Andy Ruiz Jr. lost his rematch to Anthony Joshua that year in a rather surprising manner. His sincere reason for the loss passed a great lesson across. He said; “I lost to Anthony Joshua because I was undertrained, overweight, and partied for 3 months.”
Friend, don’t stop paying prices. Life does not rate you based on your previous form. It rates you based on your present form (Philippians 3:12-14). One truth that every man of destiny must understand is that you cannot use yesterday’s strength and success to rate yourself today. Simply put, your growth and exploits stop where you stop paying prices (Luke 12:49-50).
Success is a prize with a price. The bigger the prize, the more the price. A lot of people desire the glory of success, but not many people can pay the price required (Matthew 20:20-23). Nothing is more deadly to a man of destiny than living in assumption. Samson attempted to shake himself like other times. But he never knew that God had left him (Judges 16:20).
This year, refuse to be an ex-anointed. Refuse to be an ex-successful. Refuse to share stories of past success while you have little or nothing to show for your present life (Job 29:1-11). You need to realise that the very things that brought you to where you are now must be sustained if you would sustain the success (Luke 5:12-17).
Beware of arrival syndrome. There is nothing like, “When I still used to wake up at night to pray.” There is nothing like, “In those days when I would go out and evangelise.” If you stop paying prices, you will stop growing. If there is anything that your past success should do for you, it should be to challenge you to do more, not to rest on your hoarse (Acts 26:19, 22).
Like David, when you miss your appointment with God, you will keep an appointment with the devil (2 Samuel 11:1-5). Don’t be too used to spiritual routines that you feel you can skip them without any consequence. Don’t be bored with spiritual routines that you want to spice them up with a little ungodliness. There are still some Bathshebas bathing outside today. Don’t stop paying prices. Did you hear?
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria