Ecclesiastes 9:4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
“The greatest enemy of progress is your last success, you could become so proud of what you’ve already accomplished that you stop moving ahead to what you can still accomplish” – Myles Munroe.
The above verse is true literally, metaphorically and spiritually. Our company will determine our courage. Those who have friendship with the enthusiastic encouragers (influencers) will be inspired to dream big. Those who get entangled in the company of complainers, gossipers and mockers will kill their hope and crush their dreams. Likewise, a living dog is better than a dead lion, the mission that is in your hands right now is better than the success of the past.
Statistics say that modern thinking has eroded moral values especially in the younger generation that has made them rebuff responsibility and accountability. They do not want to commit to a spouse but prefer partners. They want to remain young, careless and carefree. Whether they like it or not, age and time does not respect anyone. Such people have no futuristic thinking and cannot leave a legacy.
The moment we start ruminating on past success and become complacent we are as good as being dead. Once we stop adding value in the lives of people and stop dreaming greater visions than our past accomplishments, we stop living and only exist. There are many legends in this world who refused to stop dreaming and claimed great heights like Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Stephen King and Elvis Presley, but there was a man named Simon who was 85 years old and refused to give up until he saw the Messiah. Simeon had a prophecy that he will see and hold Jesus the Messiah in his hands. He saw baby Jesus at the temple on the 8th day and prayed, ‘For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations’ (Luke 2:30-31).
A living dog is better than a dead lion:
1. Forerunners: Run with forerunners not just with friends. Don’t follow the crowd. Be the leader among your peers. Do not let people maneuver and manipulate your mind with their ideas. Hold fast to your God-given vision. Find legends that were forerunners and study their lives. The role model of John C. Maxwell was his own dad, Melvin Maxwell.
2. Focus: Be focused. It is easy to be distracted. Those who deviate will never achieve anything in life. A disciplined life has a limitation on the following spends – time, food, money and relationships.
3. Futuristic: Don’t retire from dreaming into the future. If you don’t live to fulfill all your dreams, your successors will. Those who dream into the future never die, they live through their dreams.
Don’t be satisfied by past achievements, dream big as we serve a big God.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to be focused, dream big and be filled with courage to accomplish all that you want me to do. Amen.
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