Remember, strongholds are lies that are believed. When you align your thinking with the word of God, you automatically introduce light into darkness and tmth comes in to displace every lie that has been believed.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says: "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity t~ the obedience of Christ ".
This is deep! This is rich. God says you should cast down arguments and every other thing however highly celebrated or respected that would attempt to give you an alternative to God's wisdom. Cast it down! It's a trap to distort your destiny. The second part of this scripture says: "Every thought should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ".
Remember that Christ is the word and the Word is Christ. So every thought should be brought into captivity to the obedience of the word. For the word to be able to capture every other thought, it must of necessity be superior. Yes, the word is superior! John 1:3 says: "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made".
Also Colossians 1:16 says:
"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him".
Verse 17:
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist".
So Christ is the sustainer and the unifying power of the universe. He is the mediator, agent, and goal of all things.
In a nutshell, nothing worthwhile can happen in your life without Christ. Yes, this is the truth.
Are you saying you know some people that are successful and yet don't have Christ? You just missed it. The problem is that you are yet to capture what the parameters of success are. What are the indicators of success? Is it money? Is it political power? Is it influence? Is it fame?
If it is money alone, then it would be correct to say that we have so many successful armed robbers and fraudsters in Nigeria. How absurd! The military in Nigeria of today is not exempted. The looters of our treasury in Nigeria will be given the appellation of successful!
Provision is not the only proof of success.
Neither is material acquisition. Remember that the life of a man does not consist in the abundance of his possession. Good success can only come from God. It is only earned charting the course of obedience to the word of God.
Joshua 1:8 declares:
"This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success ".
So good success comes from God, and from Him alone.
Remember Moscs struck the rock in disobedience, but water still came out! The result hc had here was not a sign of God's approval. In fact, he lost the ticket to Canaan at this point - Numbcrs 20:8-13.
Is capturing political power a sign of Success?
Of course, No!
All over the world, we have an endless list of those who had cornered political power, but ended up as colossal failures. Some of them even committed suicide. Most leaders who had a divine opportunity to reshape the zones of their influence to the glory of God failed woefully. Somebody captured this fact aptly by saying, "Never in the history of human government had so few done so little for so many".
In Nigeria, the mention of the names of some past opportunists that were wrongly called leaders leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. It's like taking quinine.
Is influence a sign of success? I will like to ask along which lines? Are you influencing people for God or against God?
Is fame a sign of success? In fact, what most people call fame is notoriety. The correct guide remains the word of God. Fame pursued will derail any man outside the will of God. They failed at the tower of Babel because they wanted to make a name for themselves - Genesis 11:12.
The fact is that, God had so created man such that man's fulfUlment can never happen outside of God. The thirst for fulfillment in man is actually a thirst for God. Money cannot quench that thirst, education cannot quench it, fame will not, philosophy will not; even religion cannot and will never be able to quench the thirst for God! Only Christ can!
Because "He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him" - John 14:6
"He is the door" - John 10:9
"lVhoever denies the Son does not have the Father either, he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also". - 1 John 2:23
Our God is a God of covenant. He is absolutely committed to keep everyone of His word. Remember, it is impossible for God to lie. In Daniel 11 :32, the word of God declares "Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." It is clear from this scripture that every deviation from God's path, every instruction or commandment not totally obeyed will cause you to get less than what God had delivered - what an avoidable corruption of one's destiny!
So many have climbed the ladder of success only to discover at the top that it is leaning against a wrong wall! Don't join them. It is terribly frustrating there.
|
