Be prepared...

Every now and then, you hear about something so out of the ordinary, so unusual, that you have to stop and take notice.

Exceptional achievements, mind blowing incidents, breath taking scenes & art, spectacular fire works like the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, the world record breaking speed of Usain Bolt, oratory speeches like Yes We Can - Barack Obama etc.. You simply can't help but stop and say waw! isn't it just mesmerising.

What may be a little surprising though is that these waw moments have a common denominator, the ingredient that is implicit to any success and achievement of any magnitude.

These ingredient is as common as the air you breath, its free of charge and it is yours whenever you want it, you determine how much of it you want and when you want it, it rewards you bountifully and takes you from obscurity to prominence! know what i am talking about?...

It is called PREPARATION, yes, if you desire your life to count for significance, always be prepared, preparation to you should not be an option neither should it be an exception. It must be the RULE! period. Simply put, make up your mind to be ready for your breakthroughs, triumphs and the challenges that life will present to you in your life time.

The Merriam - Webster's online Dictionary defines preparation as the action or process of making something ready for use or of getting ready for some occasion, test or duty

An expectant mother for example, will normally prepare for the arrival of the baby, a student will undergo gruelling days, months and even years of study to prepare for just a 3 hour exam that may well define the rest of his/her life. An Entrepreneur will take a leap and get ready for the challenges of business life.

The Olympic gold medalists take an enormous time to prepare for the final few minutes of their act, event or race.

It took Noah 100 years to prepare for the flood by building the Ark, Jesus Christ took 30 years to prepare for his 3 year ministry and another 40 days and 40 nights of fasting and praying to prepare for empowerment.

Come to think about it, there is really no great achievement without adequate preparation, wouldn't you agree?

Take a look at yourself, I am sure your major accomplishments to date were well prepared for, they did not happen by accident and so will your future achievements be, you have to prepare for them from the get go.

The 2012 London Olympics is dawning on us and so far a lot has gone in in terms of preparation. From the participants to be, to the infrastructure. If you visit the London Olympic Village in The south East of London you will appreciate what I am talking about. Obviously the would be Gold medalist for the 2012 London Olympics are busy preparing for it now in fact some started ages ago, not only here in London but all over the world, there is simply no way out- its the RULE of the day.

Preparation is in two distinct levels:

• Spiritual Preparation
  
• Physical preparation

Physical preparation is not all about building the biceps, six pack and the like, it should be more about endurance, stamina, good physic, poise and balance.

The key area of your physical preparation is your body. You ought to take good care of your body, it is the only vehicle you have to move about in this earth, its your licence to exist on this earth, so look after it with the care due to kings and nobles, it will do you good. Do not smoke- by the way if God wanted you to smoke, He probably would have put a chimney on top of your head but He did not. Have enough rest, do not eat every food that passes by you, take time to relax, do not worry - nothing in life is worth a price of worry, smile and laugh often and always mean well. Okay, please do yourself a favour and take good care of your body.

On a spiritual level, prepare by exercising your faith, always praying, meditating on scripture, taking time to be alone and to be quiet. By far your spiritual preparation profiteth more than physical preparation because you are involved mostly with the eternal things of life which rule the physical. "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" 1 Timothy 4:8

PREPARATION is a discipline that must be taken seriously by any one who is mindful of advancement and accomplishments in life. There is simply no substitute for preparation. Your dreams and destiny demand that you adequately prepare for them, do not be a cause of your own downfall and failure. Destiny fulfilment calls for Diligence, humility and focus; all of which are found in preparation. You will hardly recognise the significant moments and opportunities in your life if you are not prepared for them, they will simply pass you by, don't let that happen to you - be prepared at all times.

You will agree with me that being prepared makes you ready, gives you confidence, builds your faith, makes you disciplined and brings you success. The challenges to your preparation will invariably fall within the following categories: Ignorance, Laziness, Contentment, Selfishness, Fear and Unforgiveness; resist them at all costs!

Okay, I can almost hear some of you saying; Bro Sterling sometimes somethings just happen and take you unaware, how can you possibly be prepared for such things, you know the sudden things of life so to say. what do you say about that, bro Sterling.

Alright, no problem...

It is a good Idea to always have a reserve of anything for the "just in case" times of our lives, and its no exception with preparation. I earlier on said that you should be prepared at all times, and I meant it, it is possible. whether you are visited with fortune or 'disaster' you should always be prepared to deal with either and not crumble under it.

Determine in your life never to be surprised by surprises and one of the best and lasting ways to build a reservoir for life's eventualities is; now hear me well and clearly; it is Walk in LOVE and live by FAITH. Period. Believe me, you will always be ready and prepared for anything, whatever the scale or magnitude, you only need to walk in LOVE and live by FAITH. There you go, that is how to always be prepared.

For LOVE envies not, is not puffed up, love suffers long, love does not behave unseemly, Love is not selfish, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things and Love never fails, - What a resume for Love. On the other Hand FAITH, sees the invisible, helps you do the impossible, melts away fear, knows no limitations or boundaries, gives you confidence, makes you bold, what more can I say? Well,by now you pretty much have an Idea why I say that you ought to walk in love and live by Faith, right? - you will never be disadvantaged. I know it is not easy on your own to walk in love and live by faith, and that is why you have the Holy Spirit in you!

As I conclude this post, note very well that the key to preparation is PRACTICE, in fact the three keys to preparation are: Practice, Practice & Practice. Be action oriented, take those baby steps however small they may appear, just keep moving and be doing something worthwhile everyday, it is your prerogative, your right and also your privilege.

I just can't help but tell you that, the best and by far the most important preparation you can engage in is; preparation for ETERNITY with God. All of us will live forever, the question is; on which side of eternity; in Heaven or Hell? have you clearly settled that question in your mind? if your life ended suddenly right now, would you be ready for Heaven? think about it. Where would you spend eternity? If you are not sure, Visit Romans 10:9 and do what it says.

Thank you for your time with me today, may God Almighty reward you tremendously, may you wax great and become very great and may your latter days be more glorious than your former days, till we meet again right here soon, be sure to take good care of yourself and always be PREPARED. Walk in LOVE and live by FAITH.

I love you and appreciate you.

Peace & Love

Libs