5 Principles That Can Help You In Any Endeavor
5 principles for greater accomplishment and success in any endeavor
Victor Nazario, D.Min
www.victornazario.com
The Christian life is not an event. It is a journey. And as you know, when you take a journey, you should always prepare for the journey before hand.
If you are like me, you begin preparing for your vacation several weeks before hand. You first have to determine where is it that you want to go. That is actually the most important thing. If you don’t know where you going how will you know how to get there.
After we decide where we want to go, we then need to decide when we are going to go. That is where we look to our schedules, we put in for our vacation time, we place the dates on our calendars, and then the anticipation begins.
The day before vacation, there is so much activity it almost drives one crazy.
Some have said that one accomplishes far more the day before vacation than at any time of the year. This is actually quite true. Most people accomplish more the day before vacation then they do throughout the year.
The reason most accomplish more the day before vacation, is because they are highly motivated, excited, and absolutely focused on the goal. And because they’re focused, they bear all of their energies, experiences, and expectations toward with the vacation. They work with the calendar; they make lists of things that they will need for the vacation; they partner with the airlines, with the hotel industries, with vacation planners, etc. In short, they do what successful people do, and in doing so, they execute a flawless, wonderful vacation.
Most people don’t realize that they can do the same thing day day in and day out in their lives in order to have continual success in their journey.
Let me share with you a powerful scriptural principle that will work for you, even when you don’t see it working at the moment. It is the law of sowing and reaping (And I am not speaking about money here).
The Old Testament Scriptures state that as long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest will remain. In the New Testament, the Scriptures state “what we sow is what we reap.”
1. This means that we reap a specific harvest from the kinds of seeds that we actually sow!
We possess many kinds of seeds in our “seed bag.” A seed is not only a pod that can bring forth plants, flowers and trees.
Words are seeds. Our words contain emotions such as joy, hate, love, peace, etc. Words can carry pictures that can impact others, and can cause others to act or react in good or harmful ways. Words can wound, edify, excite, disillusion, bring forth faith, or dissuade others from believing. In short, words are powerful seeds that continuously impact humanity in many ways. Your words also impact you more than you realize. You are always speaking to yourself, and depending on what you are continuously saying, it can either encourage you to do great things, or keep you in a rut. But make no mistake about it, you are the one that is giving yourself permission to speak those words to yourself.
If you don’t like what you are saying, you simply need to change what you allow yourself to say about yourself. Develop a new narrative. Sow different words in your inner man.
Actions are seeds. Our daily actions literally create out future. Most people are always complaining that they cannot get ahead. Yet, they won’t do what is necessary to change their daily actions to get better results for them. We are creatures of habit, so we simply continue to do the same things, yet are always hoping for different results. Many instead, turn to expecting and demanding for others to take care of them. They blame everyone else for their state or condition. Yet, for most of us, we actually do have the power to change our actions. And when we do, we begin to reap the better, more beneficial results that we have always wanted. I am not saying that it is easy, but for most of us, it is doable. If you want to lose weight, you cannot continue to eat donuts, drink soda, and overeat everyday. You have to change your eating habits and exercise.
Then you will lose weight. Actions are seeds, and they have results or repercussions.
Attitudes are seeds. The way we act around people is bringing us a harvest of relationships, or it is keeping potentially wonderful people from you. Your attitudes will either take you all the way to the top, or it can bring you very low. You need to check what kinds of attitude seeds you have been sowing in your environment, because in most cases, your attitude is one of the major contributors to your current state.
2. We get to decide what kind of seed we desire to sow!
In almost every case, our current harvest (conditions; environment; repercussions; benefits; outcomes) are a result of what we have sown in a past season. This is why it is vital to be clear on what you expect for the future, otherwise you will all kinds of seeds that you did not mean to sow, and they will give you a mixed harvest…..one that you really didn’t want. Farmers understand this, so they do not mix their seeds when they plant. They are careful to sow only one kind of seed in one section, and another kind in another section, and they sow with the understanding of how each seed needs to be cultivated, and when it will bear fruit for them. They sow with wisdom, revelation, and specific expectation!
3. The other part of this principle is that we reap according to the amounts that we sow.
It also means that the amount of harvest that we receive is contingent upon the amount of seeds that we sow. Part of this process is knowing what kind of harvest we require. In other words we need a clear picture of the harvest we require or the destination at which we expect to arrive at. Without a clear picture of what you need, require or want, there is no way you can receive it, or accomplish it. Luke 6: 38 states: Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (NKJV).
To me, this is an exciting principle. Look closely at what the verse actually says! It says that when we begin the process of giving, that is when we begin to receive! You are actually the one that begins the process.
Since most people don’t understand that, they are always expecting, but they never release the seed that they currently possess. They never initiate their harvest season, because they never began their “sowing” season. You are the one that causes a new cycle of giving and receiving because sowing seeds is in your power to do so.
The farmers know the length and breadth of their land. This is vital for them to know, because they want as large of a harvest that they can possibly get. They are not stupid enough to just sow 5 seeds when they can sow 10,000 seeds. They want as large of a harvest as they can, because that is what will determine their prosperity and success.
In the same way, why is it that we hold back the seeds (friendship, love, grace, forgiveness, studying to be better and more knowledgeable, daily actions/disciplines for success, etc.)?
Sow as many seeds as you can, in as many ways that you can, and you will receive a great harvest!
God’s word says: ”For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” We determine the measure by our actions. Also, in 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8, the Apostle Paul reveals this powerful truth: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
These verses explode with revelation about our sowing and reaping! To the degree that we sow, we reap. And on top of that, God makes grace abound toward the giver.
He loves the cheerful giver, and makes sure that givers always have an abundance for every good work!. The key is to understand this principle and put it to work!
4. The next thing we need to know is the time factor of the harvest.
Each seed has a different time factor or gestation period to allow it to bring forth its harvest. As an example, human babies need nine months to be born.
When you sow, you need to understand that patience is part of the sowing process. If you are seeking a new friendship, you need to sow friendship over and over again. You have to sow “friendship” deposits, and not expect anything in return right away. I mean, which farmer sows seeds, and then digs them up right away expecting a harvest. No, that is not the way it is done! It takes time! The kind words that you sow in someone’s heart will take root, but it takes time for the heart to process your words, your kindness, your actions, etc.
5. The fifth factor is the team factor.
The really successful farmers understand that larger harvests cannot be cultivated and reaped unless they work with a team. In the same way, all successful people aren’t a one-man act. They have teams that work together to create something that is larger than any one of them. In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon revealed this principle in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NLT):
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
You can clearly see that a team is always stronger, more resourceful, there is more combined experience, and there are more hands to accomplish more than one individual ever could.
Leaders in the Scriptures were able to accomplish great things when they teamed up with others. Joseph was able to build great silos to store grain for 7 years of lack. Moses was able to co-lead a multitude of people with his team. Nehemiah was able to build a wall all around Jerusalem in 40 days with a team of everyday people. The Lord Jesus was able to get the Gospel preached through the Apostles and all of those who joined them, and we continue this work even in this day.
So when you are sowing, join with others in your desire to accomplish something great. You will be able to accomplish exceedingly more than you would have ever been able to accomplish on your own.
So with all that said, here are the five points that I get from the analogy of sowing and reaping:
-
Life is a journey, and it is up to us to clarify what we need to do, where we want to go, how to get there, when to get there, who we are going to journey with.
-
We need to learn to focus on what exactly it is that we need or want to do in life, ministry or business, and then get to work on it without allowing life’s distractions to affect our focus. Without focus, we cannot be effective in any endeavor. We need to reject every focus destroyer. TV can be a focus destroyer. Emails can be a focus destroyer. Our cell phones can be a focus destroyer. Our family and friends can be focus destroyers. We have to put everything in its proper priority and order, and work accordingly. Learn to work with “to do” lists, and prioritize your daily tasks. Otherwise, others will tell you what to do, and you will never accomplish what is important to you. Most of us have to work, so we have to take out some time to work on the things that are important to us. We can get up earlier and write that book or prepare for that speech, etc. We can use one of our days off to go back to school to learn that trade or skill to get that promotion. The key is to focus and prioritize the time that you have to get the results that you want.
-
We need to determine how much do you want to achieve, or how far do you want to go. Most people don’t achieve more because they don’t believe that they can. Remember, those that sow sparingly will reap sparingly, but those who sow generously, will reap generously! What problems are you willing to solve? The plumber solves a problem, and gets paid accordingly. The doctor solves a problem, and gets paid accordingly. You can actually determine what you want to get paid. Most people don’t actually know this. They just get any job they can get, and hope that it pays enough for them to pay their bills. If you only invest a little toward your financial future, you won’t be able to demand a higher salary. So when you are planning for your financial future, don’t just get the first job you can find and stay there. Prepare, train, study your options, see what problems you can solve for others, prepare yourself, and then you will be able to demand the salary of your choice!
-
Do you understand that that all great endeavors take time? If you want a bachelor’s degree, it can take 4-6 years, depending on your available time. When you “see” your ultimate goal, you then have to chunk it down to smaller goals that can be achieved in smaller time segments. Celebrate every small goal that gets you closer to the ultimate goal. But make sure that you continue to work toward your ultimate goal. Never let that vision go from your heart and mind. Time and patience also allow you to make course adjustments throughout the process. When I was going for my Doctorate’s degree in ministry, I didn’t focus on the finished picture. I focused on only finishing the year. The first year I celebrated when I received my 1st year ministry certificate. The second year I celebrated when I received my associate’s degree. Each year I celebrated the sub-goals, but each sub-goal got me closer to my ultimate goal of receiving my Doctorate in ministry. Today, I have my degree, and I look back at all of the challenges and difficult times, and I appreciate the understanding that I had the power and gift of time, focus and patience, and as long as I kept my eyes on the goal(s), I would ultimately receive “the prize.”
-
The last principle is the team principle. I have learned that all truly successful people innately understand the need to partner with others in order to accomplish great things in life. Plumbers have helpers. Doctors have nurses, Business people have associates and secretaries, Pastors have deacons, ushers, ministry teams, Politicians have local and regional teams to help them to serve their constituents.
