By Virginia Mburu
Mwakazi the Passionate Entrepreneur and
owner of Makao Interiors Ltd is intent on enjoying every second the New Year affords
him. He happens to be an ardent seeker
and in one of the readings, he happened to come across some lessons in 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22.
He realized that he was already applying some, others he could easily
apply while others called for serious determination and commitment. Possibly,
he may need your encouragement and wise counsel on some areas. The lessons are
as under;
1.Be the encourager
Verse
11...Therefore encourage one another and
build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Let us
be part of great support system... a network of
encouragers that builds a person, be it
intellectually, emotionally, physiologically, spiritually, socially, careers, business
etc.
2.Hard work is to be respected
Verse 12
and 13.... Now we ask you, brothers, to
respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish
you.
Hold them
in the highest regard in love because of their work.
Wow... Do I get it that working hard, leading and
respect are birds of the same feather?
3.Live in Harmony
Verse 13
continues.... Live in peace with each
other.
Peace... that is what the human race is forever seeking. Paul
says.... just live it, practice it.....daily. And St. Francis of Asisi prays- “Lord, make me an instrument of thy
peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”
4.Be the light-house - warn the idle
Verse
14...And we urge you, brothers, warn
those who are idle,
We surely
cannot warn the idle when we are their compatriots in crime! You certainly will
have to be amongst the lot practicing virtue 2- the hard workers who are
respected!
5.The timid look up
to you
Verse 14
continues....encourage the timid,
Think of
any behavior that is opposite of bold—nervous, shy, fearful, faint-hearted,
cowardly, apprehensive, hesitant, etc. Anyone who exhibits such behavior does
not call for bashing. It is a cry for help!
6.The weak need your help
Verse 14
continues... help the weak,
Sometimes
we see them as feeble, delicate, vulnerable, exposed, fragile, frail, faint,
tired, drained, shaky etc. They could be weak courtesy of their genes, or as a
result of the experiences they have waded through resulting in a dis-empowering
belief system. The weakness could be intellectual, emotional, physiological,
spiritual, social, work, business etc. What are you doing about it? Can you
hold their hand?
7.Endure discomfort without getting upset.....Be Patient
Verse 14
continues...be patient with everyone.
While holding that hand, pray for the patience to be patient. This
includes being patient with your own self as you metamorphose.... You need it!
Mark this advice by Arnold Glasow- “The key to everything is patience. You get a
chicken by hatching the
egg, not by smashing it
8.Tit for Tat is not a
fair game, kindness is
Verse
15...Make sure that nobody pays back
wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
You do
not repay evil with evil nor do you watch as someone else does it, full stop!
9.Don’t Worry, Be Happy Always!
Verse 16
......Be joyful always;
Can you
imagine that the person who was writing this was a former bigwig now happily in
prison? Where are you now that you are downcast?
10.Follow the doctor’s orders---Take your prayer dose- without fail
Verse
17.....Pray continually;
When life
happens-be it positive or negative, make
prayer the first item on the set of actions to take. When we sincerely pray, we
do get connected to almighty powers that enable us to make the right decisions
leading to a divinely suitable solution.
11.Have a Grateful
Attitude (gratitude) no matter the circumstance
Verse
18.... Give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Easier
said than done- don’t you think? But then again, are the results of the other
option preferable?
12.Keep the fire burning
Verse
19.... Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
There is
already a spirit’s fire (passion) burning inside us. And each one of us has the
responsibility of feeding it with the right nutrients and fanning it to keep it
alive. Will you?
13.Take wise counsel
Verse
20.....do not treat prophecies with
contempt.
An
African proverb comes to mind which when directly translated goes like “No one
repents when going as when coming back”. Take note of the wise counsel whether
it be divine or acquired from various life experiences.
14.ABT (Always Be Testing)
Verse
21....Test everything. Hold on to the
good.
Test
people before trusting them with your life, your loved ones or possessions, test
ideas, test products, test services,
test words, test theories, test philosophies, test behaviours, test
beliefs.....basically everything and then hold on to the good whilst tossing
out what is not beneficial......
15.Remember
the TO DO’s and NOT TO DO’s
Verse 22.... Avoid every kind of evil.
Whether we like it or not, at times evil
will come knocking on our doors- be still and send virtues 1 to 14 to answer
that door.
Over
to you Passionate Entrepreneur
- Which is the easiest to apply?
- Which one is the hardest to apply?
Share your experiences,
suggestions or questions in the comments section below. Who knows- You will be
the one benefiting from the many encouragements shared herein!
Whatever you do, make sure it
results in less work, more money and positive impact.
Update
Virginia
Mburu
Passionate
Entrepreneurs Coach
Virginia
empowers and motivates Passionate Entrepreneurs to realize their purpose and
pursue it. She then assists the entrepreneurs to clarify, prioritise and focus
on management and marketing strategies and action plans that will get them to
work less, make more money and positively impact within one year. Access some of her gifts- absolutely free lessons on biasharacoach.blogspot.co.ke
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