Dear Friend,
It’s a joy to begin sharing topics in The Journey series with you.
The Journey is all about the call of God on your life. Where you end up in life is determined by how well you prepare for it.
So far I have shared on Defining your Destination by Vision, Fulfilling Your Purpose and The Pillars of Progress. Recently, we focused on the Strategies for a Fulfilled Life, and I would like to continue this topic with you today.
STRATEGIES FOR A FULFILLED LIFE back to top
You have to have a strategy for your life. A strategy is a method by which you want to arrive at your goal.
If you want to arrive at fulfillment you have to have a design, or blue print, of how you’ll arrive there. If you don’t, you’ll be like those people who go with the flow and eventually find themselves caught in the web of the challenges of life; unable to move forward. Your life is too important to leave things to chance.
So what are the strategies? What are the steps you must stake? Firstly, you must have a correct image of yourself and see yourself the way God sees you; secondly you must stop making excuses; thirdly, have the right associations and lastly, say what the Word of God says – not what the circumstance or situation dictates. Let’s look at several other strategies for living a fulfilled life in detail.
BE GRATEFUL back to top
When you look back on your life is there anything to be grateful for? Gratefulness brings forth greater happiness. Some people are never satisfied, they always want more. Such people never stop to show gratitude for what they have now, or stop to enjoy the benefit of what they have.
People who look back with bitterness all their life, or who are always angry at their past will always be unhappy. If all you have is a memory of anger and bitterness and cannot see just one window of happiness, it becomes very hard to enjoy life and be fulfilled.
It says in Ephesians 4: 31-32: Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
If you want to keep records of all the wrongs done to you, there’ll be so much to keep. Let it go. Rather, keep a gratitude journal and be grateful for all that God has done for you. Remember, the things you take for granted, may be the very things another believer is fasting and praying for.
Gratitude is the attitude that changes your altitude in life.
PLAN AND PERFORM ACTS OF KINDNESS back to top
If you want to find fulfilment then touch other people; put a smile on someone’s face; find a need and satisfy it. Kindness reveals the mind of Christ in a believer – not their singing or their ability to quote scripture quoting, or how often they attend church. God reflects His kindness through us and toward us. He wants us to express His love to others. Matthew 5:45 shows us God’s kindness it does not discriminate, or treat people as enemies: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Showing kindness breaks down barriers and boundaries; it opens the doors to the fullness of God’s love and makes you a channel of blessing to others. Kindness means going the extra mile. You need to show kindness in the journey of life because what you sow is what you will reap. Your life journey is not just about you it’s also about your children, grandchildren and so on. Every seed I sow, I believe someone will sow back into the lives of my children and bless them.
Be good to people and bless believers especially. Colossians 3: 12 encourages us to put on tender mercies, so before you react to that sister or brother; think…is that what Christ would have done?
For you to really mature and grow to the level where God wants you to be, you’ve got to learn to perform acts of kindness. This is pivotal if you are going to live a fulfilled life.
FORGIVE back to top
If you are going to move on with your life you will need to forgive. You must develop the virtue of forgiveness; no matter what people have done to you.
Forgiveness is not forgetting; it is not minimising the wrong done to you, or belittling the pain you experienced; it is not finding excuses for the wrong or blaming yourself for the offence. Forgiveness happens when you admit that a serious wrong was done against you but you release the person in spite of what was done to you.
Forgiveness changes your status from victim to victor. A person may indeed know they’ve hurt you and may even enjoy the pain they are causing but you can change the status by giving forgiveness.
When you forgive you are no longer powerless, instead you are declaring ‘your action will not dictate my response or who I am; I am bigger than your intentions, your attitudes and what you have done’. You have in effect taken power from the people who wronged you.
You rise above it and become a channel of blessing.
As you hear all of the messages it is my prayer that you will apply the principles and fruit will manifest in your life.
You have been called appointed, equipped and anointed for such a time as this.
Until next month,
You are blessed and highly favoured
© Matthew Ashimolowo
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