possess or retain the title that is given to "the best" in a
particular discipline or a series of disciplines.  
________________________________________________
To fulfill your purpose is to be the best in
what God created you to become. Find out
what it is; discipline yourself to follow it; win at
every stage! There is a crown waiting for you in
heaven.
________________________________________________

Be Inspired.

The World-Class Athlete Who did not Run the Race

"On your marks… get set… ready…"

Blast!

All the runners take off except one.  Though his supporters cheer him on, he remains on his mark, head up, watching the others go.  He stays in the same position until the race is finished.  

After the race, his coach runs up to him and wearingly asks him what went wrong.  The lad turns to look at his coach and excitedly exclaims, "Coach, I've achieved my dream, coach!" raising his hands as if he were the winner of the race.  The coach is dump folded and gives the lad a questioning stare. "Yea, I've made it. I've made it to the big race," the young athlete beams out.

It took some time for the coach to understand what the athlete was saying but it finally emerged that a lot of people had told the athlete that they would be proud of him even if he only qualified for the race. So, he made it his life dream and ambition to make it into the race until he did.  And when had done so, it never occurred to him that he had to run the race – so he didn't.

This story may shock many of us but this is a typical example of how some of us have shortchanged ourselves in life.  This may not true for every area of our lives but in some of them. The two that came to mind right now are your purpose and your walk of faith.  

·        Your Purpose
Many of us are excited at the prospect of finding out what our purpose in life is.    We have been told of all the benefits of finding our purposes so much that it passes us that finding our purposes is only the fist step of the journey; it is like making it to the starting point of your big race in life.  After finding out what is your purpose in life you have the new task of pursuing it. If you just find your purpose and don't pursue it you're no different to the world-class athlete who made it to the tracks he so desired and prepared for but did not run the race when the time to do so came.


·        Your Walk of Faith
Another place where people act like the world-class athlete who did not run the race is in their walk of faith. Many people have 'surrendered' their lives to Christ but care not to live for him. Responding to Christ's call to salvation and repenting from one's sinfulness is but making it to the big race. Running the race to win it starts with you changing your ways, flows into your involvement into Christian service, transcends into your work of faith.  Your walk of faith will lead you to a place where you do exploits for God when it is full blown. Up till this happens, you are like the world-class athlete who has not run the race.

Are you pursuing your purpose?  Are you growing in your walk of faith? The world-class athlete lived the rest of his life regretting that he had missed his opportunity to run his big race. Are you running yours?

Be Inspired.