Pastor's blog, Priorities

 

Admin, Often, on every new level of life, disappointment awaits us: “Why did I need this, why did I get involved with this?” Because of our own embarrassment and fear of the unknown, we guard ourselves with the fence of imaginary success, as if trying to say, “Everything is alright with me”, and if we are trying to look spiritual, then we put on a fake label of spirituality: “My Redeemer lives, I pray and believe”... We do all this because at times it seems to us that we are the only ones who are suffering in pain, going through hardships and we cannot see any results. However, for those that are “hiding” I have good news: you are not alone; there are a lot of people like you. The behavior of these kinds of people reminds me of a passenger, who was waiting for the train that was headed for the town of “possibilities”. But his own luggage stopped him – the suitcase was without a handle: the man was tired of carrying it, to leave it was a pity, and to keep going – he had no strength. So he is standing there, halfway, to his train cart, tied down by his own luggage and is awaiting for a miracle. A person that is on the path to happiness is burdened by “the luggage of fear of the new”, is waiting to be untied, and for a new success that he has worked so hard for and what seems to be so close. Jesus Christ had already pre-seen these kinds of situations, in which people stopped while carrying “the suitcase without a handle”, and fell right into the trap of their own assumptions. He suggested the miracle of being saved from the heaviness of the luggage on our path to our success. So please allow me to share with you His principles that will bring you to your desired goal. 1. Do not put off anything for tomorrow that should be done today. We can’t always do everything in one day and not every job is ready to be done today. For everyday there are specific jobs that have ripened and are in need of our attention, dedication, and given time. They are needed to be solved and not put off. Somebody may disagree: “But wait a minute, you can only do so much everyday...” I agree! So decide today, what you can decide, but remember that you should do only that what will bring success tomorrow. Because a successful tomorrow – is a productive today. Tomorrow will be poorer than today, if today will not be made better than it was yesterday. And vice versa: tomorrow will be better than today, if today will be better than yesterday. The day of salvation - is today! The effectiveness of our life as a whole will only be defined by what we do will do today. For everyday, plan out and divide about 6 tasks, not more than 6, that is important luggage for your life and try to fulfill them today. “Work for six days...” - says the 4th commandment, and then rest on the seventh. Remember: only like this and not vice versa. 2. The time of your influence is now. Do not think and worry about tomorrow, you do not have to influence anything for tomorrow today. Only an effective today has an influence on tomorrow. This is why you should not allow worry about tomorrow to take your attention away from the work of today. Why should we worry about something that we do not know? The unknown result is from the work of today. However, the unknown oppresses burdens and even scares us. In fear there is suffering, there is no life in that. You can only conquer the fear of the unknown tomorrow through diligent and hard work today. The wise Solomon said: “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). It is entirely possible that not everything from what we accomplish today will be a success tomorrow. However, it is necessary to acknowledge that a part of what we do today will bring a big prosperity tomorrow. But the fear of possible losses distracts us from success. If a farmer would fear losses or would worry of unpredictable weather, or would cry from seeds not growing then he would never see a harvest. Worry is a bigger destruction power than losses themselves. The real loss that will reflect on success is the loss of time today without worry of the future tomorrow. 3. Concentrate on that, what you can have influence on. Do that, what you can do, and do not worry about that what you cannot change and what you do not have to power to control. The Bible says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Noah, while building the ark, was not disappointed because he could not influence the whole world. The only thing he could do – was to build the ark and influence his family. And in the end he influenced the whole world. While sitting in the dungeon, Joseph could not influence the Egyptians for the purpose of his own freedom. But he had his abilities and talents. He focused his attention on where and how he can use them. And this did not only free him from the dungeon but brought him to glory. Bathsheba, the wife of David, could not forbid Adonijah to become king instead of her son Solomon. She went to the prophet Nathan and afterwards came with him to King David. In that very same day, Solomon became king. In the New Testament, we find the example of Apostle Paul, who desired to influence the Hebrews in Jerusalem. God told him to go where he can have influence. The result of that is known to the whole world. We need to concentrate on what we can do. We are becoming capable of creativity and are creating a new strategy. In reality, there are no dead-ends. There are new paths, other resources, and new methods. “...the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do...” (John 14:12). Jesus taught of personal capabilities that are part of the future. And was our Supreme Teacher and Lord wrong? When did people, in the past, have what we have right now in the present? If Jesus was right in general, then, for sure, He was right for every separate situation. Concentration on possibilities that we have today is the platform for the building of a new stage for tomorrow. Much comes from the result of truly using a little. We are most effective only then, when we give all our attention, time, resources, and life into something, only through this comes the multiple outcome of our potential. When you discover the main and central task from which your success is depended on – fully give yourself to it. Or vice versa: find the main reason of your problem, concentrate on it and eliminate it. Remember, everything in life is interconnected. By solving the main problem, you automatically solve thousands of little ones that flow out of the main one. By reaching something good, you open the doors to thousands of new opportunities that will, on their own, open themselves up to you. However, when trying to accomplish many tasks at once, you prophesy unsuccessfulness into every one of those tasks. Only masters, professionals of their own task will stand before kings. It is better to be a master of one task and serve the king, than to have “golden hands” for every task you do and always stay in need. 4. We can achieve any thing we want to, but only by doing one task at a time. You can influence only as many people as you can personally touch. To save all –means to save each one. Until you meet someone personally, you remain strangers with them, and here, time does not play any positive role but only negatively affects your relationship with that person. However, a person acquires friends one-by-one, just like tasks are decided one-by-one, one-by-one (excluding twins) babies are born, and you can only truly love one woman (of course if you are a married man, then your wife should love you back just as much). 5. A job that has already been started needs to be worked on until perfection. Do not stop halfway but he who found a job, has to do it the best way that he is capable of. The easiest and the simplest thing – is to use perfect instruments, perfect technology, live with perfect people, and travel on perfect roads. Perfection always has a green light. People greet perfection, they applaud it, it is highly paid for, people brag about it, people sing to it, and they dream about it. Perfection is no different than a job from which a flaw, and a defect was removed, and everything unreliable and gray, betrayed beauty and simplicity, named it perfection, but in a year, unfortunately, perfection is not the same... Perfection, that is idealism, has no limits and no end. This is why yesterday’s perfection – is today’s mediocrity. Stopping – is the beginning of your fall. By daily reaching for perfection, we guarantee ourselves success before God and before people. God will not stop in creating His new and even “of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom...” (Isaiah 9:7). God opens Himself up more and more and that what seemed ideal yesterday, today is in need of positive changes. In perfection divinity opens. Perfection shows that a person was created in the image of God, and in reaching for perfection a person worships His Creator. When our attention is directed towards something new, people begin to flow in an with them comes a spiritual, quantitive and material potential. In perfection – is power, in perfection – is leadership and a future – is behind perfection.

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It seems that today we have given into your hands a weapon that does not know any defeat. By using theses Bible principles, you will be able to carry out any heaviness, to carry any “suitcase without a handle”. You no longer need to stand with fear and shame of your problems – now you can move, walk, run, and be first to enter into history while having the right strategy. We wish you limitless blessings and success so that you no longer torture yourself and do not have to curse your “luggage” but grasp knowledge and practice the principles. Pastor Victor Muzichuk