How to Achieve Supernatural Speed: Direction, Determination and Discipline

•       The following is the text of my ministration at Power of Zion Assembly, Jos on the above topic.

•       Text: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (King James Version)

•       ²⁴ Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

•       ²⁵ And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

•       ²⁶ I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

•       ²⁷ But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Direction

•       Once a man wanted to go to the south, but his carriage was heading north. A passer-by asked him:” If you are going to the south, why is your chariot heading north?" The man answered,” My horse is good at running, my driver is highly skilled at driving a carriage, and I have enough money." The man didn’t consider that the direction might be wrong; the better his conditions were, the further he was away from his destination.

•       There are many meanings of the word direction depending on the context. But that which concerns us can be defined as ‘the line or course on which something is moving or is aimed to move or along which something is pointing or facing’. 
In other words, what is the course in which your life is moving?

•       The direction that your life should take could be understood when you understand your purpose.

Purpose is the very reason you exist.

              Purpose can be said to be the utmost goal of our lives.

              Purpose can be said to be the reason why we are here on earth.

             

•       Exodus 31:2-6 (KJV)

•       ² See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

•       ³ And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

•       ⁴ To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

•       ⁵ And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

•       ⁶ And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

How to know which direction to take;

•       Circumstances

–      Self :Familial,

                                      Cultural

                                      Social

                                     Academic

                                     Community

                                     Creative

                                     Physical

•   Life events allowed by God.

•       SWOT analysis

–      Strength

–      Weaknesses

–      Opportunities

–      Threats

•       Spiritual Counsellors and Mentors

You can read more about how to know your purpose here

Determination

•       "At the age of seven, a young boy and his family were forced out of their home. The boy had to work to support his family. At the age of nine, his mother passed away. When he grew up, the young man was keen to go to law school, but had no education.

•       At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. At 23, he ran for state legislature and lost. The same year, he went into business. It failed, leaving him with a debt that took him 17 years to repay. At 27, he had a nervous breakdown.

•       Two years later, he tried for the post of speaker in his state legislature. He lost. At 31, he was defeated in his attempt to become an elector.

•        By 35, he had been defeated twice while running for Congress. Finally, he did manage to secure a brief term in Congress, but at 39 he lost his re-election bid.

•       At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 42, he was rejected as a prospective land officer. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. Two years later, he lost the vice presidential nomination. At 49, he ran for Senate and lost again.

•       At 51, he was elected the President of the United States of America.

•       The man in question: Abraham Lincoln."

•       ‘Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude’.  ~ Thomas Jefferson

•       Determination provides us with a strong force which helps us in conquering our goals.

•       Many talents fail in this world because they do not have strong determination required for success.

•        It is very difficult in this world to succeed if we do not have determination.

How to increase your determination;

•       Have a vision, an ambition. There is no use for determination if your goal is not ambitious and you can achieve it naturally without stretching yourself.

•       A strong commitment to study, to learn, to accumulate knowledge and to apply your knowledge;

•       Being resolute in spirit and action to complete successfully that which you have begun; There are some people who don’t get to successfully complete anything. They are always moving from one project to another with bursts of energy. However, they have a retinue of uncompleted projects because they always give up in the face of any adverse condition or setbacks.

•       To consecrate your time and energy in the firmness of your purpose;

•       To accept as a natural part of his process the nature of temporary hardships and difficulties and the transitory nature of barriers and hindrances;

•       To accept proudly the nature of your births and your circumstances and never to use your heritage as an excuse, a prop, an inferior status or failure;

•       To be resolute in foregoing the immediate or short-term satisfaction, pleasure and comfort for the more distant but enormously more valuable gains.

Discipline

•       2 Timothy 2:3-5

•       Discipline is the ability to control one's impulses, emotions, desires and behaviour. It is being able to turn down immediate pleasure and instant gratification in favour of gaining the long-term satisfaction and fulfilment from achieving higher and more meaningful goals.

•       It means having the ability to do the right things necessary to achieve your purpose.

•       Certainly, being disciplined does not mean living a limiting or a restrictive lifestyle. Nor, does it mean giving up everything you enjoy, or, to relinquish fun and relaxation.

•       It does mean learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals and persevere until they are accomplished.

•       Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a reasonable time frame and to live a more orderly and satisfying life. 

How to Develop Self-Discipline
 

•       Start with baby steps. Take it one step at a time in building self-discipline. So, begin by making the decision to go forward and learning what it takes to get there.

•       Learn what motivates you and what your bad triggers are. Discipline is setting up the perfect environment to achieve the goals you have.

•       Make certain behaviours a routine. Once you have decided what's important to you and which goals to strive for, establish a daily routine that will help you achieve them.

•       Likewise, get rid of some of your bad, self-defeating habits, whatever they may be.

•       Practice self-denial. Learn to say no to some of your feelings, impulses and urges. Train yourself to do what you know to be right, even if you don't feel like doing it.

•       Get inspiration from those you admire.

•       Visualize the rewards. Project yourself in the future. Visualize your desired outcome. Feel how rewarding it is and the countless benefits you will enjoy.

•       Engage in sports or activities. Sports train you to set goals, focus your mental and emotional energies, become physically fit, and to get along well with others.

•       Learning to play a musical instrument can be another great way to practice self-discipline. The focus, repetition, and application required in learning to play an instrument is invaluable.

Conclusion

Benefits of Discipline;

•       It helps build self-confidence. 

•       You accomplish more, and are therefore more productive.

•       You are able to maintain a higher tolerance for frustration, obstacles and negative emotions.

•       Allows you to obtain better health, better finances and a good work ethic.

•       You are able to reach your most difficult goals more efficiently. 

•       The more disciplined you become, the easier life gets.