Of course this fact, especially positive thoughts becoming reality usually seems impossible to believe when someone is facing rather overwhelming challenges in life.
But what happens when such a person sees evidence of this fact in someone who ordinarily would not have been thought to possess ability to overcome life's challenges?
Even where these challenges were from birth? Would such person be encouraged to never give up his/her dreams?
I tell the story of John Foppe to buttress my point in this article. John Foppe is an American born some 35 years ago to an American family.
John was born without hands and until he was 10 years old, most basic things were done for him by his siblings as a result of his physical challenge.
At the age of 10, his mother made a rule in the house that John had to do everything by himself like everyone else and he was not to be assisted by anyone to do anything.
I know the human in you might want to say that that was a harsh decision taken by his mum, but guess what? that 'tough love' as John puts it, turned out to be the turning point in his life.
Today, John is a college graduate, is happily married to a beautiful wife with 2 kids, and even drives his own car by himself and lives a 'normal' life in his own world.
He is even now a motivational speaker and has travelled to several countries and continents encouraging normal and physically challenged folks alike to pursue their dreams without hindrance.
You might wonder how John achieved these feats without arms.
He had learnt to do everything with his feet: take a drink, drive his car, knot his tie, write his exams and so on and so forth.
After his mother's decision, John learnt to live through his situation by making use of what he had (his legs) and not what he did not have (hands).
In essence, he focused on his strengths and not his weaknesses and that paid off eventually for him.
If until now, you are one who keeps saying that there are problems and challenges you face that are preventing you from achieving your dreams, this article encourages you to perish such thought and learn from the true story of John Foppe.
It may interest you to note that I did not read John's story in a book but rather I saw for my self on television the wonderful things the young man had learnt to accomplish on his own, and it was so inspiring to say the least.
It is obvious from John's story that one who fails is one who has given up on his dreams and aspirations.
As long as you keep trying and believing in what you want to achieve, you can never fail unless you give up.
You may certainly need to modify your plans as you move along but your mind should always be on your goals and you will surely get there.
John Foppe is a Christian and when asked about his faith in God, he said he does not believe there are any open doors awaiting people but rather God promises to be with us as we take that step in faith.
That should also be your guiding principle because God would only bless the effort made and where there is no effort, what then does He bless?
Be patient, persistent, confident and persevering in your dreams but never, never give up till they become reality.
I have a book of cartoons called Church Is Stranger Than Fiction with a picture of four men sitting around a conference table in a church board meeting. In the caption, the man at the head of the table says, ?It looks like we're going to have to recall our last twenty-five converts?there seems to be a defect in their giving?.1
Sadly, there is a defect in the giving of the vast majority of Christians. According to Barna Research Online, "The proportion of households that tithe their income to their church?that is, give at least ten percent of their income to that ministry?has dropped by 62% in the past year, from 8% in 2001 to just 3% of adults during 2002."2
Why don't Christians give more generously? The Bible and research indicate that the primary reason is that they lack pastoral leadership. As the key spiritual leader in the church, the pastor has the most influence on a church's giving practices. According to church stewardship expert Eugene Grimm,
"The pastor is the chief steward of the congregation. Congregations that are above the national average in their giving have one of several things in common. One of the most important of these is strong pastoral leadership. In congregations with effective stewardship, the pastors give leadership to the stewardship ministry.... The pastor is the key to effective stewardship and ministry. If stewardship becomes a way of life in the congregation, the pastor will lead the way."3
Many Christians don't give because their pastor has failed to lead them in two key ways. First, their pastor hasn't taught them the biblical principles of stewardship. Many pastors freely admit their distaste for talking about money and many, as a result of their discomfort, avoid the subject altogether in their preaching. Speaking of the response of pastors in a ministerial association to his challenge to preach about stewardship, Joseph McAuliffe wrote, ?Nevertheless, most of the pastors still felt a general reticence to speak openly and in the name of the Lord on economic matters?.4
This common reticence on the part of pastors reflects a failure to fully grasp their God-given responsibilities regarding teaching the whole counsel of God, which includes many texts on financial stewardship.
The Bible makes it clear that spiritual leaders need to teach their people biblical principles of stewardship. For example, in Deuteronomy 8:11-18 Moses fulfilled this responsibility by warning the people of Israel that when they prosper in the promised land they must not think that they had made themselves rich, but to remember that God had given them power to make wealth. Jesus allotted sixteen verses in his Sermon on the Mount to teaching about money (Matthew 6:19-34). The apostle Paul devoted the entire eighth and ninth chapters of Second Corinthians to stewardship teaching and, in First Timothy 6:3-19, he told Pastor Timothy what to teach his people concerning the right attitude toward riches.
In his exhaustive book, A Biblical Theology of Material Possessions, Dr. Gene Getz writes:
"Spiritual leaders are responsible to teach believers in the church what God says about material possessions ([based on] the apostle's [Paul's] example and personal experience)." [author's emphasis] "Believers must be taught in concrete terms what God says about material possessions. This is not only true of the principles themselves, but Christians must be given specific examples of how to apply these principles. That's why Jesus was so specific in His own teachings. As we continue in our study, we will see that the authors of the New Testament letters also became specific. James included at least eight major ?teachings? about material possessions in his letter. The apostle Paul included at least sixteen major teachings on giving in two chapters alone (2 Corinthians 8-9). These principles must be taught in order for them to be applied."5
In light of the biblical examples of spiritual leaders teaching their people about stewardship, it should be clear that the failure of pastors to teach these principles hinders God's people from giving as they should.
Second, many Christians don't give because their pastor has failed to challenge them to give according to the biblical principles of stewardship. Along with teaching their people the biblical principles of giving, pastors must also challenge people to give in order to lead them into obedient stewardship. Research has shown that most people will not give as they should unless they are asked to give:
"Churches with high levels of giving realize that most people do not increase their giving unless someone asks them to do so on an annual basis.... The bad news is that they will not grow in their giving unless they are asked."6
A careful study of Scripture reveals that one of the key responsibilities of a spiritual leader is to challenge his people to give. It also demonstrates that when he does so, God's people respond obediently. Examples abound in the Old Testament:
* When Moses challenged the people to give for the construction of the tabernacle, they brought so much more than was needed that he had to command them to stop giving (Exod. 35:4-9, 20-24; 36:4-7)!
* In leading the people to give to the building of the temple, King David told how much he had personally donated to the task and then pointedly asked his people, ?Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD? (1 Chron. 29:5). As a result, David's people gave willingly (1 Chron. 29:6-9).
* When King Joash commanded the people to bring the temple levy as fixed by Moses, all the leaders and people responded by giving joyfully and obediently (1 Chron. 24:8-10).
* When King Hezekiah commanded the people to bring the tithes as commanded in the Law, the people responded by giving so abundantly that the tithes piled up in heaps (1 Chron. 31:3-10).
* In Nehemiah 13:10-12 we read that Nehemiah commanded the people to bring the tithes to the temple storehouses for the Levites and singers with the result that all Judah obeyed.
* When the prophet Haggai rebuked the people for neglecting the temple to build their own houses and commanded them to rebuild the temple, the leaders and all the people obeyed (Hag. 1:1-15).
The weight of these powerful Old Testament examples supports Eugene Grimm's conclusion, ?people like to give and usually will respond favorably when asked. Contrary to the popular myth, most members are not offended when money is requested." Therefore, ?Christian leaders should not hesitate to ask for help when there is a need, both for others and for themselves?.7
The primary reason Christians don't give is because their pastors have failed to lead them properly by teaching and challenging them to give according to the word of God. If Christians are to give according to God's will, pastors must lead them by teaching and challenging them to be obedient stewards.
1. Chambers, Mary, Church Is Stranger Than Fiction, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990, no page number.
2. Barna Research Online, Tithing Down 62% in the Past Year, http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp? PressReleaseID=139&Reference=F, May 19, 2003.
Both Gabriel Ama & Rod Rogers are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gabriel Ama has sinced written about articles on various topics from Self Improvement and Motivation, Network Marketing. **********************************Copyright (c) Gabriel Ama.Gabriel Ama uses the Tianshi Network Marketing System to remain in excellent health and earn income too. What about you?. Gabriel Ama's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
Rod Rogers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Self Improvement and Motivation, Religion and Dating and Romance. Rod Rogers, D.Min., is a stewardship consultant, speaker, and author. His ten-step Dynamic Giving System? has helped over 900 churches worldwide biblically increase their giving 10% - 300% in five weeks. Get a FREE twelve-page eSermon when you sign up for. Rod Rogers's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.