THERE IS A PRICE FOR SUCCESS?

We all have hopes and dreams. In our hearts we carry different aspirations of what we want to do with our lives and how we hope things work out for us. Well life happens! And things don't always work out the way we desire. Sometimes our dreams give way to more realistic pursuits as life demands. In this present day economy , many people are more concerned about having a roof over their heads and securing their jobs , than they are, pursuing child hood dreams.

Some experts say this is the best time to pursue your dreams others argue differently. whatever the case, there is a price to pay in life for success in whatever we do.

The sooner we realise and accept this fact, the sooner we can put an end to mindless day dreaming, time wasting and the misery we cost ourselves and others by constantly complaining of how the world is not revolving around us and our aspirations. Every body has to pay the price for success (this greatly depends on what our definition of success is). We all go through stuff! " Setbacks, tough times and unplesant surprises don't just happen to some; they happen to everyone" pastor John Hagee.

There is a great deal of work involved . God is fair ; life is not !

I came across this post not so long ago and felt I should share . It helped me to an extent to put the notion of success into perspective. Titled: SUCCESS IS NOT A GIFT. By Royal Prince.

He writes

"For every achievement there is a price tag and at the counter of success there is no bargaining; the price has to be paid and that, in full"-Unknown.

Success as we all know could mean different things to different persons. No matter what it means to you, it involves the achievement of set goals, aspirations, dreams, vision etc.
Let me stun you: God has not promised us success as a gift but as a reward, in response to the application of the principles governing it. He made this clear to Joshua in Joshua 1:8 when He instructed him thus: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shall make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success". If God promises us success as a gift, He has given us a licence to be lazy. A gift is something you didn't work for.


"It has been said that God feeds the birds of the air but the truth is, He never drops the food in their nests. "

All round success is an integral part of God's covenant with Abraham and sure, he was a force to be reckoned with in his days. It is just natural that his seeds (descendants) walk in the same realm of such an unusual prosperity and success. The scriptures testified of Isaac in Genesis 26: 13,14 that he waxed great and went forward, and grew until he became very great, having great possessions to the point of becoming the envy of the Philistines. Wasn't that also the story of Jacob? Of course it was! Instructively, their successes were not handed down to them as gifts on platters of gold. They worked their ways through under divine providence. God, in His mercies, has brought us into the same providence having en grafted us into the stock of Abraham through faith in Christ Jesus so that the blessing of Abraham might come on us as well (Galatians 3:7-14). By virtue of this, you have no reason not to be successful in life unless you chose not to.


Success is not a gift but a reward, and it responds not to wishes but to hard work. The earlier you understand this truth the better. Life is like a supermarket with lots of items on display each with a price tag. When you go shopping in a supermarket, nobody has the right to question the choices you make. At the counter, what determines what you go out with is not your choices per se but your ability to pay the stipulated price tagged on the choices you have made. Whichever you can not paid for, is dropped from your cart (trolley). There is no bargaining! This is life for you! Like they would always say, "nothing is free even in Freetown". Success is not without a price.

"success is not a gift but a reward; it responds not to wishes but to hard work and only those who pay the price win the prize "

Hope you know that life does not give you what you deserve but what you demand; and you don't demand for what you are not entitled to; and you are not entitled to what you are not qualified for; And you are not qualified for what you have not worked for. That is how it operates.

Greatness comes with a price and only those who pay the price win the prize. There are principles governing success and if you desire success, you must be willing to pay the price. Discovering these principles and actually applying them is the PRICE you have to pay. Nobody, not even God, will do it for you. It is DIY (do it yourself). Too many a people has the same attitude as that rich man who asked Jesus in Mark 10:17 "...what shall I do to inherit eternal life" but who unfortunately walked out on Jesus when he was eventually told what he must do. Such people with a kind of what-shall-I-do-to-make-it-in-life approach attend programmes, read books, listen to messages and ask questions but are too lazy to walk the walk. They are too lazy, like the guy in the pix up there, to go to work using the tools at their disposal. They confuse day dreaming with vision not knowing that a vision that does not result in an action is day dreaming. Success, like precious metals, is not found on the surface and can only be extracted through hard work. selah!


I believe in prayers, I believe also in positive confessions but I also believe that only those who sow through thought full actions should expect a harvest. Prayers and +ve confessions often provide the right environment, attract divine favour but its never a substitute for work. Providence may offer you the opportunity for a job, but you must through hard work proof you self worthy of such favour. If God worked and is, according to Jesus, still working you better believe in work. Do you know that "thus says the Lord" is not a licence to go and sleep?

When God told Elijah to go to Zeraphat that He has commanded a widow there to sustain him, Elijah upon arrival didn't meet a widow with a very sumptuous meal waiting for him. Rather he met a reluctant widow with little or nothing left for her and her son. Many of us would have accused God of not being true to His word. "Didn't you say that you have commanded a widow to feed me, how come she doesn't even have enough for herself and besides she's resisting? we would murmur. But Elijah, armed with that divine information from on high, persisted and eventually had his way. Thank God he understood how God works.

No wonder apostle Paul charged Timothy in I Timothy 1:18, thus: "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them might war a good warfare"

His word has gone out concerning you that He wish that you be on top only and not beneath; that you prosper and be in health even as you soul prospereth. whether you enjoy these or not is your responsibility. Success is yours by provision but you have to do all you can to take possession of it so you could enjoy its full benefits.

Selah!

Hope you were blessed reading this post. I know I was , the first time I read it and even now.

There is the possibility that some people after reading this post may say "I have worked very hard all my life but success eludes me" Maybe God isn't on my side or something. Maybe I was destined to be this way, maybe I there is something wrong with me , maybe.......Hold on! Don't faint in despair. Please read my next post on the principles governing success . Although you can be successful working hard , hard work alone does not guarantee your success in life.