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October 27, 2002
By Andrei Yashurin
The worst loss that could happen to us is not a loss of
money, but a loss of faith.
The most pitiful loss is not a loss of position, but a
loss of vision.
When people's vision dies, they quit. They do not try to bring
positive changes into their world, resigning to a life of
mediocrity and non-achievement. No matter how they could
justify their resignation, the fact that they are fundamentally
unhappy and unfulfilled proves that they are wrong. Some of
those people are searching for a cheap thrill through drugs
of different kind. Others escape into a world of illusions.
In all those cases, they are running away from themselves,
because our vision is not separated from who we are.
Troubles do come, and it is better to be mentally prepared
to all that might happen. Sometimes, we could feel like we
are thrown into a deep pit, where there is no way of escape.
Is seems that our opportunities to advance are lost forever.
It looks that there is no time left. It seems that no human
effort will bring about the fulfillment of our dream. It looks
that there are no choices to make.
If apparent circumstances leave us no choice, it is important
to remember that we always have a choice. We can either continue
to believe, or to give up. We can either stay faithful to our
vision, or to throw it away. What will be our choice?
This revelation dawned into my heart many years ago, while
I read an old and dusty self-help book. It accidentally came
into my hands at the time where I was broke and desperate.
Some of the things it said may sound simplistic and naive, but
they deeply touched me, igniting within me a new spark of faith
and vision:
The cause of most failures is malnutrition of purpose, desire, or persistence. First build a proper goal, that goal will make it easy, almost automatic, to build a proper you. Striving for a goal develops all the means needed to reach it. To be great, concentrate. I often wonder whether Joseph felt the same. Joseph was a true son of his forefather Abraham, of whom we know that he "against hope believed in hope" (Romans 4:18, Literal Translation). Not only Joseph was faithful to the vision of greatness that he had - he lived great at all times and in all circumstances! After Joseph was sold to Egypt, he spent no time complaining about cruel slavery and unfairness of life. He became a hard-working, diligent, and a prosperous slave!
And Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man.
And he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master
saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all he
did to prosper in his hand... And he made him overseer over
his house, and he put into his hand all he had. Later on, when he was falsely accused and thrown into the prison, he spent no time cursing his offenders and bemoaning his fate. He became a chief prisoner!
But Jehovah was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him
favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper
of the prison gave all the prisoners in the prison into Joseph's
hand... The keeper of the prison did not look to anything under
his hand, because Joseph was with him, and whatever he did,
Jehovah made it to prosper. "If I only had an opportunity to do something and to express myself, I would become successful. But there are no opportunities for me", may tell us some people, not realizing how wrong they are. The golden opportunity lies under our feet, even if we live in the remotest corner of the earth. The ideal place to express ourselves and to start our journey to greater success is right where we are, here and now. If we neglect opportunities which are before us, waiting for the better ones, our life will be spent in vain. God will certainly move us forward and lift up to the new level of success, but only when we are most successful at the level where we are now. I am sure that Joseph did not work for people and looked for no rewards from his masters. He worked for God and with God, expecting his reward only from Him. Many centuries after, Paul encouraged slaves to do the same: "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men; knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance" (Colossians 3:23,24). A person that works creatively and diligently, no matter what is the character of his/her work and how adequately it is rewarded, becomes a true master of his/her life. Indeed, that person is not of this world. He/she does not belong to a generation of hedonists, cowards, inwardly week and irresponsible people, those who forget the heavenly vision in search for the easiest way. A visionary walks in the high spirit, the one which is able to lift up his/her life to a level of divine success.
Positive Christianity E-zine Unity Way If you like our list, please recommend it to others. All messages (c) 2002 by Andrei Yashurin
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