THE EAGLE'S ASCENT ( A Sure Path To Success)

experience unprecedented success. No doubt! This Bible verse as a source of inspiration can motivate you to action and propel you to a greater height. I have always drawn inspiration from this portion of the Bible; it has a way of soothing my pains and strengthening me when I am weak and discouraged. It only encourages me and inspires me to act against all odds. A powerful portion of the bible that leaves you better than it found you yet most times taken for granted by individuals and readers alike simply put; Grace is the favour of God that gives us access to the power of God for everything we need for life and godliness. I want to consider this again; Grace is the favour of God that gives us access to the power of God for everything we need for life and godliness. That was not a complicated idea you know? The reason many find it difficult to understand grace is that they confuse it with mercy. Grace is the underserved, unearned, or unmerited favour of God. While mercy is when we have sinned and deserve judgment, yet because of the blood of Jesus, we remain unpunished for sins committed. Mercy released us from the judgment of God. Grace is a favour and that favour gives us access; it gives us the legal right to access the power of God for everything we need. None of us deserves access to God and his power. As it is written, there is none righteous no, not one (Verse 23); for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10,23) Because of sin, we all deserve everlasting hell yet God has given us access to all he is and all he has. What an awesome God he is! God’s grace can take us to places. He favoured us while we were sinners. This is very important for you and everyone to understand. God released his grace first before extending his mercy to us. But God demonstrates his love towards us, that’s while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). ■ EVERYTHING COMES THROUGH GRACE: Understandingly, all things we receive from God come through grace, wisdom, understanding, and riches to mention but a few. It is worth noting that, apart from being successful through grace, we are also saved through grace. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be served in the same manner. (Acts 15:11) ■ BELIEVE THROUGH GRACE: And when he was minded to pass over into Archaic, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him; and when he was come, he helped them much that had believed through grace” Acts 18:27 ■ WE RECEIVE OUR INHERITANCE OF GRACE: Most people believe that all their inheritance is by power or might. It is only by God’s grace that we can obtain an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his grace. So, my dear, whatever you do, work heartily as for the lord and not as for men, knowing that from the lord you receive the inheritance as your reward. Please note that; an inheritance gained hastily in beginning will not be blessed in the end. Amend your ways, seek for his grace and righteousness and every other thing shall be added unto thee. What a wonderful God we serve. ■ WE RECEIVE SPIRITUAL GIFTS THROUGH GRACE Listen to this life-changing and inspiring testimony by a great man of God whose destiny was almost stolen by the enemy, but God’s grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit called him to order. He said, “People often look at me and think I am special” he continued, they think I have a special calling and gift. They are of this belief that because of these gifts and calling, God’s power and anointing flow into my life like no other. My real story is what they knew nothing about. You see, I was kicked out of high school six weeks before graduation. I spent five years abusing drugs and alcohol, stealing money from employers, friends, and family to pay for drugs. A habit I formed while in high school. They hardly know the s****l misconduct I was involved in. He said; I was completely lost but through God’s grace, I was saved. He emphasized. Now I travel all over the world ministering to millions of people, lives are changed, and people are saved, healed, and set free from captivity. He went further to say that he has witnessed the manifestation of God that he used to read from books only. None of this happens because I am so spiritual or righteous, it happens because of God’s grace he concluded. Just like the eagle. The bird is never better than others but grace found it and made it. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith (Romans 12:6) There is a need to remember at all times that everything we need in life comes through grace, which is God’s favour in our lives, regardless of whether we deserve it or not. However, if this is true, why do most of us live lives that are broken, defeated, sick, and without power? It is simply because we don’t understand the grace of God. We have failed to understand what grace is and how it can be multiplied in our lives. Through grace, we have the power to unlock every difficulty that hinders success. Verse 3; according to his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue ■ BE THANKFUL IN ALL SITUATIONS I want to start with this wonderful quote; “the unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour some heavenly blessings”. (Henry Ward Beecher). Gratitude means to recognize the good in your life and be thankful for whatever you have. Some people may not even have one of those things you consider precious to you, (Wealth, good health, successful family, good friends, etc). Always show appreciation for every kind gesture. Now, let’s take it from the Christian point of view. For the Christian, every day should be “Thanksgiving Day” we should even be thankful amid problems. Apostle Paul said; “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. Great is my boldness of speech toward you; great is my glorying of you, I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. (2conrithians 7:4). He knew that God was working all things together for his good even though he was going through trials. Problems will surely come your way but God will always see to it personally that you grow as a Christian. He will allow the storms to send your roots deep into the soil of His words. We oftentimes pray more during problems but fervent prayers at all times in riches or lack would make us stronger and closer to God. Trials have their purpose. They make us struggle – they bring us to our knees. Faith and thanksgiving are close friends. If you have faith in God, you will be thankful because you know His loving hand is upon you. You will find it difficult to appreciate God if you fail to appreciate your fellow human for any kind gesture. Show gratitude to people at all times, this will bring more favour. A lot of people fall victim to such people who hardly appreciate people for good deeds. I have fallen victim to this on several occasions where my good deeds are hardly appreciated. They sometimes turn against me instead but rather than discourage me, it makes me stronger. I won’t stop giving people in need a shoulder to lean on, this I take as my calling. Appreciating me may add little or nothing to my life. I found out that each time I give out or render help in any form; I gain inner joy, peace, and happiness. I once read an article posted on my wall on one of the social networks. It sounded so real and reminded me of the privileges I enjoy through the mercy of God. We oftentimes fail to appreciate the fact that being hale and healthy without any form of disability is something to appreciate God for. I found out that disadvantaged people appreciate God much more than we do. This article is titled “Oh! Lord, forgive me when I whine!’. We oftentimes complain bitterly about our present conditions wishing to be like others. There is nothing wrong with aspiring to be as successful as others but always remember you are a special being. God has deposited in you great treasures which need to be activated. So, no need to complain at all times. Take proactive measures, then take every ugly situation to God in prayers and see every buried treasure in your life uprooted. This article, I believe will be helpful as it reminds you of the need to appreciate God at all times. ■ FORGIVE ME WHEN I WHINE! Today on a bus, I saw a very handsome guy and wished I were that handsome. When suddenly he rose to leave, I saw him hobble down the aisle. He had one leg and wore a crutch. But as he passed, he smiled happily and cheerfully. I said, oh! God forgive me when I whine! Minutes later, I stopped to buy some chips; the lady who sold them had such a charming look with his brother right beside him. I talked with him briefly, and he seemed so glad. If I were late, it would not harm me. As I wanted to leave, he said, “I thank you, you’ve been so kind. It’s nice talking with folks like you. You see, “I am blind,” he said. Oh! God forgive me when I whine! I have two eyes; the world seems mine! A moment later, while walking down the street, I saw a child I used to know. He stood and watched others play, but did not know what to do. I stopped a moment, then asked, “Why don’t you join them my dear’? He looked ahead without a word. I forgot he was deaf. Oh! God forgive me when I whine! I have two ears; with the foot to take me where I may go, eyes to see the sunset glow, and ears to hear the c**k crow. ■ WHAT A WONDERFUL PIECE! If you are touched by these words, stretch out and show some love to the less privileged. After all, it’s a simple reminder of God’s unending love and grace toward you and me. After reading this piece, tears rolled my cheeks; I felt instant remorse for my lack of gratitude to God for all he entrusted in my care. I quickly copied and saved this piece in my archive, then said; Oh! God forgive me when I whine! ■ Quotes on Gratitude: 1) “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions, the more you express it for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express Gratitude” – (Zig Ziglar) 2) “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow”. (Melody Breathier) 3) “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other”. (Randy Pausch). ■ WIN GOD’S HEART: David was a man after God’s heart. You too can. But there is always a need to exhibit the right quality to be qualified for such an exalted description. God has equal love for us all but sin has always been a barrier. To understand why David was a man after God’s heart, we need to see the special character he possesses. The obvious question is how could God call David “a man after His heart”? When David was such a terrible sinner, having committed adultery and murder? Different portions of the Bible made us understand that David’s life and the story were a product of success and failure, and on several occasions highlights that he was far from perfect. But the most interesting part of David’s life that brought him this special recognition was that his heart was pointed toward God. So, what does it take to win God’s heart? Let’s quickly take a look at some key characteristics of David’s life that are worthy of Emulation. David’s had absolute faith in God. He believed in God’s Supremacy and at no point did he denounce his faith. Faith makes all things possible, and without faith, it is impossible to please God. It worked for David and it can work for us only if we believe with faith. Young but fearless David conquered Goliath a respected warlord of all time. God was in perfect control of David’s life, and he had faith that God would deliver him from impending danger. The question is, how else would one take on such a difficult task with such calm and confidence? David did this because he knew that God never fails. Though a terrible sinner, some part of his life and strength inspires me. Furthermore, David loved God’s law. His contribution to the book of psalms is a true testimony to this. He is credited with writing over half of the book of the psalm. Even in the trying period, David repeatedly mentioned how he loved God. Most importantly, David was truly thankful. In all situations, he remained thankful. His life was marked with great peace and prosperity as well as times of fear and despair. But all through his life, he never forgot to thank God for all he’s done for him. This is truly one of his best qualities. As he often said, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! It is also good to be thankful to God for all he’s done for us. David was also repentant. As a terrible sinner, he never failed to ask for forgiveness and true repentance at all times. I hope you will draw some inspiration from the positive part of David’s life that brought him honour and special recognition. David went ahead to set the record because God was with him. He prayed and asked for God’s grace before embarking on that enormous task of fighting a war. He knew it was not by might or power but by the spirit of God, all yokes are broken. You see, he couldn’t have done any better without God’s grace and favour. You can be God’s best as well. You are special to God, you know? Draw closer to Him and experience this awesome grace. Our lives are what we make of them. In many families today, most children win their parent’s hearts. This often results in envy by other siblings. But the truth is that it takes a special attitude and attention to win your parent's hearts. Though some children may enjoy special love and attention from their Parents, Uncles, or other relations alike from birth. I noticed in most cases; such special love and attention are often misused. This is simply because any favour, especially unmerited favours are often abused. Is it true, things gotten on a platter of gold are hardly valued? I don’t think so! ■ HOW TO WIN GOD’S HEART:​ ➢ Draw closer to God and He will draw closer to you: Look unto the Lord and His straight; seek His face always. (1chronicles 16:11). As you read this book know that God always wants love, to be with you, talk with you and solve your problems. But it is in your decision to give Him a chance. ➢ Admit you can’t do anything on your own: A relationship with God is the best relationship to have. One of the first steps in reaching the heart of God and gaining a closer relationship with Him is admitting that you need Him in your life. The truth is that we can do nothing without him. The closer you walk with God, the lesser room there is for anything to go wrong. ➢ Submit to God: We want power in our prayers and we want to see results. We have dreams and desires that we want to see fulfilled. However, at times our prayers may feel like they are bouncing off the ceiling or going unanswered. Note: “God can delay the breakthrough to prepare us” ➢ Self-discipline: I once read this life inspiring book written by Brian Tracy. This book did not only inspire me but taught me the gains of being disciplined. This book taught me that you become happier and more fulfilled each time you live and exhibit the right kind of attitude. Brian Tracy made me understand that self-discipline is the key to a great life and without it, no lasting success could be achieved. No wonder the eagle would succeed. I wish to let you know that the development of self-discipline only changed and made me achieve great success in my career and business life. It is worth noting that self-discipline does not only mean personal discipline in terms of habits, it is a general thing, learned from the eagle as you read on. You can discipline yourself in Finance, relationships, etc. To achieve this, you must be ready to pay a great price! I discovered that all your goals and aspirations can be achieved if only you discipline yourself to pay the price and never give up! With self-discipline, you can rise above your peers even though they may have a better background. But the fact that you exhibit the right attitude, you have an edge over them. That is self-discipline! Elbert Hubbard, one of Americans most prolific writers once said; “Self-discipline is the ability to do what you feel like it or not”. He went on to say that self-discipline is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you and makes everything else possible, he concluded. A prolific writer indeed! You see, self-discipline is the major key that unlocks the doors to success. With self-discipline, we can achieve the unthinkable! The Eagle proved this. My husband always told me that self-discipline can lead to financial freedom. He always told me to prioritize my spending. Often, he uses great men and women who achieved great success as a reference point. I didn’t take his words much seriously till later when responsibilities became much higher. Simply put, he taught me financial values at the early stage of our union even though he was a scientist while I was an economist and in the financial sector as well. I gave him credit for imbibing in me the spirit of self-discipline. Through his invaluable advice, I learned how to save, give to churches, and invest no matter how little. It was difficult at the beginning, but as time went by, I got accustomed to the system which has today paid off. As things began to pay off, I recounted my experiences in the past where I wasted a substantial amount in business ventures that yielded little or no fruit simply because I lacked financial discipline. My father in academia once told me and my siblings that our ability and willingness to discipline ourselves to accept personal responsibilities for our lives are the keys to Happiness, Health, Success, Achievement, and Personal development. His life and story have been told briefly in this book but permit me to add little to his numerous characters and actions of discipline that propelled him to success. The most interesting part of his life that I cherish greatly is discipline, honesty, and consistency. As an accountant with great accounting knowledge, he went into academics instead of practicing his profession. Even though he took up an appointment with a company much later in his life. He once told me about his experience while working with one of the manufacturing companies in town where his boss entrusted a huge amount to his care. During this period, the company experienced a boom in material and cash. There was so much cash inflow that, the boss hardly remembered that some huge amounts were in his possession. He neither tampered nor made away with the fund. He exhibited the highest level of honesty and self-discipline to the admiration of his boss and fellow staff. Without request, this great man of honour and integrity brought out this money and reminded his boss about the money that was entrusted to his care. What a man! This single act of honesty sharpened his career and earned him honour, respect, and recognition at all times. This is simply the manifestation of the power of self-discipline! A great writer once wrote; “men of power are feared, men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied but only men of character are respected”. The one million question is, Do you possess the right character and self-discipline to achieve great success”? ​Answer this question; write it down on a plain sheet and most importantly on your inner mind. Meditate on it time after time. If your answer is yes, don’t let go! And if the opposite, then you need to re-think! Record this in your subconscious mind that there are a thousand excuses for failure, but never a good reason. People who lack discipline can make as many millions as they desire, but the question is, how do they manage their wealth? Such wealth usually disappears in a twinkle. Reasons; most often, hard work and goodwill can bring genuine wealth but lack of self and financial discipline leads to mismanagement. This is true! In our society, today, notice that 70% of our first-generation millionaires have little or nothing to be remembered for. The simple reason is that they failed to teach their children financial discipline knowing that they will one day leave the stage. It is interesting to note that men who were thought financial discipline from a young age by their parents most times from humble homes are the key players in our economy today. They grew up with the spirit of saving no matter how little. They started investing at a very young age and today they are enjoying financial freedom to the envy of their peers. In his life-changing book, Brian Tracy made a shocking revelation about his success. He had irregular education and acquired no certificate or skills and rather did menial and odd jobs to survive. The interesting part of his life is that he had discipline. Self-discipline, hard work, and grace propelled him to success. Brian made little reference to the famous Rockefeller Children. He said though their father was one of the richest men in America, their children were given tasks and chores to perform before they received their allowances. They were instructed on how to spend their allowances; how to save, how much to give to charity, and how much to invest. As a result of this special training, these children grew up to become successful businessmen and statesmen, unlike children who were born with silver spoons and who oftentimes lacked discipline in money matters. He concluded. I came to realize, lately that children from humble homes especially those born by teachers are often disciplined and progressive-minded. This is simply because they got most of their needs through the way. Their pocket money, clothing, and school fees, to mention but a few, and such valued any little thing they had. They value their education because they were aware of the price of failure. My father once made “Wastage” a topic each time we gathered for meetings. We rehearsed this topic in his absence and made a jest of it. Soon, we realized the importance of that word. It only changed us for good. I have often asked this question which remains unanswered; Why do teachers train their children to the highest level even with their merger salary while people who earn thrice than they do rarely see their children off in academics. I am yet to get a convincing answer from anyone but having come from a similar background, I concluded that discipline, and priority could be the perfect answer. You see, teachers disciplined themselves and their children in terms of money matters. They prioritize their needs to an extent that they on several occasions denied themselves pleasures. They gave their children’s education, health, feeding, etc more attention than other needs which they considered secondary. They believed in the future knowing that the payoff would rather bring joy than hurt. They make out time to teach their children the ways of the winners and at all times encouraged them never to give up on their academics. ■ STAY HEALTHY We are all accustomed to the saying; Health is Wealth! Yes, I will never trade health for a piece of gold! There is a need to stay healthy at all times to actualize your potential. Oftentimes, our health is a factor that enables us to manage our families, Careers, and daily obligations. It is worth noting that to live a viable life, love, and take care of our families and manage our daily responsibilities; our health must take the lion's share in our list of priorities. You must learn to embrace a healthy lifestyle and make health your priority, this will surely bring invaluable wealth to your life, career, and family for generations unborn. Unhealthy lifestyles or habits may cost you your life and career. A lot of us know some unhealthy habits that could hamper our progress and still indulge in such acts. You must not be a doctor to know the harmful effects of smoking, abusing drugs, etc. All you need do is take that bold step today and say “I quit” I think there is a need for health awareness in our society. A lot of us have fallen short of the importance and benefits of maintaining good health. Health represents a state of physical and mental well-being. Without good health, we will not be able to enjoy the good things in life. I believe that if we have healthy people in the world, efficiency, and productivity, in the world will be high. Note that your life is what you make of it; Recently, Africa as a continent was thrown into confusion by the outbreak of the dreaded “EBOLA DISEASE” On that fateful morning, a text message went viral directing people to bathe with hot water mixed with salt. That day, I respected the power of communication. This message soon spread within seconds to the extent that people from rural areas, old and young were alerted on the acclaimed preventive measure for Ebola Disease. Though, scientists proved this measure wrong saying; it has no scientific backing and as such should be discarded or ignored. And again COVID-19 came up with mask-wearing & usual hand washing. This incident only reminded me of how people value their lives. On the other hand, it’s awakened people’s consciousness of the need to maintain good personal hygiene at all times. People learned that washing their hands thoroughly with soap and detergents often can go a long way in improving their health. I wish to point out that we all value our lives but most often fail to maintain good health habits which brings wealth. You can only make wealth, actualize, and maximize your potential to the fullest when you are healthy. Truly, “Health is Wealth’’ No doubt! The need to maintain good health should never be over-emphasized. Notice that most successful men and women in our society today, who prioritized health in their budget, remain active mentally, physically, and otherwise. They rather take age as a number other than a limiting factor to achieve more than they have ever done. They started reading books on health tips as early as possible. Maintaining health may not be a guarantee to success but it's a sure pathway to achieving our goals. Let’s look at it this way; when one’s soul is willing but the body is weak, can success be guaranteed? The obvious truth is that no meaningful success is achieved when our body is weak. Plans and ambition will only suffer setbacks in situations like this. Note that there is a difference between ill health or an unhealthy body system and disability. This is not discussing disability but the importance of maintaining healthy habits at all times. Remember there’s ability in disability. There is no doubt that a healthy but disabled person could achieve his dreams and life aspiration. Determination, hard work, and belief bare it all. You see, when discouragement and lack of belief take the lead, failure, and frustration set in. This is true! The life and times of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States of America is a testimony that indeed there is ability in disability. Roosevelt’s disability exemplifies that physical disabilities hold no barriers to achievement. He was the only president to enter office with a physical disability. Having served as a senator of the New York state in 1920 and as secretary of the Navy before symptoms of the illness that crippled him .