On Top of Your Game
Today's Verse:
And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. ~1 Kings 20:22
Almost everyone I know desires to be successful. The road to success is arduous and painful, and it requires an intense amount of effort. As we get closer to our desired goal of success, we are driven to make it all the way and not let up. When we attain this success, we feel elated and somewhat relieved of our accomplishment. However, while it is one thing to make it to the top, it is a whole different matter to stay on top. King Ahab had experienced a monumental victory over King Benhadad. With God’s supernatural intervention, Ahab overcame the odds and squashed Benhadad. The Lord sent a prophet of God to Ahab with excellent counsel on how to remain successful. Would you notice with me the essentials that we need to execute to stay on top of our game?
We must strenuously reinforce.
The prophet said, “Go, strengthen thyself.” Repeatedly throughout Scripture, we are reminded of the importance of being strong. As Joshua was beginning to assume his role as Moses' successor, God told him to “be strong.” David told his son Solomon to “be strong” in the building of a house for God. Nehemiah told the men who assembled with him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to strengthen their hands. God encouraged Daniel when Daniel was discouraged to be strong. We must always be prepared for attack from our spiritual enemies. We must reinforce ourselves all of the time. Be strong in the fundamentals. Be strong in the faith. Be strong in your fervency. Be strong on your focus. Keep pushing yourself. Keep up the spiritual regimen that gave you success. Be strong!
We must scrupulously reassess.
Ahab was told to “mark.” In business, a useful assessment tool called SWOT is used to evaluate strength, performance, and viability. SWOT is an assessment of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It is an honest and thorough evaluation of what is working for us, what is not working for us, where we could fail, and where the next level of opportunities might be for us. The psalmist prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Are you honest about your strengths and weaknesses? Are you ignoring the opportunities that God has put before your eyes? Are you aware of the threats that could lead to your downfall?
We must strategically resolve.
We must resolve to establish our priorities for accomplishment. We must make sure that what we do lines up with the vision and goal that God has given to the church. We must establish a plan of action that details for us how we will get done what needs to be done. We must anticipate disruptions and pushback to this plan of action and be determined to get it done. God said, “See what thou doest.” Paul said, “This one thing I do.” Do you know what you are supposed to be doing? Are you doing it? Are you keeping the main thing the main thing? What are you supposed to be doing with your family? What are you supposed to be doing for people entrusted into your care? Are you on track for getting to the top? Are you doing what you should be doing to stay on top?
Ahab was told that his threat would be returning in the near future. In order for him to remain on top of his game, he was given one sentence that prescribed for him what he needed to do. This strategy still works today! Take time today to reinforce, reassess, and resolve so you can sustain a life of victory.
Have a victorious God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Jeremiah 18-22
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