In this edition we will be looking at few of the habits that enhance success in life; success in our spiritual, physical, financial lives.
Psychologists defined habit as an automatic or conditioned response to action (stimuli); our ways of life, our behaviour, our life style, that which we consistently do. Some school of thought proved that anything we do consistently for 21 days none stop becomes a habit. Generally, we have heard of sleeping habit, eating habit, talking habit etc.
We are all creatures of habit. We form our habits and our habits form us. Our habits could be positive or negative! However, we have choice of habits. Whatever we concentrate on grows in our lives. Life is study of attention, where our attentions go, our hearts goalso. Our ability to direct our attention will help our habits development. Our habits determine our destiny.
Psychologists have proved that 95% of what we do is determined by our habits. Good habits are hard to develop, but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to develop, but hard to live with. The habits you have and the habits that have you will determine almost everything you achieve or fail to achieve. Note that all habits are learned and they are learnable.
I will like to share with you some habits of successful people, as recorded in the Christian Scriptures, The Holy Bible. I have 21 habits to share with you in this and the subsequent editions. Welcome on board as we go on this voyage together.
One, Meditation!
Meditation is to have deep thoughts on certain issues or matters. Meditation is to muse over an idea or issues. Meditation is a strong source of success and prosperity.The Lord spoke extensively to Joshua in Joshua chapter 1 on keys to success. In verse 8, The scriptures emphasised the importance of mediation as one of the habits of success. He told him to “Meditate” in the word of God day and night. David in Psalm 1 verses 1-3 outlines keys to success. He noted in verse 2 that such man has delight in the law of the Lord and in this he Meditatesday and night.
Worry is the negative side of meditation. We all have deep thinking; but most times in negative ways. We worry! But Jesus Christ warned in Mathew 6:31 and 34 not to worry. Men who know the power of meditation and know what to meditate on, became highly successful. Joshua and David were among these men. No wonder in their books, they admonished their readers to meditate so as to blessed and to have good successes.
To aspire require that we must meditate in the word of God. Meditation helps to be goal oriented persons, and to achieve the goals.
Two, Prayer!
Prayer is a dialogue with God. It is the master key to success. Successful people in the Bible used prayers to shake the hand of God.
Prophet Isaiah, in chapter 50: 4- 5, says we have been given the tongue of learned to say a word in season. James in chapter 5 13-18 used the paradigm of Elijah to stir us up into using our learned tongues into doing what we need to do, to pray.
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When we do the must, we will force God to do the most. The “must” is to pray and the “most” is for God to make it happen. Elijah did the must, and he forced God to the most. David did the must, he prayed, “O Lord, frustrate the plans of Ahitophel.”Lord answered him, he did the most, and frustrated the plans of Ahitophel. Jabez was another example of a successful man, who inculcated the habit of prayer. The shortest history of a man recorded in the Bible was the story of Jabez. This was found in the Book of Chronicles chapter 4 verse 10. The prayer of Jabez was very inspiring and challenging, on how we approach God with our requests. The testimony was the success he recorded through responsible prayer. The bottom line is that our success is hinged on our prayer lives.
Three, Self-Improvement!
Self-improvement connotes increasing your leaning. For you to get to where you want to go you must move from where you are. Solomon in Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel”.
Your earning is a function of your learning. Reading is a very important factor in self-improvement. Paul told Timothy in 2 Tim 2:15 “Be diligent (study, read) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.
Paul, who gave this advice was himself a student of self-improvement. Paul’s relevance, and his secret of success was out of self-improvement. This was revealed in 2 Tim 4:13, when Paul told Timothy, “Bring the cloak that I left with Caprus at Traos when you come, and the books, especially the parchments”.
Also, Luke 4: 16 and above, shows how Jesus discovered his destiny by reading. Reading helps us to get better and helps our discovery.
Four, Responsibility!
You are not yet a failure until you blame someone else. You have the power of choice. Responsibility = response + ability. The continuous and consistent use of you in Joshua 1:8 puts the responsibility of your success in your hand more than in the hand of anybody. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. You have the power of choice- power to decide. Jesus in Mathew 5:38-42 says you need to go second mile. Take responsibility!
Five, Positive Talk!
Change the way you talk!One’s heart is program by the things we hear and see. Solomon in Proverbs 18 6-7 tells us that the mouth of a fool is his destruction and his lips are snares to his soul. 18:21 says Death and life are in the power of tongue and those who love it eat its fruit. James reiterates it in James 3 as he advises us to control our tongue. Speak positive!
Six, Seed sowing!
Galatians 6 6-7 presented the principles of seeds. “Be not deceived whatsoever you sow you shall reap”. In life some people waste their seeds; some eat up their seed while some plants their seed. Mordecai story is an example of a success story of man who sowed seed. There are 2 types of seeds, Natural seeds – reproduction seeds, material seeds etc. and Spiritual seeds (nontangible) words spoken, thoughts, and ideas. All these germinate to produce success.
Seven,Planning!
Solomon in Proverbs 24 3-4 underscores the importance of planning “Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established, by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches”. You cannot describe wisdom without talking of thinking. What connects you from where you are and where you are going is planning. Planning is a function of proper and adequate deep thinking, Thinking is out of wisdom. Planning helps you draw the picture of your success. Helps you to pre-empt causes, solve problems ahead of time.
To be continued. See you at the top
