Don’t get tired! P4

Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9

Don’t get DISCOURAGED

The moment you get discouraged. Satan Depresses you. And when you are depressed, you get Defeated.

The 3 Ds. Discouraged, Depression and Defeat

Don’t tolerate discouragement. It’s a destroyer. If you are a leader, listen, NO one wants to follow a discouraged leader.

The two great men in the Bible did not reach their destination and calling because they allowed discouragement in their hearts. God used Moses & Elijah in numerous miraculous ways and yet they were defeated in their spirits and discouraged.

In Numbers 11 we see Moses’ complaints. He voiced his disappointments to God, blaming Him for all his problems and hardships because of his calling to lead Gods people out of Egypt. Moses forgot all the miracles he witnessed in Egypt and in the wilderness. Because of that God called Joshua to continue Moses mission. It’s the same thing we find in the life of Elijah. He was an anointed prophet and someone God used mightily. After all the miracles and demonstration of the power of God by calling down fire from heaven, he got discouraged and was afraid of Jezebel. God called Elisha to take over the role from Elijah. Leader you can not afford discouragement. The moment you are tired in your spirit and discouraged in your heart, the enemy will take advantage of you. Your destiny is at stake when you allow discouragement to set in your heart.

God reminded Joshua over and over again “Be strong and of good courage”……

Heres one simple practical advice to remain “Strong and of Good Courage:

Surround yourself with people who will inject courage into your soul.

People who are positive. People with faith. People who believe in you. People who are on your side. I am thinking of people like Muhhomad Ali’s coach Mr. Stoner who was at Ali’s corner every boxing match, encouraging him by saying,  Mohammed.. you are the man!!  you are the greatest!!, you float like a butterfly and you sting like a bee!!! You are the greatest!

How many times we have heard Muhhomad saying ‘I am the greatest’.

Who is on your corner?

You need to be surrounded with courageous people.  People with a winning attitude. Surround yourself with winners. Not losers? Eagles or chickens? People who will stretch you not the ones who just flatter you.

Check your corner now. Do you have cheerleaders or sideline abusers?

Don’t get tired! Pt3

Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9

Look at the last line of this verse. Its says : “We will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time”.

The Bible teaches us that God works in seasons. There is a time and season for everything. In Ecclesiastes 3, it talks about the different times and seasons and what we do in those different seasons.

Here is one of those seasons mentioned,  “There is a time to plant and time to harvest………………….”

When we don’t understand the seasons we get frustrated and eventually get discouraged and give up.

I have discovered that not every season is a harvest season. There is a time to plant and a time to harvest. Planting season if far more difficult than harvest season. The Bible talks about ‘sowing in tears and reaping with joy’

Whatever you are working on right now, (that is giving you a headache), allow time for the seeds you have planted to germinate. It can be a long process.

What season are you in right now? Minimise stress and weariness by understanding your season and work accordingly.

And remember in the “appropriate time you will reap a harvest of blessings”

Start preparing now for the harvest. I live in New Zealand and its springtime now. I am getting ready for a new season of growth and believing God for a great harvest.

If you grow tired, discouraged and weary now, the harvest will be wasted.

Don’t get tired! Pt 2

Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9

Many people miss out on the blessing of God and the rewards of their labour because they give up too soon.

I think most of us never see our dreams become reality simply because we give up too soon.

Imagine this:

• What if the Israelites had stopped marching around Jericho on the sixth day?
• What if Naaman the leper had only dipped in the Jordan river six times?
• What if Elijah had stopped praying for rain on the sixth attempt?

They would have forfeited the miracle.

Notice something here! Number six in the Scriptures is referred to as the number of man! Man was made on the sixth day. It is so human to want to give up too soon too quickly.

Number seven is referred to as the number of perfection, or God’s number. Notice that the Israelites conquered Jericho on the seventh lap. Namaan received his healing on the seventh dip. Rain came after Elijahs seventh prayer attempt. If you stay with Gods plan and purpose, and in Gods will, you will see him in action. You will see the blessing ‘At the apprpriate time”

Don’t get tired easily.The Scripture says that ‘You will reap a harvest if you don’t give up”

Your blessing is not far away.

For the Isaraelites…it was just one more lap and then the breakthrough!!
For Naaman ..it was just one more dip and then healing
For Elijah…it was just one more prayer and then miracle!

Live today with that kind of perseverance and anticipation. ‘One more’

Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t get tired

Your breakthrough, your miracle, your healing is just ‘round the corner.

Don’t get tired! Pt 1

No matter what you do, you will always encounter opposition, negativity, , struggles and trials that can easily put you out of the fight.

It is easy to get tired and feel weary and give up.

Here is a great encouraging verse from Paul to the Galatians.

“Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time“. Galatians 6:9

If you are reading this and you are about to throw in the towel because of something someone said or the situation seem so dark and there is no way out……….

Listen:  Don’t get tired. Don’t get discouraged. Hang in there.  Perservere and run the last mile. Stay on track and cross the finishing line.

Courage is the ability to face your giants in the eyes, but perseverance is
‘courage that is stretched out’.

Perseverance is the ability to say: (If you are into movies especially action thrillers)

• No retreat no surrender
• Never say die’
• I’ll be back
• Point of no return
• Die hard with a vengeance
• No Escape
• Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane
• Die another day
• Never back down

I pray that you will have the attitude to say

I am not going to give up.

I am not going to tolerate that thing

I am not going to entertain that thought of giving up

Instead I am going to give it my best shot

Don’t get tired!!

Change!

What changes are you prepared to make for 2009. Change will always bring conflict. Whether you are making smaller changes or big ones, you will encounter oppositions.  If you are a leader making big changes for the future, make sure your heart is big enough to handle criticisms because you can’t change the future without disturbing the present.

God was about to make some huge changes in the lives of his people. So he told Joshua four times to ‘Be strong and of good courage’ in Joshua chapter  1.