Set the RIGHT Goal

 

Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals.

By Ben Dankaka 

Over the years, I have learned that achieving goals do not guarantee success. There are times you may set goals and then succeed in realizing them, but just as you are about to celebrate, you may suddenly discover the goals shouldn’t have been set in the first place. The scripture says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals. So they spend their entire lives pursuing the wrong. They never realize their mistakes until they get to the end.

The Sweetest Revenge

 

Focus on dealing with the problem and allow God to deal with the enemy.

 

By Ben Dankaka 

There’s a saying that "revenge is a dish best served cold". This statement implies that revenge is more fulfilling when it’s carried out at an unexpected time. This is true but to take revenge against your enemy is wrong, and the Bible condemns it.  In his letter to the Romans, Paul warns us “not to take revenge”, but “leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:19). That is, we are expected to leave vengeance for God because whoever troubles us is actually fighting God, not us. Therefore, those who take revenge against their enemies are guilty of fighting God’s battles. Allow God to deal with the enemy.

Move on!

Commit to focusing on what you can change, rather than what has already happened.

 

By Ben Dankaka

As Peter shared his testimonies with the Church, He said, “Tell James and the brothers about this,” and then he left for another place. The scriptures didn’t tell us where he headed to, but we know that Peter moved on. In other words, Peter didn’t remain at the place where he was persecuted. That is, he didn’t even to hold on to his past troubles and successes. Peter didn’t even spend a single night in the city. Obviously, the main thing on Peter’s mind was how to further his work of spreading the gospel of the Kingdom. So he quickly moved out of the city.

Your Story Matters

 

You may not know who’s going to be inspired by the challenges you are going through.

By Ben Dankaka 

On the night that Peter was rescued by God’s angel, he went to Mary’s house and met the people who had been praying for him. The moment the angel left him, Peter thought of the people that were concerned about his troubles. As their leader, Peter knew that his arrest must have instigated fear in the hearts of the brethren. Obviously, he knew they had been praying for him. Now that he had been miraculously recused, He went to them because he wanted the Church to know that God had answered their prayers.

Just Follow

God is never late.

By Ben Dankaka 

On the night that Peter that was rescued by God’s angel, he was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and there were other armed men who stood guard at the entrance. In other words, Peter was heavily guarded by armed men. Think of the scenario as what we now call, “maximum security”. Ordinarily, there was no way; Peter could have escaped by his own effort. As at that moment, Peter wasn’t thinking of freedom.  So when the angel suddenly struck Peter on the side and woke him up, Peter was dazed, momentarily. He thought he was seeing a vision.

All of a sudden!

God responds in different ways.

By Ben Dankaka 

Prayer doesn’t work like a clock. While you can easily predict the hands of a clock, you cannot easily predict how or when a prayer will be answered. You can glance at a clock and know the exact minutes it will take the hands of the clock to reach the next hour. But you can’t say a prayer and then predict the exact way it will be answered. Answers to prayers are unpredictable because God responds in different ways. You might have had incidences where God answered your requests almost immediately after you prayed. But then again, there must have been times, your prayers were delayed.

The Master Key

 

Ask God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Shortly after King Herod had James, the brother of John killed; he proceeded and arrested Peter. Herod had decided to kill Peter because he figured it would make the Jews happy. This became a big problem to the Church. If Peter who was the leader of the disciples was executed, then there was going to be a big crack in the Church. And the Church knew they couldn’t physically confront King Herod who had power and authority. So they decided to do the only thing they could do. While Peter was kept in prison, “the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

Sudden Trouble

No one goes through a crisis without growing.

 

By Ben Dankaka 

We don’t have to always blame ourselves for every crisis that shows up in our lives. For instance, a fire incident or the sudden death of a colleague or business partner can bring about a crisis. You may also find yourself in a financial crisis because of an economic recession. You are not the reason why your country is in recession, but somehow you are affected by it. Therefore, crises are problems that come into our lives unexpectedly. Crises are uninvited troubles. There are times that troubles would meet you even while you were minding your own business.

While crises can be painful, they also have some benefits. Crisis comes to shake up certain things in our lives. No one goes through a crisis without growing. The crisis you are going through will move you from where you’ve been to the place you ought to be. See that crisis as an opportunity to reinvent yourself. The crisis has come to wake you up. Above all, it will bring you closer to God. David said, “It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). Like David, you will be grateful in the end.

 

Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the strength to stay strong. Amen.

 

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 119

 

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

 

 

 

Empowering Others

To empower others, teach them!

By Ben Dankaka

One day, Jesus took his disciples to a solitary place so they could break away from the crowd. They boarded a boat and quietly left. But before they got to their destination, the crowd recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and even got to the solitary place ahead of them. When Jesus saw the large crowd, he pitied them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus had compassion on them because He realized they were in need of leaders. In other words, Jesus realized there was a shortage of leadership. How did Jesus tackle the problem?

The Value of Recognition

 

The important thing is not whether you are recognizable or not, but why you are recognizable.

 

By Ben Dankaka

There’s hardly any leader who isn’t easily recognized. The moment you become a leader, whether in your field of endeavor or in an organization, you will be recognizable. It’s all most impossible to be a leader and not be recognizable. But being recognizable doesn’t necessarily mean you are making impact in society. While you can be recognizable for the right reasons, you can also be noticeable for the wrong reasons. So the important thing is not whether you are recognizable or not, but why you are recognizable.

Use Your Gift

 

To be influential, become a person of value.

By Ben Dankaka

One day, Jesus traveled to the Sea of Tiberias with His disciples. This was shortly after he had preached in many villages. Most likely, they wanted to have a quiet time. But a crowd of five thousand people followed them. Clearly, the crowd wanted to be with Jesus even if it meant to leave behind their homes and businesses. But why would such a crowd of people, leave their villages and follow Jesus to a deserted place. According to the scriptures, the people had followed Jesus “because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick” (John 6:2).

Lead like a Farmer

Real leaders are like farmers. They don’t depend on luck.

By Ben Dankaka 

When farmers set out to cultivate their land, their main objective is to produce crops. But the farmer knows that the only way he would realize his objective is by working hard. Real farmers don’t depend on luck. They know that if they don’t work hard, they would starve. The farmer knows that the only way he can have a harvest is by farming. If he doesn’t work on his farm, he would not have crops at harvest time. The farmer knows that whatever he sows is what he will surely reap. For that reason, he works hard, cultivating his land.

The Leader's Crown

True leaders are individuals who pay a price in order to attain a prize.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Although leadership comes with a lot of challenges, it has its own benefits. That is to say, leadership has a price as well as a prize. If you are that leader who has been surrounded by a lot of challenges, be assured that your situation isn’t abnormal. Whatever problems you are facing in your capacity as leader is the price you have to pay in order to get hold of your prize. This is a universal law of leadership. In my assessment of leadership, I have seen

Civilian Affairs

 

To become an effective leader, you have to be familiar with the culture of your profession.

 

By Ben Dankaka 

There are many reasons why leaders fail. One of them is the inability of leaders to adhere to the rules governing their profession. Every field has its unique culture. An Army General, for instance, is expected to act and lead differently from an Accountant General. Although they are both leaders, they operate under different rules. So leaders must act according to the guiding principles of their profession. Which means, to become an effective leader, you have to

Enduring Hardship

As a leader, you must realize that challenges and all sorts of hardship will come your way.

By Ben Dankaka 

Every leadership position comes with its own challenges. In most organizations, including Christian groups, individuals get to the top, with the assumption that their positions would shield them from hardships, hoping their leadership journey will be a smooth and steady ride. So when problems hit them, they give up easily because they were not ready to deal with hardships. When leaders aren’t prepared to confront and endure hardships, they would certainly be unable to lead effectively. As a leader, you must realize that challenges and all sorts of hardship will