Take Authority

Luke 10: 19. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Every one of us has authority. We must make use of our authority in order to bring change in our work environment, our homes, our communities and society. When we refuse to take authority, snakes and scorpions take over and cause havoc and destruction.

Snakes and scorpions are those individuals and situations that creep in without permission, hide and bite. Such bites are deadly. The only way you can prevent them from causing harm is when you take your authority and begin stamping it. Yes you must stamp your authority.

Don’t say you don’t have any authority because you have. Supposing you are the gateman who must open the door for those who want to enter, you must know that you have the authority to open or close that door. No one can enter or come in unless you open that door. Stamp that authority. Wherever you find yourself, you have some legal authority.

You have moral authority. When it comes to what is wrong and what is right, it doesn’t matter whether you are the boss or not. Stand for what is right. Reject what is wrong. Whenever you have the opportunity to choose between right and wrong, stamp your moral authority and choose right.

You have spiritual authority that goes beyond the physical. Whatever happens in the spirit affects the physical. Take and stamp your spiritual authority. Pray about the situation that is beyond your physical or moral control.

The snakes cannot harm you if you take authority. You can make a difference.

Opposition: Another thing you don’t want to meet on the road to success

Gen 26:21  And they dug another well, and they strove for that also. And he called the name of it Opposition. MKJV

In the previous post we talked about disputes as one of the things we must deal with when moving towards success. It is easier handling disputes when compared to opposition. Disputes are like floods you wade through; opposition is like a wall. Once you hit that wall there are only three things you can do: take a U-turn which means giving up, change course to see if you can get past the wall, or break through the wall advance.

Isaac moved from the well known as disputes only to meet with opposition after digging another well. That is what happens in our quest for success. There are some people who will oppose us for various reasons.

Don’t be surprise that people oppose you because you are about to succeed. Your success is someone’s defeat. No matter what, life is a competition. Someone must be first to reach the finish line. Some people will always want to pull others back thinking that will give them the opportunity to succeed.

Others oppose out of envy. Your success exposes someone else’s slothfulness and they will oppose you just to preserve their integrity. 

Now no matter how the opposition is, no matter how thick the wall, you must find a way of moving on. You might decide to change direction, move along the wall until you find a way past it. No matter how long the wall of opposition, it has an end. But changing direction calls for a lot of patience.

You might decide to break through the wall. In this case you need to be strong and resolute. You need strong faith. No wall of opposition can resist the power of faith.

But there is one option you must not choose if you want to succeed: going back. You are destined to succeed. NEVER GIVE UP.

Things You Don’t Want to Meet on the Road of Success: Disputes

Genesis 26: 19 - 20 Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek because they disputed with him. NIV

When we are thinking of how to succeed and making plans to that effect, we hardly think about certain difficulties we have to face. Disputes are one kind of such challenges. We hardly imagine having to get into certain disputes in our march forward. This is what happened to Isaac. He was determined to succeed. He made all his investments to ensure there is water supply for his farm. Then all of a sudden, the people of Gerar came around and quarreled with him.

Disputes are bound to happen but how they are handled is what matters most. You should be ready to engage in healthy disputes as you move ahead. But if you see that the dispute will draw you back, then move on. There is no need to stay where you are quarreling to the detriment of achieving your aim. And that is what Isaac did.

When there is too much dispute about a move we are making, it could be pointing to us that there is something wrong with the project we are doing. This is not about the rightness or wrongness of the project, but might be related to where and how it is being done.

You must be ready to take a transfer to a different territory, region, town, department or branch if there is too much trouble where you are now. You don’t necessarily have to quit the job.What matters most are your goals. Don’t fear. Make a move away from disputes.

Still! Be Still….

Psalm 46: 10. He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

When you are at a loss not knowing what to do in difficult situations, slow down, be still and see how God arranges your life for you. But, it is not easy to refuse to act in such critical moments as that could spell doom. That is the message we get from our natural inclinations. So how can we be still in such situation? Here is what we can do to remain still.

Prayer
We can in prayer hand over the situation to God. Most of the time, we find ourselves in such situations because we are in control, or want to be in control of things. So long as we are in control, things will be difficult. That is why we must surrender the situation to God. When we pray about any situation, we tell God that we know he is in control.

Thank God
In such confused moments, we might say there is nothing to thank God for. But the challenges and the opportunities they bring are worth thanking God for. No matter what happens, you will never be the same again. As you thank God, you begin to see things more clearly. You experience some peace in your inner being.

Praise
Can you sing, can you say a psalm of praise, raise your voice and say something good to God. Prayer opens doors but it takes praise to stay in. There are many stories in the Bible that point to this. Battles were worn, nations were saved, nations delivered, and confusions removed when praise was offered.
Be still and see what God can do.

Slow Down, Be Still….

Psalm 46:10. Be still, and know that I am God! I will be praised among the nations, I will be praised in the earth. MKJV

We are living in a very fast world. We cannot help but run along because we risk falling behind and never being able to catch up. As the days go by, the speed gets even faster. Although we are able to follow the rhythm most of the time, its gets to a certain time we are totally overwhelmed by happenings around us.

It gets to a time we must make decisions and choices between options that we are not clear about; and these choices must be made quickly or we lose everything. This is the time to slow down, if possible come to a halt. Yes, come to a stop.

It is only at this time that you see a Divine hand at work in your affairs. Although we claim a lot of successes in life, we are not the ones who actually make things happen. It takes the hand of God to arrange the details of our lives. The big events are just like roofs on a foundations long laid by God.

I learnt this fact from fishermen at the beach. A drowning man who struggles with the tides gets carried away and dies. But the one who lets go and frees himself is thrown out and is saved. That is how life is. When the storms and the waves get out of control, let go. Be still and see what God can do.