Staff Writer - Audrey Linton
I speak to many people who have developed a 3 to 5 year plan for success. Many say they would like to retire by the time they are 40 and so work hard to achieve this. Don’t you really envy these people!
What is it that drives them and make them achieve their goals? Better still, if I said to you that many have achieved success in a shorter time scale, would you be interested to know how?
Very well! Come with me for a short while and let us exam the life of a businessman whose mother gave birth to him when she was 90 years of age! His name was Isaac.
Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah, spiritual giants in the religious communities. Isaac had a very colourful life – he was almost murdered by his father at the age of 13, but he lived to tell the tale.
He married a beauty called Rebekah and they settled in a land where there was a severe economic downturn. Despite this famine Isaac became extremely wealthy and I would like to share with you what I have learnt from his success.
REINFORCE YOUR VISION
Despite living in an area which was going through severe famine, he also lived in what was potentially enemy territory. But the God of Abraham appeared to him and encouraged him by reinforcing his call and destiny. I paraphrase:
‘Isaac, I know you would rather go to Egypt at this time where the land is more fruitful and you may feel as if you have a better chance of succeeding there but remember the promise I gave to your father Abraham.
- I will cause your descendents to become numerous;
- I will give you lands beyond measure;
- Because of you and your descendents I will bless all nations of the earth.’
Wow imagine getting a promise like that!
MAKE A DECISION TO STAY IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Isaac made the decision not to go to Egypt, but to stay in the land of famine as there he would find favour.
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS – NOT ENEMIES
Isaac knew that he was in an area that was very volatile. Because he felt his life was in danger, He lied to residents that Rebekah was his sister. When the king heard this he was displeased with Isaac, however the king still protected this couple and declared that no man should touch his wife!
We are not sure why such favour was shown to Isaac, but the king must have noticed something special about this family.
DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO BLESS OTHERS
Isaac was probably one of the first Social Entrepreneurs. Once he made a decision to stay put, he started to build his farming business to invest in the economic regeneration of the area. He planted crops and within the same year (yes the same year of the famine) he harvested a hundred times more than he planted. This made him a very wealthy man. His wealth continued to grow in livestock and servants. Isaac implemented the law of giving – give and it shall come back to you.
WATCH YOUR BACK – NOT EVERYONE WILL BE HAPPY ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS
Well it seemed that Isaac’s partnership with the King was short lived as he and the other locals became jealous of Isaac’s success and asked him to leave his land. Folks, this may happen to you at times, those who you thought were on your side, develops ‘green eye’ syndrome and it is no longer about collaboration, but about competition!
DON’T BE ALARMED BY INCREASED PRESSURE
Isaac therefore camped his tent in the Valley of Gerar, a place known for dryness and intermittent rainfalls.
But it was during his ‘valley’ experience that he made some life changing discoveries. His father Abraham had lived in the same area and had dug wells in that area. However, the inhabitants had spitefully stopped up these wells. Isaac decided to redig the wells in order to gain fresh spring water.
Because of this strife and contention stirred with the local people and they argued that it was their wells and commanded Isaac to dig somewhere else.
This did not phase Isaac and he did what he was told , but found many other wells that he unblocked and once again became prosperous in that area.
YOU WILL FLOURISH ONCE MORE:
The Lord made Isaac bigger and better than before. Even the King who sent him away wanted to make peace with him again.
In conclusion:
Photo courtesy mtv.com
Activate your vision;
make a decision;
get in position;
build partnerships;
don’t run from pressure;
And the Lord will make you bigger and better!
