A HOPE FOR A NEW LIFE

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them

which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,

but after the Spirit” Romans 8:1

Many at times, people think worse of themselves. Some see themselves as being rejected, forsaken or abandoned. The opening scripture here says “There is therefore NO CONDEMNATION…” This is the voice of hope for a new life speaking to you. The word “Condemnation” can also be interpreted as blame, disapproval, criticism, attack, displeasure, guilt, and blameworthiness. All these synonyms are negative words- Words that portray unacceptability.

Lots of people today are living with condemnation. Many see themselves as not approved, thinking they have nothing to offer for the betterment of the society. They so much look down on themselves that they forget what treasure God has deposited in them- they are not cognizance of that inbuilt potential that needs to be maximized. Some face criticism by almost everyone they trusted, disappointment and frustration is just at peak for them. Many relationships had crumbled because trust is no more. A lot of people are suffering from the guilt of sin- whether presumptuous, beseeching or outright.

It is quite disheartening to know that many even stopped attending places of worship because of the condemnation they’ve invoked upon themselves. “Excusing yourself from the place of worship because you feel condemned or rejected is like running away from your doctor because you are sick”

Whatever forms you are entertaining condemnation in your life, whether it is the feeling of rejection by family or unacceptability by the society, or the guilt of sin, it is important to know at this time that there is a hope for a new living. There is a hope to start living the life God wants you to live right now. Remember He said “I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” Jeremiah 29:11. There is an expected end; a desire to fulfil purpose; a vision to be accomplished. God knew these things even before you know them and that is why He wants to refurbish your hope. He wants you to live your real life and become what you are predestined to be.

However, just as the scripture had rightly said, it is only those who are in Christ Jesus that will not be condemned. This simply means, you can only find the hope for a new life in Christ Jesus. No wonder Jesus said in John 14:6 that “…I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” The truthful way to have a new life is by coming to Jesus and accepting Him into your life to be your Lord and Saviour. The Scripture says “…Christ in us the HOPE of glory..”

Have you accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour? If yes, I must congratulate you for your decision and I must also admonish you to continue in this faith you’ve so found that you may receive “that crown of Glory”. If you are yet to accept Christ into your life, it is better you do so now so that the lost hope can be restored. Say this short prayer…

“Lord Jesus, I come to you today. I believe you as the Son of God who came to take away my sins. Today I accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Give me a new life and Write my Name in the Book of Life. Give me also the Holy Spirit to guide me. Amen”

If you’ve prayed that short prayer, I congratulate you and welcome you to the Kingdom of our Great God.  Halleluiah!

© E.O Michael

Writer, Tutor & Researcher

BECOMING A SUCCESS

Becoming successful is what everyone looks forward to in everything they do. Though, sometimes seem impossible to be successful due to challenges and circumstances surrounding our pursuit, it is important to know that nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible to be achieved if indeed we want to.
Across history, we read about men and women of great impact. People who set their heart toward a thing and got it done; people who purposed in their heart to achieve a thing and it was so; people who had dreams, pursued it earnestly and made it a reality.
We heard of great inventors such as Thomas Alvan Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Charles Babbage, Isaac Newton amongst others. These are men who became successful in their endeavour. Even in the business, academic and Information Technology (I.T) world, we can mention some prominent men and women who, we can boldly say, are successful in what they do. 
These greatly successful men did not just wake up in a day and become successful. There are challenges also faced by them. However, despite the challenges and odds, these men have some things in common which made them what they are (or were) today. Some of these is what I shall discuss in this article.

VISION OR PURPOSE
I would like to start by saying "The most miserable man on earth is not the one without a sight but the one without a VISION" Even the Holy Bible says "...Where no vision is, the people are destroyed"  This is essentially true because when you lack vision, you lack a sense of direction. It is your vision that will drive you and propel you towards a single direction thereby making you non-purposeless. Imagine if the four tires of a vehicle has to go different ways because their is no proper harmonizing. What do you think will happen? The vehicle will only remain at one spot- going nowhere.
Vision is that purposeful end you want to have in life. When you have a vision, their is proper harmonization of all gifts, skills and talents within you to achieve and fulfill your vision just like the four tires are harmonized to move toward the same direction.

"When you don't have a direction, you will be led by anyone"   E.O Michael
“Make your vision so clear that your fears become irrelevant.” Anonymous
“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” Jonathan Swift

PASSION
Passion has been defined by Wikipedia as "a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for someone or something" Passion can range from eager interest in or admiration for an idea, proposal, or cause; to enthusiastic enjoyment of an interest or activity; to strong attraction, excitement, or emotion towards a person.
One thing that drove those great men to their "Promised Land" is passion. It is the fuel that powers your vision. Passion is that in-burning desire to fulfill your vision. When there is passion you would not see any difficulty or challenge that may come your way in the course of fulfilling your purpose in life. Even if those challenges will come, which is normal- there's no always smooth sailing because the storm is part of what makes the sea, you will neither be bothered nor discouraged by them. You will only see them as stepping stones to fulfilling your purpose.

"Passion is the 'Reviving Fire' of a vision"    E.O Michael

COMMITMENT
It is important to know at this moment that being passionate alone cannot earn you success. Your level of success is not only a function of your desires or enthusiasm but also a function of your commitment. Commitment, from the word 'commit', means to give your totality (or of something) to achieve a thing (or to someone). That is to say, you cannot be successful if you are not ready to give your whole self to the fulfillment of your vision. 
Commitment is all about sacrificing. To be a successful fellow in whatever you are doing, whether as a student or as a career person, you must be ready (to some extent) to sacrifice your time and your resources (financial and non-financial). Reading at night, spending your little money to buy books, going from one tutorial to another are parts of the sacrifices you must pay as a student who want to be successful academically. To the career person, you may have to spend your holiday (or work leave) doing research and making connections. All these are part of commitment. They are sacrifices that must be paid to be a Success in that vision.

"Without commitment, your dream will only remain a Nightmare"   E.O Michael
“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” Joel A. Barker
“Vision without execution is hallucination.” Thomas Edison

PERSISTENCE
While commitment is about giving all it takes to fulfill your vision or dream, persistence is the fact of continuing in an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. Challenges will come, persecution may arise but a determined heart will overcome them all. For you to be a Success, you must keep pursuing your vision in spite of  difficulties or challenges that may arise. Don't ever give up on your dream no matter what. Pursue earnestly.

TEAM WORK
I need you to understand that it's not everyone that will support your vision. As it is important to work with people to be fulfilled in whatsoever one is doing (no man can do it all), it is also pertinent to know that without the right set of people, you will be heading nowhere.
When you have a vision or dream, source for like-minds and work relatively with them. This is a great way of expanding the scope of your vision and getting things done more effectively.
Consider the short definition of team as this:
Together   Everybody   Achieve   More

If you can work with these basic principles, I have no doubt in my heart that you will end up being a SUCCESS.

Thanks for reading!
                                                                                                                           (c) E.O Michael
                                                                                                               Tutor, Writer and Researcher

Endeavour to read our other inspiring articles. LIKE and SHARE them.