Proverbs 21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.
Success is on top of the ladder of right choices. Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react. It is the choices and decisions we made yesterday that has got us where we are today. Today was yesterday’s tomorrow. Confusion, compulsion and coercion will result in wrong decisions, however the Holy Spirit will give us clarity, peace and guidance from His Word to nudge us into creative, productive and constructive decisions. Hasty decision will land us on the wrong ladder of defeat and destruction.
The secret of good choices, wise decisions and success is our prayer life. Proverbs 3:6 Think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. Being more aware of the presence of God with us, than the people around us, is the key to making right choices and wise decisions. If we have Jesus in person accompanying us to work, to the coffee shop, to the gym and if He is seated in the car next to us, we would be continuously acknowledging, checking, consulting, confirming our choices and decisions with Him. He is with us, but we seldom acknowledge, ask or are aware of His presence. Nehemiah was more God conscious than people conscious and hence he was able to make the right choices, wise decisions and successfully reach his God given goal and destiny.
Three secrets to “success”:
1. Consult: Nehemiah prayed short, crisp and swift prayers before all his decisions. The crispy conversations with the Lord are called “arrow prayers.” Nehemiah was praying even while he was working and serving wine to King Artaxerxes. Then I prayed to the God of heaven (Nehemiah 2:4b). Nehemiah was more aware of the presence of the King of Kings than he was about King Artaxerxes. He was consulting continuously with the Lord about all his choices and decisions before he responded. Consulting the King of Kings defines our choices and determines our success.
2. Control: Nehemiah did not react emotionally but was controlled spiritually. Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. As soon as Nehemiah heard a bad news, he did not rush to the palace. He did not make impetuous decisions but waited in fasting and prayer and brought his emotions under spiritual bridle. Don’t let emotions make your decisions. When saddened, don’t rush to the phone or people. Walk away from an email, disconnect a conversation, stop, take a deep breath before you act or react. Controlled emotions takes us up the ladder of success.
3. Concede: Nehemiah acknowledged, honoured and exalted the Lord in the mission. Nehemiah 2:18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. Take a pause and acknowledge the Lord for the big blessings and also the little mercies. The Lord was the centre of the great work that he completed. Acknowledging the presence of the Lord makes us successful in all our ways.
Life is a matter of choices, every choice you make, makes you – John C Maxwell. Stop, slowdown, consult with the Lord, pray arrow prayers, manage your emotions before making your choices that controls your decisions and ultimately your destiny. Today’s choices will determine tomorrow’s destiny.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I’ve set life and death before you today: both blessings and curses. Choose life, that it may be well with you—you and your children.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, make me more aware of your presence than the presence of people. Help me not to be overcome by emotions or commotions but be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Amen
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