There is a father in the Lord whose exploits I covet greatly. I have always thought everything was by grace( that is not to downplay the role of grace in a man's life) not until I heard that his consecration to stay on top was 3 hours of prayer every night before sleeping and two weeks of marathon fasting before his monthly vigil programme. At other times, he'll spend forty days in fasting and prayer several times in a calendar year.A young preacher like me would have been deceived to think it was all grace not knowing an act of consecration gave grace expression.
I have observed an attitude in this part of the world that prevents the upcoming generation from replicating success. It is not laziness neither is it lack of ideas. Rather, it is lack of vital secrets shared by the older generation to the upcoming ones.
For instance, If they ask someone who just achieved a great feat how he made it, the reaponse is predictable. You may hear statements like: "It is God o", or "It is grace and mercy". Yes, God is involved and without him, no man can achieve anything meaningful. John said, “...a person can receive only what is given them from heaven"( John 3:27).
However, that answer cannot suffice for learning the pathways to greatness. When answers like that are given, you have only told us the Godward side to your success story. We need to know the manward side, the role you played and how you cooperated with the grace God gave you. That is how others can learn the pathways of greatness not some 'religious' answer.
Look at how Paul spoke about his pathway to greatness: "But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor( GRACE) on me—and not without results. FOR I HAVE WORKED HARDER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER APOSTLES; yet it was not I but God who was working through me BY HIS GRACE"( 1 Cor 15:10 Emphasis mine).
I want you to examine the words and statements in caps. Paul acknowledged grace was poured on him to achieve the special feat he achieved. This is where most of us stop. He further explained to us how the grace was given full expression- through hardwork. So, it is possible for a man to be graced but without proper hardwork, the grace will not be given full expression. Therein lies the secret of greatness.
Every righteous greatness you see in the kingdom achieved by God's people is a mixture of grace given by God and responsibility taken by man
Today, we have many who are on the mountain praying and fasting. Some have turned the mountain to a second home because they heard someone say that it was after they returned from the prayer mountain this and that happened. Often times, those kinds of statements makes believers lazy. What part did they play by cooperating with God?
No first class student or outstanding performer in any field of endeavour made it without observing certain discipline and sticking to certain routines and habits. I heard about an outstanding saxophonist who rehearsed six hours daily. The simple hearted may think it is just the grace of God but something gave grace expression.
As younger generations come around us, let's teach them the pathways to greatness. Let's expose them to the demands of discipline and consecration required to be who God want them to be lest we raise a people who are zealous without knowledge or those who'll go round "tapping grace".
