Challenges in Growth

In order to grow, one of the laws is to avoid strife at all cost. The major key in getting things done or in fulfilling a goal is found in sowing. This is because there is nothing that is in existence that didn’t come out of a seed, nothing at all. Everything that lives today came out of a seed. You cannot have a physical manifestation of any answered prayer without first sowing the seed to bring about that form on the earth. The kingdom of God is as if a man (not God), will cast the seed into the ground and then God will cause it to grow (Mark 4:26). But the man knows that the first thing he has to do is cast the seed into the ground.

The worst you can do for yourself in the New Year is to surround yourself with hidden enemies to your personal progress. Try to separate yourself from them. You are not going to get anywhere if you hang around such people. It has nothing to do with sentiment, you must detach yourself from competitive people, who feel that they are in competition with you for anything. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herd men and thy herd men for we be brethren (Gen 13:8). In order to maintain the blood covenant, they had to go their separate ways. It is required that you are separated from some people in order to maintain God’s flow in your life. Abraham didn’t say they should separate because they were enemies, rather he said that if the family bond was to remain the competitive spirit had to go. When Lot and his family were in trouble he went to help him, so it is not that Abraham did not like him but he made it clear that he could not stay in an environment where there was strife.

It was after the separation from Lot that God told Abraham to lift up his eyes (Gen 13:14). Many people are not seeing because they are among people that have strife towards them. These people can be easily identified their body language and disposition towards you, tells you that they are not really happy with your progress. Eventually, your vision and the relationship you have with them will be destroyed. On the other hand these two areas can be maintained if you separate the two from each other. In other words you do not want competitive people around you or in your environment instead you need people that will support you.

This means that their heart attitude towards you is right. You do not know people after the flesh you know them after the spirit. When you are connected with the right people you will see the difference. You must get yourself out of any situation of strife you must surround yourself with people that are supportive and that you are in agreement with. With these people there is always positive energy.

Many people have so many expectations. Expectations that should come from God are coming from men and this is the cause of problem. Thinking people can help you but it is only God that can truly help and he can only help you with people that are rightly connected to you. There is nothing wrong with the desire for an increase the problem is the way and manner in which you go about it. Instead of asking and receiving from God rather you want to go about it by grabbing it from somebody else that has it. The law of peace with all men tells us that God will not take anything away from another person in order to give it to you.

Fulfilling a Goal within your Vision

You need to know and decide on the amount of progress that you want to make in a year. This progress must have an element of breakthrough inside it. An element of breakthrough means, that at a particular point you break into a new realm of life. It is not going to be the fulfillment of the vision, but it is going to be the accomplishment of a goal within that vision. The vision is for an appointed time, but you must know when the goal will be fulfilled. The vision will not come to pass in that year but the goal must come to pass.

God instructed Abraham to start from his current location. This means that you must start from where you are and not from where others are or where they think you should be. Avoid hallucination and face the reality of your current position. From where thou art, then lift up your head and then look as far as you can see, not how any other person can see, but as far as you can see in 2009 as an individual. You have to rejoice with everybody on every achieved goal and don’t feel inferior. But do not, out of a competitive spirit do what you know you cannot see inside, it destroys creativity. So, your vision depends on what can you see.

There is something about the way God created the world that makes the circumstances of life give to you what you have decided in your heart to happen in your life. Follow what you can see deep down in your heart and not someone else’s programme. This is reason you cannot be a financially successful person if you spend money the way other people do. Follow your own financial programme and financial goal. This is how the wisest people behave financially. If you do not have any savings you can not have a financial future. Your financial future is not how much you have spent but how much you have saved. Do not compare yourself with anybody.

The vision is for an appointed time and so there will be increase and during that period there is development and growth. One important thing you need to understand is that if everyone fulfils the demand of faith in the invisible realm, things will begin to happen and there will be more answers to prayers. This is because once that demand is made it sends out a signal, and then people start picking up the thought. Once there is a cry for more, the creative forces go to work and somebody is then raised up with the thought to meet the need.

Actualising Goals and Growth

Goal setting involves setting specific goals for a particular year. When others advice you on what to do, you must maintain the goal that you have set for yourself.

This means that the programme you have earmarked must be followed and must not be affected by occurrences in your environment. This desire now becomes the tree of life and creates substance inside you.

A lot of people have knowledge but have not created a platform for the realisation of their goals this is what many Christians lack. You have to create something that can be used as a stepping stone that makes the next level possible for you to attain.

Unfortunately people do not create a platform because they are waiting for the fulfillment of the big vision they have in their heart. Once you follow the goals that have been set you will discover that within a certain period (could be three years) you have been able to accomplish a lot not that you emerged out of obscurity but through following set goals you arrived at that point.

Understanding is the fundamental requirement for the practical realisation of any vision i.e. the practical out working, what you believe is possible this year by your faith. You can dream big, but what do you believe inside your heart that is actually possible.

If you want to find out whether somebody really has practical insight into what they are doing, look for those little things related to what they believe God wants to do. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (James 2:26).

This verse refers to the practical things that you are doing which will demonstrate whether there is substance or not. This means if there is substance inside you for something, there will be a practical demonstration of that particular thing.
There are more challenges involved in growth and increase, than when there is stagnancy. There are more wars as you grow and increase as an individual.

The joy that you derive from progress is the joy of expanding your mind. The joy of learning new skills, increasing your capacity for handling challenges, personal growth and an increased sense of responsibility. It is not about enjoyment or the luxury involved, but rather creating opportunities for people. It is better not to give a blessing unless the individual is ready.

This is because if the person is not ready for the blessing it will be wasted. If you waste an opportunity you will discover how long it is to recreate an opportunity that God has given to you. These are lessons we need to learn as individuals in order to grow as Christians.

There are many people who step out of the intended path of God for their life they are now on a collision course. As a result they invade the lives of others and say things that take them out of the established course of God for their lives.

Do not listen to what others have to say rather follow what is inside your heart. Goal setting means you go from just having a good idea about your life, to achieving goals that people around you can measure - quantifiable goals. People watch increase and see growth the greatest thing is that they see consistency in your growth. An impression of increase that is consistent is one of the most attractive forces people that are observing you... Pastor Poju Oyemade