A Great Start (PART 1)

Dear Reader,

Peace and blessings in Jesus’ name. Glory to God for giving us the privilege to witness a new month. Therefore, position yourself to receive all God has in store for you. This month, I shall be examining A Great Start. 

Someone rightly said, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” So, there is a need to start right in order to achieve that wonderful life and family you hope to see this year. The Bible says: I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air(1 Corinthians 9:26). One great way to start this month is by committing to personal development. You must understand that it is foolishness to do the same thing, hoping for a different result. Hence the need for personal development.

Development means going through a process of growth or consistently upgrading your life by moving towards a more advanced and organised state. Therefore, development is not a point you arrive at but a process. You must keep working at consistently upgrading and improving the quality of your life and family.  Development involves organisation. Many are very disorganised in their approach to life, which makes them do the wrong things at the wrong time. If you commit to organising yourself and your family, you can be rest assured that you will embark on a great start this sixth month that will help you all through the month and ensure you finish well.

By the day, many women are frustrated, not because there is a ‘devil’ somewhere oppressing them, but because they have refused to take steps towards their personal development. All they do is sit down and blame everything and everyone for their stagnation. It is important for every woman to be focused on personal development. The Bible says: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

If you must stand out as a city on the hill, you must be given to continuous skill and personal development. You must clearly understand that your future is not in the hands of any man. Don’t toy with it so as not to weep at the end of the year; take it as your responsibility to develop yourself. It is a personal and non-transferable responsibility!

Some of the skills needed for a woman’s day-to-day activities and navigating through the challenges of life include financial skills, domestic skills, safety skills, goal-setting skills, time management skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, etc.

According to a popular saying, “The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.” This is because no matter the level you have attained or the level of exposure you have, you must understand that development requires labour. In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul said: But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Clearly, grace only answers to those who labour. Paul was a beneficiary of the grace of God, yet he did not go to sleep with it; instead, he laboured. The question is, what are you doing with the grace of God upon your life? You have a part in making it produce results in your life.

Below are three reasons, among others, why personal development is vital:

• To release your God-given potential. When you don’t develop yourself, you are wasting the rich deposit of divine abilities in you. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early (Psalm 46:5).
• To develop with the world. The world is developing and changing rapidly. So, to ignore personal development is to lose relevance. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).
• To prevent Stagnation. Stagnant water stinks, and the only way to be free from stagnation is to invest heavily in continuous development.

A great start only begins with Jesus in your life. Therefore, if you are not yet born again, and you desire to do so, please pray this prayer with faith: Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner, and I cannot help myself. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. From today, Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I am Born Again.

Congratulations! You are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave or forsake you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21). With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace, in Jesus’ name! Please write or call to share your testimonies with me through oyedepofaitha@gmail.com OR 08141320204 and 07026385437.

For more insight, these books, authored by me, are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Cultivating the Garden of Your Home, Experiencing the Best of Marriage, Family, and Parenting, Marriage Covenant, and Making Marriage Work.