Bible Passage: 1 Chr. 4:9-10
1Ch 4:9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
1Ch 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
One of the greatest things about God is that He continues to work with men despite their limitations and failings.
The question today ? Why do some accomplish so much with their lives & others are not? What is it that makes the difference? Is it. . . .
o Family Background – Having a good family growing up is something to be grateful for, but it’s not the reliable indicator of accomplishment. High percentages of great men have come from broken homes.
o Wealth – Some of the greatest men of accomplishment have come from households of average to below-average means. Wealth is not an accurate indicator of high achievement, and poverty is no guarantee of low achievement.
o Opportunity – Opportunity is a very peculiar thing. Two people with the similar gifts, talents, and resources can look at a situation, and one person will see tremendous opportunity while the other sees nothing. Opportunity is in the eye of the beholder.
o High Morals – I wish it were that simple and that this were the key, but it’s not. I’ve known people with high morals but were low achievers and I have known scoundrels. . . . rats who were high producers.
o The Absence of Hardship – For every success who has avoided tragedy, there’s a Helen Keller who overcame extreme difficulties or a Viktor Frankl who survived absolute horrors.
None of these elements, I believe are the key. I believe that the difference between average people and achieving people is their perception and response to failure.
Keep your vision before you at all times. – Habakkuk 2:2 –
Write the vision and make it plain… Your vision is the road map for your life. So write it down, read it regularly and keep it before you at all times.
Make sure the vision is yours, not somebody else’s. In the name of being ‘sensible,’ or ‘practical,’ many of us ignore our God-given desires
We undertake a career to please our parents, our spouses, or others. That may make you dutiful, but it won’t make you successful. You cannot fulfil a vision that is not your own!
Believe in yourself even when others don’t – You may succeed if nobody else believes in you, but you will never succeed if you don’t believe in yourself.
No matter how old you are, always stay young at heart.
1. Pearl S. Buck said, ‘The young do not know enough to be prudent, therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it generation after generation.’
2. Billie Jean King – Champions keep playing until they get it right
3. Diana Nyad – swam from Cuba – Florida to break the world record at the age 64 having tried from 1978 – but only succeeded in 2013 at her final attempt.
4. Josephus Daniel – Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it
5. Tayo Ogunmefun- Success is getting up just one more time than you fell down
6. At Brunnel University Graduation – The rich also envies the educated – In this 21st century the key to greater height is education
7. Steve Job – Late Co Founder of Apple
• Your time is limited – so dont waste it living someone else life
• Dont be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking
• Dont let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice
• And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition – they critics somehow already know what you truly want to become
Conclusion: going to school is an opportunity to connect with people and form a relationship
Dont go to school and isolate yourself .
Interact with people that are going somewhere
Bible Passage: 1 Chr. 4:9-10
1Ch 4:9
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
1Ch 4:10
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
One of the greatest things about God is that He continues to work with men despite their limitations and failings.
The question today ? Why do some accomplish so much with their lives & others are not? What is it that makes the difference? Is it. . . .
o Family Background – Having a good family growing up is something to be grateful for, but it’s not the reliable indicator of accomplishment. High percentages of great men have come from broken homes.
o Wealth – Some of the greatest men of accomplishment have come from households of average to below-average means. Wealth is not an accurate indicator of high achievement, and poverty is no guarantee of low achievement.
o Opportunity – Opportunity is a very peculiar thing. Two people with the similar gifts, talents, and resources can look at a situation, and one person will see tremendous opportunity while the other sees nothing. Opportunity is in the eye of the beholder.
o High Morals – I wish it were that simple and that this were the key, but it’s not. I’ve known people with high morals but were low achievers and I have known scoundrels. . . . rats who were high producers.
o The Absence of Hardship – For every success who has avoided tragedy, there’s a Helen Keller who overcame extreme difficulties or a Viktor Frankl who survived absolute horrors.
None of these elements, I believe are the key. I believe that the difference between average people and achieving people is their perception and response to failure.
Keep your vision before you at all times. – Habakkuk 2:2 –
Write the vision and make it plain… Your vision is the road map for your life. So write it down, read it regularly and keep it before you at all times.
Make sure the vision is yours, not somebody else’s. In the name of being ‘sensible,’ or ‘practical,’ many of us ignore our God-given desires
We undertake a career to please our parents, our spouses, or others. That may make you dutiful, but it won’t make you successful. You cannot fulfil a vision that is not your own!
Believe in yourself even when others don’t – You may succeed if nobody else believes in you, but you will never succeed if you don’t believe in yourself.
No matter how old you are, always stay young at heart.
1. Pearl S. Buck said, ‘The young do not know enough to be prudent, therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it generation after generation.’
2. Billie Jean King – Champions keep playing until they get it right
3. Diana Nyad- swam from Cuba – Florida to break the world record at the age 64 having tried from 1978 – but only succeeded in 2013 at her final attempt.
4. Josephus Daniel – Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it
5. Tayo Ogunmefun- Success is getting up just one more time than you fell down
6. At Brunnel University Graduation – The rich also envies the educated – In this 21st century the key to greater height is education
7. Steve Job – Late Co Founder of Apple
· Your time is limited – so dont waste it living someone else life
· Dont be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking
· Dont let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice
· And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition – they critics somehow already know what you truly want to become
Conclusion: going to school is an opportunity to connect with people and form a relationship
Dont go to school and isolate yourself .
Interact with people that are going somewhere