The Laws Of Progress Vision

The first law of progress is vision. You must have a target you are striving to achieve or attain in life, a goal that keeps you going.

Having a mental picture of your destination is what motivates you to get there.

After Lot departed from Abraham, God told him:

...Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed

for ever.

Genesis 13:14-15

Abraham had a mental picture of all the fruitful lands of Canaan (a goodly land flowing with milk and honey) and his descendants eventually possessed it (Josh. 23:3-5). You can only possess as far as your eyes can see.

The largest church in the world today is in South Korea, pastored by David Yonggi Cho. Each stage of the church's enlargement was born out of vision. In April 1982, before our ministry was officially commissioned, I was addressing members of the prayer group, and said, "We are going to have a tent that will sit 50,000 worshippers." When I said this, we didn't have a plot of land

anywhere on the earth, but I had a vision.

I also told them that we would soon be flying around in our own aircraft, preaching the everlasting Gospel to the heathen nations of the earth. I said we were going to have a printing press that would operate at an industrial scale. Today, all these things have come to pass.

What you can't see today, don't expect to possess tomorrow.

That little business you are managing today will remain little, until you begin to see farther.

In the early days of our ministry, when there were only about 21 people in the congregation, I would preach with all my might, till the sweat on my body would be seen through my three-piece suit. But one day, I said to the people, "You must be wondering why I am shouting like this. I am preaching to the crowd outside that you can't see." Today, there is never a service in our church, where thousands of people are not seated outside.

Every enlargement or progress you encounter in life begins with vision. Wherever you find yourself tomorrow is a function of what you see today.

God said to Abraham, "Look at the stars, see if you can count them." He couldn't, and God said to him, "So, shall your seed be" (Gen. 15:5). Abraham saw an uncountable number of stars that day, that is why the earth is full of sons and daughters of Abraham today, including you and me, who belong to that lineage by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:14).

Vision is it! So, begin to see your business affect the economy of Nigeria. Begin to see yourself as a commander in your career and of the wealth of the land. That is where you belong, and you will surely get there.

Dreamers are rulers, and visionaries are commanders. You are a son(daughter) of the Most High, you are not created to live like a pauper. So see yourself as the head and not the tail. See yourself get ting to the top in your area of endeavour, and you will surely get there.

Faith

After God said to Abraham, "So shall your seed be", the Bible says, "And he believed in the Lord" (Gen. 15:6). Today, the earth is filled with men and women who are sons and daughters of Abraham by faith.

It is not enough to have a vision, you must also believe God for its realization, for the just shall live by his faith (Hab. 2:4).

Faith is not mental assent, which merely agrees that the vision is possible. Rather, it is having the substance that will make it happen from the Word. So, you have tosearch out the Scriptures that guarantee your progress, and keep them in your heart.

Faith is what gives motion to vision; and motion leads to

enlargement. No matter the nature or quality of your dream, it will never see the light of the day without God. The Bible says,

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it"

(Ps. 127:1). Also, "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" (Rom. 9:16).

Please, appreciate the place of faith in your quest for progress and enlargement, because without God you can do nothing (Jn.

5:30). And without faith, it is impossible to move God (Heb.

11:6).

Meekness

The third law of progress is meekness. Your height in life is

determined by the depth of your meekness. That is why the Bible says, "The meek shall inherit the earth..." (Ps. 37:11).

Lucifer, who is now known as the devil, was originally one of the commanding angels in heaven. He was in charge of praise and worship. But his heart was lifted up within him, and in his pride,

he planned to enthrone himself above God (Isa.14:12-15).

He and the angels who rebelled against God were forcefully ejected from heaven (Rev. 12:7-8). Since then, God has

determined never to let any man get higher than his humility.

That is why the Bible says:

...Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:5

Meekness is a yardstick for enlargement. Jesus established this truth in Matthew 5:5, where He said: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Your inheritance is largely a function of God's assessment of your meekness. It has nothing to do with your pious looks or religious posture. Meekness is an issue of the heart, and God is the only One that searches the heart and tries the reins (Jer. 17:10). His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself mighty on the behalf of them whose hearts are perfect toward Him (2 Chron. 16:9).

God won't lift you to a point where He can't find you in church any more. He, therefore, determines your size per time by assessing the state of your heart. Jesus said, "I am meek and lowly in heart..." (Matt. 11:29). His humble heart is what led to His lifting, and the Bible says, "...Of the increase of His government... there shall be no end" (Isa. 9:7).

Only God knows how many people are daily being drawn into His kingdom the world over. And it is simply as a result of Jesus' meekness. The Bible says:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:8

People get born again daily in large numbers, because Jesus humbled Himself and died a death of shame on the cross, that God might harvest more sons to glory.

Your meekness determines how much grace is available to you, and grace determines your ultimate height in life. Meekness is a must for anyone who wants to progress in life. If at every stage of attainment in life, you see God as the doer, and not yourself, then you are set for great heights.

If while people are clapping for you, you are acknowledging and giving the glory back to God, then you are on your way up. Let every commendation and promotion that comes your way, rather than elate you, humble you. That is the way to go up.

If God is sure that no matter your height in life, you will still maintain your service in His kingdom, that your Christian

character and modesty in all things will still be in place, and that as a multi-billionaire you will still remain a committed Christian, He will ensure that your lifting will know no limit.

If you will promise from a genuine heart to always acknowledge Him as your source, in truth and indeed, and that no matter what you become in life, you will never withdraw your dedication and commitment to Him, He will not hesitate to set you up above all the nations of the earth (Deut. 28:1).

Meekness is not prayed for; it is a decision you make. Jesus took upon Himself the form of a servant. He made Himself of no reputation and didn't consider Himself to be equal with God, but was obedient even unto death (Phil. 2:7-8). Hence His reward came in verse 9:

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

1 Peter 5:6

says: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: I see meekness pave a way for you to the top, in Jesus' mighty name.

Diligence

Hard work is another law of progress. For you to go forward in life, you must be spiritually, mentally and physically committed to your task.

Seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings and not before mean men.

Proverbs 22:29

Progress or enlargement has no room for idleness. It is for the diligent. God told Abraham:

...Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy

name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee

shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 12:1-3

That was a promise of enlargement or progress; but the Bible says in the next verse, "And Abraham departed..." Abraham

didn't depart to start wandering around; he departed and started working very hard as a cattle rearer. In Genesis 13:2, the Bible says, "And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold."

Every accomplishment in life is a function of your commitment to duty. You must know what it takes to make it to the top in your field, and then give it your all. Progress doesn't just jump on people. That is why Isaiah 54:2-3 says:

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and

strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left...

You are the one to set the stage for your breaking forth on the right hand and on the left. You enlarge your tent by increasing your spiritual, physical and mental input, in preparation for increased output.

You need to be mentally committed to what you are doing, because mental commitment is what leads to mental

enlargement, and mental enlargement guarantees progress. You must also invest your energy and resources into your assignment, in order to get the desired results.

Enlargement begins with vision, it is propelled by faith, guaranteed by meekness and realized by commitment.

Commitment is the price you pay for attainment. So sit in your shop or place of assignment with excitement. Be involved in everything that makes the business work, and not be a busy-body.