“When there is nothing worth looking forward to then watching nature reminds us of the great things the Lord has done and is doing” ~ Lunani Joseph
I particularly like the version by George Beverly Shea – Looking at him, he knows what he is singing about. At his age there is no more pretending and what you see and hear is what how great the Lord has been to him.
Wake up, shake the dirt off yourself and look around and see How Great the Lord is!
The very idea of walking alone is scary. Actually the bible and convectional thinking proves it is not good for man to walk alone. The Loneliness, limited ability and strength of one man is wanting. So how can one man make an army? How can a solitary, an individual and single entity create the impact of an army?
My experiences form the following pointers:
1. Clear Vision
There has to be a greater ambition than is selfish to the individual. It has to be a focus that converges courage, discipline, determination and greater good. The pursuit should be scary enough that the faint-hearted cannot dream. The goal should be so bid that it will take a lifetime and combination of faith and will power too follow through. The mission should be clear and vision visible just like a candle in the dead of the night.
2. Pursue Excellence
One man can only do so much. But if all his little steps are amplified with their efficiency in delivery and excellence then he is an army. there is a famous saying that goes “One machine can replace the work of many men but no machine can replace one unique (read efficient, effective , consistent, determined and believer) man”
When our common roles are performed with an extra-ordinary zeal then we call out excellence and since he does not walk alone achievement soon follows calling out many other values and accolades. This is the only sure way to attract and retain goodwill. and the way one works does surely attract the right attention and support from others.
3. Accommodate and streamline along change
Life is dynamic, there are many ways to Timbuktu and as such we should be flexible to change. So this calls in reading times, smelling out the faintest of opportunities and create an environment around us that embraces change. I remember three good illustrations on this.
a. The resilient nature of the Jews that after every catastrophe as recorded in the bible and modern history, they would still pick themselves up – repent,relocate, reproduce, re-strategise and conquer.
b. The overflow of a river does not insist on remaining on the traditional course. It finds another gradient, sweeping anything along its wake and creating new courses.
c. A new born baby is fragile as the womb is specially conditioned for their fragility. It adapts to the acrid air, cries but then its body naturally stands to condition itself along the changes around it. A child like malleable clay can be moulded into anything and for that reason we protect them and guide them.
Any vision will have detours in its course but the pursuit should remain very clear.
4. Recruit, orient and commission
The truth is that a one man army soon fizzles out. You can weaken and break a man but if his vision is transposed into many other lives then he is immortal.
It will take that one recruits, orients, trains, delegates and set them out for greater impact. Jesus Christ is the perfect example for this. He chose twelve – note he had goodwill from many others silently. These chosen twelve had different strength and weaknesses for they were different. They later dropped to eleven but as they went about eating together, staying in fellowship, encouraging each other, sharpening each other, rebuking and disciplining each other in love, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ their impact to the world is visible and will remain. Is it not funny that the letters Paul wrote to encourage and admonish the new recruits have become our leadership encyclopedia?
Go out and get other to join your cause. They may not fully commit but them recruit more and surely God’s preserve for your belief will be availed to you.
5. Track Progress
Mark the path, count the cost and number the days. This is the only way to note strength areas to concentrate on, weaknesses to improve on and see the fine print of costs vs delivery. When your goodwill grows you need to know the numbers and understand them. Impress the numbers to into your projections and when divine help knocks they will make sense out of them and VIOLA!
Lunani Joseph
Lunani Joseph 