Congratulations! Now, Unto The Next!
Do you like winning? I do. Everyone loves victories. In fact, if you find someone who loves to lose, then there is a problem. With victory comes celebration. Since hard work is the seed for victory, there must be time to celebrate afterwards. Celebration is somewhat a reward system for the amount of time and resources invested in the work concerned.
One thing I have observed about celebration is that when you look back at the work that was done, you breathe a sigh of relief and can hardly remember the stressful period of work. What seemed difficult is now over. You can now relax and put your feet up. However, there is also a challenge; some of us keep our feet up for too long. Yes, I know we want to bask in the joy of our victories, and there is a time for that, but there is also an ‘end of time’ for that. There is an expiry date for every victory. I have met some people who live in past victories. Their words are along the lines of, “Many years ago when I won that game” or “I used to be the best at doing that.”
Though victory comes with a good feeling of satisfaction, we should be aware that there are seasons for everything. There is a time for work and also a time for victory, but victory will not happen all the time. We should thus remove the mindset that we have arrived our destination when we win. Someone once said, “Stay hungry. Stay foolish,” and I totally agree. When we feel we are satisfied with our present conditions without any need for progress, we limit ourselves from becoming all that God created us to be. God created us for more, which brings glory to Him. A king had just conquered the North, and this was a big deal because his enemies had been a serious threat to his kingdom for decades. His enemies were more powerful than his army. Nonetheless, with strategy and skill, he was able to conquer them. Of course this called for celebration, and the king did it in grand style. Week after week, the kingdom celebrated their victory. They drank, dined and lavishly partied. But there was a problem. The allies to the North were not happy that their friends had been defeated. So, as the king continued his parties, with his army drinking and celebrating an ‘expired’ victory, the allies crept into the kingdom and set it ablaze.
Jesus Christ said something in John 15:2 that I find remarkable. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. Another way of looking at it is, “Any branch that thinks it is satisfied with the fruits it has brought, and doesn’t feel the need to bear any more fruit, would be cut off.” Isn’t that amazing? The ones who think their past victories are just enough would be removed. On the other hand, Christ said the branches that keep on producing would be pruned so that they can have more capacity for being more fruitful. This is awesome!
This tells me that we have more potential than we actually think! Dear friend, do not stop where you are. There is so much more in you! You are only utilising a very tiny part of what you have in you. I’m happy you’ve had victories in the past but there is room for more! It is amazing how couples play their best romantic cards to win each other at the beginning of the relationship, but years after marriage they do not bother to make any effort. There was a time when they were inseparable, but now they take each other for granted. News flash husbands and wives: Marriage is falling in love and winning each other over and over again until death, not just once. For the worker who is just fine with one promotion, you’ve got to be kidding me! Congratulations! But develop and improve yourself to do better, and go in for more promotions. Keep on conquering. For the entrepreneur who just made half a million dollars, congratulations! But there’s room for half a billion dollars. Keep on conquering. For the student who graduated from high school or college, great job! But there’s room for more, probably a Masters degree or PhD. Keep on conquering and don’t settle for yesterday’s victories. Yesterday’s victories are past. Today is a new day. So congratulations! Now, unto the next!
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15: 2.
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