Hello, dear readers! How’s you going? I hope and pray everything going okay with all of you. I grateful to God today I have a bit time to post a new post. This time I just want to share wise words that I got from (once again) from my mom. Coincides with my parents’ new restaurant that will officially opened in December, my mom gave me a photo containing wise words about positive thinking. Here it is…
Karina – Living by faith
Rebecca Fong
Background Image : googleimages
Hello dear readers, how’s you going? I hope and pray everything is okay with all you. My post this time is a re-post from my old post in July 2013. I deliberately re-post because a few days ago a friend of mine shared his problem because in pioneering his own business, he experienced fails many times and it made him get frustrated. I am trying to encourage him to not being frustrated and give him some suggestion to avoid failures in the future. I hope and pray this re-post could strengthen all of us especially when we have to face failure.
This morning I was startled by a letter from our marketing director. Through my secretary, she was handed a resignation letter. I was surprised because I did not hear rumor about this resignation. I immediately asked him to come to meet me.
“What is this?” I began the conversation seriously. “Yes. I am sorry ma’am. That is my resignation letter. I intend to resign from this company” He replied with a bit hesitant. “Ok. Give me a good a reasonable reason. So far I have not seen obvious reason to this resignation. Please explain to me” Then he gave me an explanations.
The point is, He felt he had failed to lead his division in order to increase the level of sales of the company. This case relates with our last meeting whereby company profit does not achieve the target. According to him the profit target is not reached due to insufficient sales. He said: “Ma’am, because I’ve failed and I have a moral responsibility to the company, I think it would be better to resign.
Then I said firmly: “Ok! I’ll give you an answer about your resignation right now! My answer is No! As a top leader in this company, I reject this resignation letter.”
He surprised. I said to him: “with all due respect, please show me who the people in this world who have never experienced failure in their life. Could you show it? You might see I and my family have never experienced failure. No! You are wrong. We have experienced the failures. We had ever collapsed, even living in the failure. Every people in this world must have experienced a failure no matter big or small failures. You may see the others boards never failed in this company. But remember, they might experience on the other side of their life.”
My dear friends, the story above represent that many people often see a failure is the end of everything. They saw the failure as the scariest things in their lives. I have a simple opinion about a failure. In our lives sometimes we need failure. A failure is not represent our ignorance or inability. In fact, failure is a best way to know our weaknesses and lack. Failure is a best teacher that we can learn more from it.
Proverb 24:16 said:
“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”
This verse shows us that we have to learn from failure. We can never shy away from failure. But the most important is that we have to always be willing to learn from failure and continue to persevere in prayer. God will give us the strength to rise from weaknesses because of failure as written in Isaiah 40:29:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”.
Failure is a step to success. It makes us wiser and mature. Do not ever be afraid with a failure and never give up but we do not do something that has a big chance to fail. Like my father always said: “failure is only a small part of our lives. Among the ocean failure is just a small ripple.
Finally, after quite long conversation, I said to the director: “Please do not ever run away from failure. Face and accept it! If the company assess you has been fail, then the company itself will ask you to resign. If you say you have a moral responsibility to this company, do not leave it. Do the best for all of us with your moral responsibility. Our company still running well, until this time the board of commissioner still satisfied with our performance. It means, I do not see any a failure in every part of this company. Including you! This company still needs you.”
As believers, we have to look at failure with positive lens. So, we become optimistic and bold make changes for the betterment of us. Try and fail much better than as though has never failed because it does not dare to take a risk to try. Don’t fear to fail! Amen
“It is fine to celebrate success but it is important to heed the lessons of failure” Bill Gates
“I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000-step process” Thomas Alfa Edison
“Failure is only a small part on our lives. Among the ocean, failure is just a small ripple. Don’t fear to fail” Chandra Susanto
Karina – living by faith
Image sources: Google Images
“Let me think and learn this project” That’s my answer or response every time my company’s directors deliver a new business project. Then they’ll ask when they could get the fix decision and my answer was: “Could be tomorrow, next week, next month, or maybe you’ll not get any decision from me” Often time my answer made them a bit upset because they expect me to approve their business plan very soon. Usually they’ll do anything they can to convince me that the project will be running successfully if executed soon. My secretary once asked me why I always took a quite long time and seems too slow to make a decision and my answer was, “Beside I’ve to think and learn carefully about all details of the project, I’ve to take it into our prayer. I’ve to involve God in every decision I made” My other business colleague even extremely said, “Karin, I know you’re a good Christian business woman! But come on, this isn’t about spiritual matter! This’s about the big business opportunity that can give a big profit to the company and I do believe your parents would be definitely agreed with this project. Don’t let this opportunity be taken by others just because we are too much consideration and you aren’t considering business technical but you rather to the emotional consideration.” I just smile and stick to my stance. I will take it into my prayer first. I don’t care people judge me too religious or godly. I have to do what I have supposed to do.
My beloved friends, why do I so insist like that? Well, I always remember one of my mother’s advices in doing business. She said, “You may have brilliant business idea, you may have very good business plan and strategy, but God decides your plans will work or not. Therefore, please involve God in every plan you make, involving God doesn’t mean we force Him to make our plans work successfully but trust and submit all the plans and everything you will do. Take it into your prayer!” Beside my mom’s advice, I also learn from one of my father’s friend experience. He’s Christians. I called him Uncle Joe. In all of his life, he has repeatedly failed in business. Actually he had brilliant business idea; he had very good and detailed planning, he also had good business estimation by involving consideration of various aspects. Unfortunately when executed, he failed and bears big loss. He actually should be a successful entrepreneur. Then he tried to find out what’s the cause of his failures by consulting to a pastor and He finally got a simple but important advice, “Don’t keep on building a blueprint that are different with God’s plan and you may forget to involve God in every of your plan.”
My dear readers, in this life, there’re always plans that we make and we certainly want those plans work well. My post this time talks about our plan and God’s plan and I choose one verse from Proverbs 16:3,
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans”
This verse is God’s command and promise. The meaning of this verse is very clear; if we want our plan work well we’ve to submit wholly what we plan and what we want to do. Not just submit but trust it all to God. This’s a simple to be understood but isn’t easy to do because once we totally trust and commit to God, we’re no longer commit to our ego, personal desire, and other motivations. What does it mean? I give a simple example, when I come to my parents with a new business proposal, I cannot hold on my own ego because not all of my ideas will be accepted and at that time I must be ready and willing to sacrifice some of my ideas so that my proposal will be accepted and could be implemented. Because I’m totally submit my plan to my parents and I also completely believe in them, then I couldn’t longer argue with them in order to stick up my opinion in the hope that they approve my proposal. Often my parents sharply criticize my ideas, they ask me to make big revisions and adjustment, or even if my plans and ideas not align with their main business concept they will hardly reject all of my ideas. Like that anyway if we totally commit all of what we do to God. We must be ready to be rebuked, shaped, and advised, ready to be taught, or even rejected by God. We must be ready for a process and sometime the process could be uncomfortable, or even painful. We must be willing to accept if we’ve to make a big adjustment and if there will be an even bigger change of what we’ve designed and prepared. In this case, the strength of our faith plays an important role. How big our faith to totally trust that God will establish our plan.
I do believe that now among of us there must be someone who has a special plan. We may have a new business plan, a plan for find a better job, a plan to buy a new house, or another big plan in our lives, and I also strongly believe that we want all of our plans will running well and succeed as we expect. Right now please allow me to ask something. Have we submit and entrust all of our plans to God as advised in that verse above? Have we always involved God in every of our plans and work? If not, let’s start now. Let’s totally submit everything we do to God and really trust that God (with His way) will make us success. If we already submit and trust to God, Praise the Lord! That’s good. It means we already did God’s command. Then, what? That’s all? No, my beloved readers! Actually beside verse 3 in Proverbs 16 there are some verses we must really understand and obey if we want everything we have planned succeed. Let’s take a look…
To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue (Verse 1). We have to really know and realize that God is the one who give us ability to carry out our plans. It means it’s useless if we’re only having ability to make a good plan if God doesn’t give us ability to execute it. We need God because all of our ability is from God alone. Furthermore, God is “The ultimate decision maker” We may make a very good plans but God decides! God has full authority of our plans. He has authority to decide our plan will be work well or not.
All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord (Verse 2) in everyday life, we often judge ourselves to be always right. We always assume that what we’re doing is always true but who judge us true or wrong is God because only God who really know the inside of our hearts and minds. My father said, “Don’t ever make plans as if from the outside looks good and right but the fact you have bad and wrong motif and also have bad purpose behind of your plans. If you like that, don’t ever expect your plans will be success. God really knows what’s in our heart and mind.”
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished (Verse 5) , if we’ve a great plans and brilliant ideas please remember that we could be like that just because God gives us intellectuality, intelligence, and thinking ability. And if our plan is successfully implemented, please remember that it’s not solely because of our abilities but there is God’s intervention that decides the success of our plan. So don’t be arrogant! Not just our plans and ideas will be failed but we will be punished. God doesn’t like pride or arrogance. “…I hate pride and arrogance…” (Proverbs 8:13)
… Through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided. (Verse 6b) My dear friends, everything we do must be based on fear to God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” (Proverbs 1:7) Everything we plan and what we have to do must be done with attitude fear to God. Fear to God is a foundation and reason for us not to do anything that doesn’t please God and we will be avoided from the evil things that want to mess our plan up.
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps (Verse 9) No matter how well our plans, no matter how great our strategy to execute our plan, we still have to remember that God establishes the steps, sometime God even direct our step into the place that we really don’t like and expect. But we’ve to know and understand God will not take us to the place that could harm us.
My beloved readers, it’s true we need to work hard seriously and earnestly, we need to make and do our planning for all the work we want to build, but don’t forget that all success is depends on God. Not solely on our own effort. Once again please remember that we make plans, God decides! We’ve to do our best, we’ve to make good plans, but the first thing we’ve to make sure is to roll our plans and works upon Him. This evening please allow me to encourage all of us to reflect some verses from Proverbs 16 and use it all as a foothold when we want to make plans or work out our plans. Let us continue to involve God at every step of our lives including in making plans and doing all our work. Submit and trust whatever we do then God will establish our plans and if our plans doesn’t work as we expect, it means God has another plan for us! Just completely trust to the His perfect plan as he promises to us, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) and don’t ever try to reject, change, and stop His plan because nothing can stop God’s plan (Isaiah 14:27) Amen!
Karina – Living by faith
Image source: Shutterstock.com
Day by day I am more realized that the spirit plays an important role in our lives. I am more realized that no matter how smart we are and how high our expertise, without having a great spirit we couldn’t do so much things. We also often think that high intelligence and high education is something absolutely needed to reach a success. However, actually this fact is not entirely true. I have met many business comrades who didn’t have very high education but they could reach a great success. A few days ago once again I met a new business friend. What makes me surprised and amazed is, she is younger than me and you know, she told me that she just graduated from senior high school but she has been successful in the business world and successful develop some companies. “The biggest asset that I have is praise to the Lord almighty, He gives me a big spirit and I always try to keep my fire of spirit never dimmed. Indeed, I am always surrounded by many smart, skilled, and experienced people in their respective fields who always support me. But if I myself don’t have a great spirit to achieve what I want, so I will get nothing. If we have spirit, then we will be doing many things. By keep the spirit up, I could learn many things and it could make me remain stand firm especially when I have face the hard times” She said without any overbearing impression.
I am not saying that I am disagreeing with education, intellectuality, and intelligence. I know both of them are important too. But what I want to convey is we don’t have to forget the factor of spirit in our lives. High intelligence and education is not an assurance that we could successfully reach what we want if not accompanied by high spirit to try reach what we expect. As my new business friends said that she always tried to make her fire of spirit never dimmed, it means we should always have a spirit in live our life. God also really love and appreciate if we are as His children have a great spirit.
I remembered a God’s word in 2 Chronicles 15. At that time, Asa, a king who led the Nation of Judah wanted to make reformation. Before he did, he visited by Azarya the son of Oded who apparently was given a special mandate directly from God to the king Asa. One of God’s messages it turned out is about the spirit,
But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.
(Chronicles 15:7 NASB)
Let’s pay attention to the word “For your work shall be rewarded” This is God’s promise to those have a great spirit and strong mental. Thankfully king Asa heard the message and he successfully did thorough reformation to the nation of Judah. The Bible noted the significant outcome of his effort.
There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign. (2 Chronicles 15:19 NIV)
Now, I love to take another bible figure as an example. Let’s briefly take a look to the story of Caleb. Caleb was one of twelve people who were given the task by Moses to spy out the Promise Land, Canaan. At the time, Caleb was 40 years old and we all know the end of the story. The Israelites successfully entered the Promise Land 45 years later and Caleb was 85 year old. There is one Caleb’s remark that can describe how great his spirit although his age was already quite old,
I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. (Joshua 14:11 NIV)
Here we can see although Caleb’s age was been quite old but he still had a great spirit to assist Moses brought The Israelites went into the Promise Land. What a great example that by always has a great spirit will be able to reach a great success and give us a great outcome. Caleb didn’t become downhearted at all even though he should to wait for 45 years.
My beloved readers, we all know that our lives are not always filled by convenience and comfort. There are times we are in a situation which is fraught with difficulties, suffering and troubles. But Solomon said:
The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble… (Proverbs 18:14 AMP)
Spirit is able to give us strength to endure sufferings and heavy burden. But what we can do if we don’t have spirit? People who have broken spirit tend to be difficult to get up. The longer it is allowed, the harder to recover. We have to know that the spirit is like a fuel that will drive us remains step forward. Whatever work that we do, whether it is large or small if we do will vigorously we can finish it all with the best results. I personally have experienced it. Without a great spirit, I couldn’t be able to run a big responsibility on my shoulder in working. Don’t ever dream to achieve something big if not accompanied by a great spirit. Problems may come and hit us repeatedly, but if we have a high morale to face it all, it will give a big difference in obtaining the final outcome. We have to always remember that God has promised always be with us whatever we go. As He said:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NIV)
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2 NIV)
He also has declared that He is the Faithful God,
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
(Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV)
And because God is faithful, it means He never leaves us, He promised:
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV)
God wants us to always live in His plan, where He will guide and accompany us in every step of our lives to reap what has been provided by Him. So, if we already know how beautiful God’s promises to us, why should we be downhearted in facing of various problems, sufferings and trials? We should to always have a great spirit to face any problems and trials just because it all will strengthen us to remain endure passing through the hard times.
My dear friends, this evening allow me to encourage all of us to continue keep the fire of our spirit not going to be dimmed. Let the fire stay burning and flared. Whatever problems we face today, let’s face and finish it with a great spirit. There is no reason at all for us to not keep the spirit up. When we face so many hard problems people around us might stay away from us or even leave us, but please remember one thing that we are not alone. We have God who always be with us, loves us, and give us strength.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV)
Fully trust in His promises because He said:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise… (2Peter 3:9a NIV)
Feel His kindness, love, inclusion and continue to hold it with faith. It will make our heart still have a true joy, happiness, and the cheerful lives. From there we will be able to remain upbeat and positive, full of enthusiasm in doing what we want to achieve and in resolving all of our problems. Spirit drives us to get a great achievement. Keep our spirit up! Amen.
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NIV)
Karina – Living by faith
Image source: imghoot.com
When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit…
By all means pray, and don’t you quit. Success is failure turned inside out, God’s hidden gift in the clouds of doubt. You never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar. So trust in the Lord when you’re hardest hit… It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit!
Photo sources :sassholes.blogspot.com
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”
“Is the man of the house home?” they asked.
“No”, she replied. “He’s out.”
“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”
The woman went out and invited the men in”
“We do not go into a House together,” they replied.
“Why is that?” she asked.
One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!” he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”
His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”
Their daughter was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”
“Let us heed our daughter’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.“Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.”
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?”
The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him.
“Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success…”
Photo credits : chweetones.blogspot.com
Today I want to talk about success. But I do not discuss about tips or ways to be successful because it has been many books and articles that discuss about this issue. I would like to discuss the issue of success from the other side. That is the meaning of success. Why? Just because day by day many people looking for information about how to success, how to make it, or many of us trying to look the best tips or ways to be success. But unfortunately, most of us actually don’t truly understand what success implies or they have a wrong idea of what it is to be successful in life.
Most of us are oftenmeasure thesuccess from the material terms. Success is to have a big and luxury house, luxury cars, has a very big income, etc. That’s called success…!! Then what about the people around us who do not possess all of it but have a happy and harmonious life? If they cannot be called success?
I would like to give a case example; I have a driver who coming from a military, He is married and has two children. Someday I asked him a simple question: “Do you happy with your marriage?” he replied with a steady voice: “Yes, Ma’am…!! I am very happy with my marriage life “I asked him again: “with your work and with your current salary if you have financial problems? Can you meet all of daily and special needs in your family?” And then he said: “No, Ma’am…Not at all…!! So far it running good and I still can save my money although not too much.” “ And you happy with your own life?” I continued. “Yes, Ma’am… I dare to say I am very happy with my own life and my family”
I called it: that’s success…! So, what does it mean to be successful in life? Certainly it is difficult to define what makes a person successful and other people losers but – in the end- the large majority of people view success as the acknowledgement of others that a person is successful. This means that in order for most people to consider themselves successful, there must be a general – even if tacit – acknowledgement of people considering them as such. Let’s take – without any means to offend anyone – a hypothetical successful Rock star as an example. All people will – without a doubt – label him as successful because he achieved fame, fortune and a place within human history as a great musician.
Could you say that he was successful in life? Definitely fame and fortune do not grant success in life, because success in life is something personal and does not depend on the approval of others. To be successful in life means that you are happy with whom you are, you are happy with what you are doing and you have achieved a place where you simply wouldn’t trade yourself for anyone else. In the end, success in life is simply summarized as having lived happily. Does this need fame and fortune? Does the general agreement that a person is successful make a person successful in life?
In the end, most of us have sometimes focused our energies on the production of money and wealth when in reality success does not have a lot to do with this factor. Certainly, in order to be happy, to enjoy things with the people you love and to achieve your dreams you will need money but money will be a vehicle towards your success in life and by no means your goal. People who have money are many times unsuccessful in life; they have lives plagued with depression, sadness, grief and loneliness. I also guarantee you that those who have money and happiness do not consider money the main source of their success in life. There are certainly a lot of things that money can’t buy that make a large amount of people successful in life, even if their peers would consider them average or unsuccessful.
Success cannot be measured only by the material or the things that we have. Success is not about wealth. Success is when we have life happiness with doing everything that we love and we do with love and fully passionate. Definition of success should be personal because it’s so transitory. It’s about shaping our own destiny.
“Success has come in several different areas (thankfully) and I consider myself successful in life as I work independently in an area I love -being limited only by my efforts and potential-, I have a great healthy relationship with a beautiful woman and I have a close group of family and friends who love me and appreciate me for who I am. All the money I have and what others think about me doesn’t make me successful, the fact that I am happy with my life and with the way in which I do things is what gives me that feeling.” Aldous Huxley
So, what does it mean of success for you ?
Karina Susanto.
Material source : http://entirely4you.com
Photo source : http://www.theater330.com
Karina's Thought 