TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND TRANSACTIONAL LEADERSHIP PART 3b

 TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND TRANSACTIONAL LEADERSHIP PART 3b

06. Make difficult decisions:

A transformational leader thinks outside the box and makes unique decisions that helps the team or other people he is leading(serving). A transformational leader thinks success all the time. He makes decisions that benefits everyone in the long-run no matter the short-term consequences. For example, when Jesus chose to die for the sins of the world, the disciples did not agree with him, in fact they were willing to kill to avoid the death of  Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:36-55). Even Jesus Christ at his own will did not want to die but he had to make the "difficult" decision which brought and is still birthing salvation to as many souls as are willing to be saved.

07. Self Management:

A transformational leader knows how to manage himself. It is similar to discipline. A self managed person is someone that knows his strengths and weakness with a proper knowledge on how to manage them. A transformational leader knows how to act when he is angry or pissed.

08. Entertain New ideas:

Well, the greatest tragedy for any human being is going through their entire life believing the only perspective that matters is their own. A big tragedy. Transformational leaders are open to new ideas because they recognise the uniqueness and diversity of each human being on earth, therefore they place value on each thought and ideas.  A transformational leader is not rigid in thinking.

09. Develop those around them:

The true strength of a leader is in whom he has developed.  A leader that cannot develop those around him is only leading himself and such leader will never last. Our effect as leaders should have lasting impression on anyone we come across and meet anywhere.

10. Adapt quickly and easily:

At transfomational leader is someone who is open to change. Someone that knows the importance of constant growth. A transformational leader is not rigid rather he is flexible in his ways and in his thinking. 

11. Keep their egos in check:

It has been said that Ego means Edging God out. Anytime we express our ego, we edge God out of the whole process. A transformational leader keeps his ego in check and learns, he also submits and observes the principles of the whole process.

 God bless you

The Men That Lead

Building Manhood

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TRANSACTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP - PART 3

TRANSACTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP - PART 3A

Characteristics of transformational leadership

Few weeks ago we looked into the concept of Transactional and Transformational styles of leadership but this week we will consider the characteristics of each of these styles.

We learnt that Transformational leadership is that which attempts to influence followers and inspire them to perform beyond imagined capabilities unlike Transactional which is a "quid pro quo" meaning as a leader, you have to earn as much as you have to give.

Here are some characteristics of Transformational leadership?

✓ Discipline:

A transformational leader has intentions of leading aright and must be disciplined in mind. Must be instant in season and must not slack in portraying leadership qualities. Must continually build himself in other to build others too. To be disciplined is to have self control at all times.

 

✓ Humility:

A transformational leader must always portray humility across all spheres of life. A humble person is someone that is not full of himself. Leadership, ideally is service to others as we have established in previous articles. Therefore, a humble spirit is always portrayed by a transformational leader. God resists the proud and giveth grace to the humble. We can say truthfully that grace is sufficient to the humble to lead aright always.

✓ Submission:

A transformational leader is submissive to higher authorities, epecially a submission to the source that creates life, God. He is the ultimate and perfect leader, and to lead transformatively, one must submit to God. Jesus Christ, our greatest example here on earth submitted wholeheartedly to God even unto his death on the cross. What more could we ask or what better template could we follow?.

✓ Passionate:

A transformational leader is always passionate about the things he is doing and especially the people he is leading(service). A passionate leader looks at the best interest of others, does not think conventionally but uniquely.

✓ Diligence:

Proverbs 22:29 _"Seest thou a man that is diligent in all things, he shall stand before kings and not mean men..."_ 

A diligent man stands tall amidst all speculations and doubts and even against fiery darts. Diligence simply means working hard and with conscientiousness, determination, and persevere. A diligent leader also makes a template for other diligent or yet-to-be diligent leaders.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Men That Lead

Building Manhood

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UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF VISION AND AMBITION - PART 2

 UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF VISION AND AMBITION - PART 2

Habakuk 3: 2-3

_"And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it"._

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry".

In our previous article, we saw a clear distinction between the concepts of Vision and Ambition. But today, we will look into understanding how Ambition can turn to Vision and vice versa.

From our anchor text,  the word "tarry" is a big word. It means in itself; even though that which is desired is not happening right now, wait for it, it will surely come. Plainly - it will not be delayed. There is an appointed time and it will come to pass in that appointed time. The word tarry means "to wait". Putting the words together; for every vision, the place of waiting is as important as the vision. The instant we cannot wait for the direction of God for the next phase of the vision, this vision is already turning into ambition. 

For an instance, let's take a look at the story of Abraham. God told him that Sarah is going to bear him a son and that they will become Father and mother of nation. But they could not wait till the time appointed. Sarah said unto Abraham "go in and lie with our maid and let him bear s son for you". This, Abraham accepted and they gave birth to Ishmael. Note-worthy, it was not an order from God but human(Sarah) and this was where Abraham's vision turned into ambition. Thank God for the Covenant He had made with Abraham that sarah will give birth to an heir. Any visionary  that starts to follow his own leading and not God's, he should know that his vision has turned into ambition. Vision gave birth to Isaac while ambition gave birth to Ishmael. As a child of God, it is advisable that you pursue God's vision. 

When the Lord gives you a vision, a revelation, or a promise… wait for it, wait for Him to bring it to pass in the appointed time; no matter how long it tarries, it shall come to pass in the right time, and it will not be late or be held back… it will be right on time!

When the Lord gives you a revelation of TRUTH, it is a "NOW" revelation, but when He gives you revelation concerning His plans and His promises for you, it is to give you "HOPE" and "FAITH" for His "FUTURE" plans for your life. He plants the seeds to give us hope and faith, not for us to become ambitious! 

He will bring His promise to pass… we just need to learn to be content, trust in Him and WAIT in FAITH!

The day someone with a selfless ambition turns to God and commits his works into His hands and waits for direction before he takes any step, then his ambition starts to turn into vision. 

What makes a vision a vision is simply "Divine direction" i.e. to totally submit to God for direction. On the other hand, what makes an ambition an ambition is when you are simply following yourself i.e submitting totally to your common sense and this will result into a common result.

Ambition will always produce "Ishmaels". Whenever we get impatient and decide to bring what God has promised to pass in our own strength, we produce "Ishmaels" in our lives. These "Ishmaels" in turn cause more trouble than we can think of.. 

The story of a young medic below will help us to understand more on how ambition can turn to a vision.

My name is Emmanuel Ademuyiwa, a part 2 student at the College of Medicine, Lagos State University.

 Q- Why I decided to study what I'm studying?

When I was still in secondary school, I simply wanted to go into medicine because of the money and prestige involved therein. I wasn't concerned about passion. Money was so important to me, hence, medicine was the goal😂.

But then, I sat myself down on a certain day, thought it deeply that if I gained admission to the college, and the stress comes in a rush, I might not survive and stand strong because firstly, I didn't involve God in my decision. Secondly, my decision was from a selfish and self-centered standpoint.

Hence, I started praying because I had been hearing a lot about Medical school that was really scary. I then got my an answer from God, telling me the course I was gonna study.

_In faith I went ahead took another jamb form, did a lot of research online about the course even up till residency training level to become a consultant after Medical school. I wrote my jamb exam and I did pretty well(had a score of 316), gained admission in merit and transited to the medical school with a CGPA of 5.0._

_Now at the medical school, the stress is always there. But, then the Bible says "I'd never leave nor forsake thee" .That statement alone is a comfort to me during those periods and that keeps me going._

As a parting word; in order to understand our ambition and Vision; it is very important we know Jesus who's always there to lead us and teach us. Trust me; He has good plans for us all.

Sometimes, we feel our decisions are the best, yet they're not God's will. Hence, in every situation, it's important to seek God; such that when challenges comes, we'd be assured that Jesus is in our boat, hence we cannot sink in the sea of academic depression_

I believe we have learnt one or two lessons from the above. 

In our next article we will be dealing with importance and benefits of vision over ambition

Thank you...

*TO BE CONTINUED...*

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UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF VISION AND AMBITION - PART 1

 UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF VISION AND AMBITION - PART 1

God created man and put in him the ability to subdue and dominate the earth. This is what is termed the spirit of leadership i.e. there is a spirit  of leadership in every man. At creation, God placed in man the ability to lead; to impart and also make impacts. There is always this part in us finding a way to be significant on the earth, because this is what we are called into. But the devil came to deceive man and the man obeyed him; and as such, he fell and the fruit of leadership in man was corrupted. The communion between God and man was disrupted. Man could no longer access God's intent for him, hence purpose was defeated.

God never gave us the spirit of leadership to dominate ourselves but the earth. When man fell and the spirit of leadership became; man then resorted into envy covetiousness, strife, pride all seeking ways to dominate other men like themselves. Leadership became a survival of the fittest. It became a do or die affair. This is against the purpose of God from which man derailed. Then, man began to have ambitions; self less and selfish ones just in order to seek ways to ensure this leadership. 

Furthermore, when man fell, he became open to choices; this is what birthed ambition and vision. God’s initial desire was not for us to fulfill our will but his will only. After man fell, he was now given the privilege of choice. God originally was man's sole authority; to decide for man and to also choose an inheritance for man. Man lost this at the fall and  power of choice was bestowed upon him. In all these, God still has power over his life.

What is Vision?

The word "Vision" has been defined in many ways but we will take a few as regards this context. Vision is the discovery of purpose for which one is created.  Vision is going back to your creator in prayer and asking him what he would have you do on earth. It is the unfolding of Divine plan for man's existence.

We must understand that our humanly qualification is the disqualification of our vision while our humanly disqualification is the qualification of our vision. In other words, what you may need to fulfill your vision is what you are yet to discover which is your hidden potential - your certification, eloquence. This is the reason you have to pay 100% attention to God in order for him to draw out the potentials in you.

What is Ambition?

Ambition can be defined as a strong desire to achieve a particular end or a set goal. According to the Oxford dictionary, "Ambition can also be said to mean an inordinate desire for some objects that confer distinction as preferment, honor , superiority and desire to distinguish one’s self from other people". When man fell, the Adamic nature took control of man (the ability to rebel against God will. This gave us the ability to pursue a course by ourselves even without asking from God. 

Ambition can be divided into two - selfish ambition and selfless ambition. Selfless ambition refers to when what you intend to do is help humanity in one way or the other with or without the help of God in your plan (as this is ambition). The latter i.e those who don't want the help of God want to contribute to humanity without believing whether He exists or not.

On the other hand, Selfish Ambition  is the ability to please yourself by displeasing other people in other to be significant in the society. This kind of people do not value human lives; they can kill in other to achieve their goals.

We must also understand that Ambition can turn to vision and vision can turn into Ambition. To understand more on this, follow us as we journey through.

Thank you.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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UNDERSTANDING WHY MEN FAIL - PART 2&3

 UNDERSTANDING WHY MEN FAIL - PART 2&3

3. Cain (Lack of respect for God)

Genesis 4:1-16

Cain was the first descendant of Adam. Being the son of Adam, he had the potential of being the father of the earth if his father Adam had followed through with God; and being that seed that would crush the head of the serpent. He had everything necessary for success yet he failed. He failed because he lacked respect for God. While his brother brought a befitting offer for God, Cain brought whatever he could lay his hands on to God. Abel brought "the first born of the flock and the fat portion" i.e the best he had, Cain brought something of no value accompanied with zero awe and reverence to God. Well we know how it all ended. He ended up being cursed by God himself and he became the father of a cursed race.

How many people nowadays bring the bottom of the barrel to God, while they leave out the precious things? Their valuable time which was supposed to be used in God service, their talent, knowledge, money; serving God only when it is convenient for them, flagrantly disobeying his commandments.  Just like Cain "if you do well, will you not be accepted?" And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; and still expect to be blessed of him. According to God's word in 1Samuel 2:30  "Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed".

4. Balaam: (Disobedience to God's will)

Numbers 22:12

Balaam, was a man who was a custodian of the oracles of God. He knew God's call on his life, and he had dedicated his life pursuing that purpose. Yet disobedience to God's revealed will derailed him and eventually destroyed him. He thought he was wiser than God and decided to make a little fortune on the side in total defiance to God's revealed instructions. He met with death down that path. Do you think you are wiser than God? that you can have your cake and eat it? That you can disobey God and go scot-free? When his revealed will says that "thou shall not steal" yet you still involve yourself in Yahoo Yahoo, theft and say Grace will cover you. Be not deceived so says God's word, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap. When you disobey God,you reap the consequence.

Having looked at this, let us look at those who have experienced success in their lives, career, business, health, marriages etc. but still end up as failures. What could have led to that?

5. Nebuchadnezzar (Pride)

Daniel 4:1-37

Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the empire of Babylon, the most powerful man on earth then, consequently the richest if you may say. He was a Paragon of success, a great entrepreneur, a fantastic builder and a world-class leader. Yet this little cankerworm called pride brought him down. No matter the level of greatness a man has achieved, if he allows pride in his life, failure is guaranteed. We must realise that, to maintain success and avoid failure we must constantly acknowledge the source of our success-God.

But something remarkable happened in vs 34-37

Daniel 4:34-37

[34]And at the end of the days [seven years], I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding and the right use of my mind returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him Who lives forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion; and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

[35]And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing?

[36]Now at the same time my reason and understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me, and my counselors and my lords sought me out; I was reestablished in my kingdom, and still more greatness [than before] was added to me.

[37]Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, Whose works are all faithful and right and Whose ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to abase and humble.

When Nebuchadnezzar realised his folly and amended his ways; his wealth, influence and prestige was returned to Him. This shows clearly that if we can learn from these characters and amend our ways by:

-Faithfulness to instructions

-Carefulness in morals

-Having Respect for God

-Obeying God's revealed will and

-Removing Pride from our lives.

Then we are sure to join the league of the exclusive few who enjoy lasting success and then...

Haggai 2:9

_The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts._

Shalom 💕

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UNDERSTANDING WHY MEN FAIL - PART 1

UNDERSTANDING WHY MEN FAIL - PART 1

Not everyone born on Earth will ever be successful. People in all levels of life have been found to fail. Statistics over the years has so far proven this. You will discover that so many people failed when they were in the lower classes of primary school. In the higher classes, there are also those who fail. Failure is at different levels.  Some fail in the weekly test, some fail at the end of the term. Some fail in the weekly test and succeed at the end of term, only to fail the next. Some fail at the weekly asessment; don't stop there but move on to fail at the end of the semester and at the end of the session. Some who have been succeeding at the lower classes also fail at the higher classes. Some succeed in internal examinations but fail at the external examinations. 

When you follow students up to the higher level, you find out that at the college,  polytechnic or universities they fail. Some succeed at the university but when they get to postgraduate school they fail.As we look at this trend of failure, you must then begin to wonder does failure stop at school? The truth of the matter is failure is much more outside school than it is in school. The pattern of failure in various levels of education is an indication that this is what happens to men generally.At lower levels, children fail, but it doesn't just stop there when they get to the age of teenagers, they fail. There are still so many people in their 30s to 40s who are still failing in the important subjects of life. Marriages, businesses, career, purpose and life generally. Unfortunately some people who have succeeded early in life still fail late in life.Because failure has not been properly monitored, it has become pronounced in the lives of more and more people. We therefore ought to ask ourselves the question as to why people fail.

We understand that a problem cannot be solved unless the reason for the problem is known. Therefore to stop this evil trend of failure in the lives of people we have to know the reason behind failure. It's not impossible to succeed all through.We will be identifying Biblical characters who failed in certain areas of their lives or in their life generally and analyse the reason behind these failures.

1. Saul (Unfaithfulness to instruction).1samuel 15

Saul was the first king of Israel and he was chosen by God himself to rule the land and kingdom of Israel following the cry of the Israelites for someone to rule over them. The Bible made us to understand that he (Saul) was a tall man, well-built; a man who had everything he needed at his disposal to rule a nation and to defend his country. But unfortunately he failed to actualize his primary purpose because he was unfaithfull to instruction. Although saul had everything he needed to win the war, he had the instrument, he had the physical stature, he had  the soldiers, he had the resources yet he failed to win just because it was not faithful to instruction. Many people just like saul have all it takes to be successful they've discovered what their purpose in life is. They have the necessary tools they need to fulfill their purpose, the right opportunities needed for their purpose fulfillment has come their way, they have the right people around them. They're in the right environment yet they fail to fulfill their life's purpose because they were unfaithful to instructions. 

Moses told Joshua in Joshua 1: 8 that this book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth but that shall meditate upon it day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shall make thy way prosperous and then that shalt have good success. This means that our being successful in life is directly linked to our ability to faithfully observe and do everything we have been commanded to do in God's word.

2. Samson (Carelessness in morals)Judges 14:1; 15:1

Samson was a man who had a singular purpose in life and that was to rule over the children of Israel and deliver them from the servitude of their enemy. Right from when he was young, he had discovered his purpose and he was already working towards fulfilling it. Yes he had some victories leading the Israelites against their enemies but in the latter part of his life, he failed In his Divine calling. This was not because he lacked the necessary tools he needed to succeed, not because his enemies or challenges as we may face today were bigger than him. He failed because he was careless in morals. Lack of morality has been one of the major root cause of failure in the lives of many people.

TO BE CONTINUED

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THE SPIRIT OF JOY - PART 2

THE SPIRIT OF JOY - PART 2

Joy is more than a feeling. It is infact the will of God for every of  his created work. This is why in the scriptures we are admonished to at all times put on this garment of joy (Phil 4:4). Proverbs 17:22 talks about the opposite of joy which is a broken spirit and what it will do to the heart of someone who possesses it. We must understand that a  heavy heart is not the Father's intent for us. When we are sorrowful, it is the devil at work in our lives. He is the one who give man reasons to go moody, reasons not to see the good in situations that may surround us. He causes man to withdraw from the very happy state which is God's plan for him. 

The Bible makes us understand the three fold ministry of the devil in John 10:10 "the thief cometh not but to steal, to kill and to destroy". Nothing in these operations of the devil brings Joy to man. He has come to place man in bondage and in captivity; hence it is he that causes a broken spirit in man. But according to the latter verse, the joy of the Lord overpowers this. We are made to understand in Proverbs 17paraphrased "when we possess this merry heart so given unto us of God, it guarantees us life". 

From KJV translation, we see it doeth good like a medicine. A medicine is meant to restore health when one is sick and in turn life unto our dead flesh. This is what happens when we are joyful. We come alive.

Why then do we need the Spirit of Joy?

✓No vision prospers in the absence of Joy: For every vision a man  has, He gets it from a source which is God himself. He made all purposes in the heart of a man. He is the great revealer of truths and secrets. Hence, to receive from the Father, you have to be in communion with Him. The Father who works in the atmosphere filled with joy can only relate with us at that same level. Joy translates into Joy. If you are burdened in heart, there is no room in you to even bear whatever plans He has for you and as such you are deprived of the blessings attached to that vision(Matthew 11:28-30).

✓Nothing works in the absence of Joy:

You cannot be sorrowful in heart and expect  things around to work for you. Why is this so? A sad person cannot see good in anything and if he cannot, then he can't expect to receive anything good. Because how do you expect to receive when you have not first seen. Until you have been able to visualize these things with the eyes of your mind, it can't come to being. One vital tool that makes for success is to have the Spirit of Joy in you. Joel 1:12 "The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men". 

In the  scripture above, nothing was working for these people; those that previously used to work and those things that were expected to work; they all failed. Why? Joy was withered away from the son of men. Joy is very important. Habakkuk 3:17-18

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation".

✓Joy is a fruit of the Spirit: This is another very vital essence of Joy. It is a proof of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You see a believer who is not joyful, always moody and sad; such a person is not showing these fruits. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Joy and according to the scriptures, he gives to any man that will ask of Him. (Matthew 7:7). Even in the saddest situations, you still have this Joy in the Holy Ghost, reminding you of His word and helping you to keep on pushing. It is never you alone. It is you together with the Holy Spirit and sure your victory is accomplishable.

✓In the absence of Joy, God cannot speak to us: The Bible makes us understand that God is omnipotent meaning he has power to do all things. But you ever wonder why in certain situations, it may seem like He is not there. Do you ever wonder why it looks like you have been able to hear God speak to you but recently it's been difficult to approach Him. Then, have you stopped to also check is there something you were doing before or possessed but isn't there any more. Isaiah 12:3 tells us that "with joy shall we draw water out of the well of salvation". One of the benefits we enjoy when we are saved, is this constant communication with the Father and we see in that book of Isaiah that this is breached. He can never speak to us without joy. Let us take a look at the story of Job in the Bible. It wasn't that God didn't know that he was challenged but sorrow in him made God far from him. Not until he realized and then his understanding changed; he began to bless God and also prayed for his friends, then God restored back unto him all He had lost (Job 42).

A happy countenance invites God but a sorrowful one chases away His presence. Instead of seeing the things that are not working, why not see those that have worked and just see how God has helped you thus far, it will help you be full of appreciation unto Him and also foster Joy in Him.

TO BE CONTINUED

THE MEN THAT LEAD

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THE SPIRIT OF JOY - PART 1

 THE SPIRIT OF JOY - PART 1

Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith".

Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones".

Praise God! We @TMTL will like to use this opportunity to appreciate everyone who has stayed all through the journey thus far and we will like to say a very big thank you; also wishing you all a Happy Happy New month. Our prayer is that this month be most fulfilling and inspiring for you; a month filled with all round prosperity in Jesus mighty name. Amen

Hallelujah once again! This week we shall be looking at a very vital biblical concept which is Joy. Joy is more than what it literarily means i.e. "to be happy". Here, we will see what more there is to this and even why it is necessary for us as believers. 

In a world of so many crisis today; a world of confusion when men are thrown into strife and hatred for one another, where sorrow and languish have become the daily meal of certain ones, where those that oppress continue to seek to oppress and so many have even lost their source of happiness. God is saying to you "BE JOYFUL". It doesn't matter how the circumstances may look currently; it doesn't matter whether your finances are a mess or you can't even provide for your family. It doesn't matter that there is that someone who is always at all times frustrating your endeavors whether it be a colleague or a superior. God is saying to you "BE JOYFUL". 

Why do I need to be joyful when all around me is not working, some may ask? 

One of the things I have come to understand is that Joy is the only proven antidote for sadness. The way it is said that if you nurse hatred for a person, just in your heart begin to find reasons to love that person, soon your hatred for that person will be long forgotten; in the same vein this is applicable with Joy. For every heart that sorrows, you can only find solace in Joy. 

One thing we must understand is that Joy or being joyful is the heritage of every believing child of God. Being joyful is our birthright. So whether you choose to or not, this Spirit is a must have and it's available for you and I. God is not happy seeing his own hurt daily, He is not happy seeing you go through pain. The Bible makes us to understand in Jeremiah 8:21paraphrased "for the hurt of my people, am I hurt, dismay hath taken ahold of me". This is God talking to us here.

Our Father in heaven is a joyful God. The scripture makes us see this in Psalm 16:11; "in his presence, there is fullness of Joy and at his right hand, there are pleasures forever more". You can take a few lines back and see the light from that word. Have we ever heard that in heaven, there is agony or there is pain. Never. It is impossible to have heard that sometime in heaven; things were so hard and God cried or the host of heaven all wore sack clothes and had ashes upon them-At all! 

This is infact God's divine plan for us. Right from creation, we see God's original intent for us from verse 26 of Genesis 1. "Now, let us make man in our own image and after our likeness..." 

You are made in the image and after the  likeness of God; thus, if his image is Joy, then you have every right to own joy and not just that "to stay joyful". The second part of that verse says "...and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth". In all of these words aforementioned; I don't think sorrow was ever part of divine arrangement for us. Subsequent verses "be fruitful, multiply, inherit, govern". No place for sorrow or sadness in God's dictionary for us. This tells us that He is concerned about what makes us happy. This means if things are not working, and we are therefore sad, it is never his work. Going back to the verse in Psalm 16:11 "in his presence there is fullness of Joy..."

 Now, if I may ask, where is the presence of God? Heaven -no. God lives in Heaven, yeah; but he is present in you and I through his Holy Spirit. Therefore, Joy is in us. Hallelujah! 

Please let us make these confessions "I have joy that the devil cannot take from me" "I have joy so great that the devil cannot withhold from me" "I am joyful because I have a joyful Father". 

This is our birthright even as we become genuine born again children of God. You are not supposed to be heavy at heart. The spirit of heaviness is of the devil; and as long as you are not his, it is not yours! Concluding this pilot series; from that verse in Psalms "...at his right hand there are pleasures for ever more". This is the reason we are Joyful because life is pleasurable in God. It brings happiness unto us. Communion and constant fellowship with Him makes us liable to this. Whether it is pleasures in your health, finances, academics, career, marital life, fruitfulness - He has them all in His possession and it is ours for the taking. Why should we then be sad?

TO BE CONTINUED

THE MEN THAT LEAD 

Building manhood...

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