Best of Ojeagbase

In the last edition, we started exploring how to stay connected with your SOURCE once you’ve discovered Him. I listed seven conditions that must be satisfied for this connection to be effected. The conditions are

[1] Walking in truth

[2] Being faithful

 [3] Being diligent

 [4] Being a  committed tither

 [5] Sowing ceaselessly and not sparingly

 [6] Believing in your SOURCE and

 [7] Saying with conviction whatever your SOURCE says you are.

 We started by looking at Walking in truth. To walk in truth means to do what the Word of GOD says, to do things according to how GOD says they are right to be done. Why? Because His Word is truth [Psalms 119:160a and John 17:17].

 Okay, let’s continue our journey from here. One more important point I want to make concerning Walking in truth is that it is the foundation for fulfilling all the other conditions. In fact, you could say that if you learn how to walk in truth, you really don’t need to bother with the other conditions. It’s that important and all-embracing.

 Faithfulness

 One word that will easily communicate the meaning of faithfulness to you is consistency. In the sense that the word faithfulness is employed here, it means to consistently do what is right. And what is right? What the Word of GOD says is right.

 For example, everyone who has ever walked with GOD recognizes one thing: He is faithful. That is one of GOD’s greatest attributes; His faithfulness. If GOD says it, then you should consider it done. He cannot deny Himself.

 According to 1 Corinthians 1:9 [the Amplified Bible translation]: “God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 As His children, we are expected to be like Him. We should be faithful in walking in truth. The reward for being faithful is huge. One of it is that you’ll be able to access all the promises that GOD has made concerning your life.

 For example, one of the promises of GOD concerning me [and you, too, if you choose to walk in His truth] is that I shall lend to many nations, but I shall not borrow [Deuteronomy 28:12].

 Now, if you’ve read any of my books, especially How To Make It In Nigeria, Building Your Wealth From Ground Floor Up or How To Bulletproof Yourself From Poverty or What They Don’t Teach You At Lagos Business School, you know that borrowing for business purposes was something I did with the same ease with which you drink water.

 That was why, roughly 10 years ago, my business debt stock was valued at slightly less than N30 million. [Note: I broke the habit of borrowing to meet my personal needs in 1974 when the Truth freed me from it].

In July 2000, my wife and I started to attend the Living Faith Church aka Winners. And my Spiritual Father, Dr. David Oyedepo, would repeatedly share one of his amazing testimonies, that he had never borrowed a kobo from any man dead or alive.

 At first, I argued about it in my mind. But having made up my mind to walk in truth, and seeing the way Romans 13:8 puts it bluntly in the Amplified Bible translation, I had no choice than to start doing what the Word of GOD says is right and which His servant, my Bishop, demonstrates with abundant proof that it is possible and doable.

This is how the Amplified Bible translates that scripture: “Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbour [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellow men, meeting all its requirements].” [Emphasis is mine].

 Fast forward to 2009 and the ever faithful GOD has rewarded my faithfulness in walking in the light of His Word in Deuteronomy 28:12 and Romans 13:8 by ensuring that our businesses are totally debt free.

 Was it easy paying off the debt? No. Was it paid off overnight? No.

 For the purpose of giving you an idea of how the huge debt was paid off, I’ll describe some of the steps I took. The first thing I did was to be faithful in the payment of my tithe.

 Yes, I never missed paying it on any income that I earned. Many times it was not convenient. But I paid it anyway. It was a covenant obligation. And paying it is my evidence that I’m walking in obedience to His Word.

 Next, I resisted every temptation to borrow. What we didn’t have money to buy was done without, no matter what the thing was. In other words, we were strictly living within what our business could provide.

 By doing these two things –– refusing to borrow to increase our debt and doing without what we couldn’t afford –– GOD gradually led us out of debt. Today, He’s faithfully supplying all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 Diligence

 A dictionary meaning of diligence which captures the essence of what it means in this context is “persevering determination to perform a task.” And that says it all.

 To remain faithful requires that you be diligent. You have to persevere in your determination to be faithful. It is lack of diligence, for example, that makes it easy for one to back-slide; to be hot today and be cold tomorrow on spiritual things.

 Diligence helps you to keep at it. Sometimes the result may not show as quickly as you desire. When you get to that place, the tendency is for you to be discouraged. But if diligence is in place, then it will encourage you to carry on, to persevere.

 I know what it means to be diligent today. I know deep down in my spirit man that I’ve come to a place where I cannot turn my back from this way again. Never! There are no other choices left for me. I’ve taken my stand.

 I agree, we cannot do these things by our own power or might. But for the Spirit of GOD to help us, our own desire to be helped must be strong and in place. We must actively ask Him for that help for Him to do it. He doesn’t force Himself on us.

Are you wondering what all of this has to do with getting paid by the Invisible Paymaster? I will make the connection again in the next edition before I continue to explore the foundation for staying connected with your SOURCE.