1. Turn Your Stumbling Blocks Into Stepping Stones
Turn Your Stumbling Blocks Into Stepping Stones!
It has been said that
adversity is the grindstone of life. Intended to polish you up, adversity also
has the ability to grind you down. The impact and ultimate result of adversity
depends on what you do with the difficulties that come your way. It has been
said that adversity makes us either better or bitter. Adversity can leave us
better or worse.
Friends, welcome to Intervention, an outreach of
VISION BUILDERS designed to help Undergraduates contact divine intervention for
academic victories. Intervention brings you inspirational messages and Study
Tips to enable you be your best academically! Through this message, we believe
that God is set to bless you by removing every barrier against your academic success
and fulfillment.
I believe you will find
today’s topic quite interesting: Turn Your Stumbling Blocks Into
Stepping Stones!
Adversity is never a
pleasant situation and no one desires or prays for it. Adversity is defined as
a state of misfortune or affliction. We do our best to avoid it, but the truth
of life is that sometimes adversity comes. However you must know that
regardless of when or however adversity comes, it does not possess the power to
determine the form of your life. Its impact and ultimate result of adversity
depends on what you do with the difficulties that come your way.
Academic adversity may
result from the unexpected death of a parent or financial sponsor, very poor
grades in semester’s exams or the anxiety of being stuck with a course you
dislike and life prospects you hate. You may even have fallen victim to a
lecturer’s disfavour.
Regardless of whatever you
may be experiencing, the impact and ultimate result of adversity depends on
what you do with the difficulties that come your way.
Here’s the story of Mary
Groda-Lewis whose academic dreams were threatened by a health condition called
Dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a condition
that impairs the ability to learn to read. Mary endured sixteen years of
illiteracy because of unrecognized dyslexia. And of course, when you cannot
even learn to read, how do you begin to learn and study?
Although Mary Groda-Lewis
was committed to a reformatory on two different occasions, and almost died of a
stroke while bearing a child, she remained committed to going to college. She
worked at a variety of odd jobs to save money, graduated with her high school
equivalency at eighteen, was named Oregon's outstanding Upward Bound student,
and finally entered college. But her dreams were still to be fulfilled. She
wanted to become a doctor.
She faced fifteen medical
school tests and rejections until Albany Medical College finally accepted her.
In 1984, Dr. Mary Groda-Lewis, at thirty-five, graduated with honors to fulfill
her dream. Talk about adversity! But she stayed on the course of her dream and
eventually won the fight.
Do you know that your
adversity is just a singular event and not the end of the world. Neither is it
a reason to stop trying and moving forward academically.
How do you handle adversity?
According to James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy when you fall into various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let
patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing.
God’s Word translation
bible puts it like this, “My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are
tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces
endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and
complete, and you won't need anything.”
Adversity is merely a test.
As a student you must be very familiar with the concept of taking tests and
exams. Tests and exams are presented after a period of learning. If you pass
the test, you move on to a better life. The bible says when you pass the test
of adversity, you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
How do you prevent
adversity from destroying your academic life?
First, Change Your Attitude: Attitude views life’s issues as a glass of
water that is either half empty or half full. How is your outlook on your
academic difficulties?
A half empty glass view is
a negative attitude. It makes you blame and accuse others for your poor. Your
situation can be turned around, but you must be involved in the transformation
process. A half full glass attitude is positive. It is what you need to help
you take responsibility for your poor grades and step up on studying and
learning.
Secondly, Stop Focusing On
The Negatives: Is your situation
putting you under pressure to do wrong? Financial difficulties, for example,
can make academic life difficult.
Some try to overcome their
problems by relying on rich older men called ‘Aristos’. Some join cults and
campus fraternities. Some take to part-time crime.
My dear listener, are you
facing imminent financial pressures? Did you know that financial problem is not
a death sentence on your academic vision or life goals? Whatever you are facing
now is merely a problem, not your destination. It’s only a smoke screen.
Don’t let this adversity
twist your character. There are many students around you who have refused to
let their character be compromised despite their financial adversity.
There are always options.
You will see them if you look for them. For example, you can get a weekend job.
You can type up projects for others for a fee. Many students would appreciate
help with typing notes and stuff. I met a year three student who runs a campus
taxi service and pays his own way through school. I have another friend who
bought and re-sold second hand clothes just to get through school.
If your adversity is
related to poor grades, you do not need to cheat or take short cuts to do well.
What you really need is to improve your academic ability and performance. Make
friends with classmates who are doing well. It will take extra effort and
humility but the results will justify the labour eventually. Pray, trust God,
and patiently endure the learning and self-development process required for
academic success.
Thirdly, Focus On Your Set
Goals: Remember the story of Dr. Mary Groda-Lewis? Focus
on your set goal. You will achieve it with God’s help.
Finally, Keep Your Sight On
God Instead On Your Difficulties: When I was
having challenges with my final year project, a class mate said to me, “You can
choose to meditate on your project or you can meditate on God’s word.” Things
never got better till I took my friend’s advice and turned my focus to God to
help me complete my project.
According to Ps 37:39-40,
“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the
time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall
deliver them from the wicked, And save them, because they trust in Him.”
What are you facing in your
academics today? Your salvation can come from the Lord. He has already promised
to help you and deliver you. He promised to be your strength. But the condition
is that you trust Him. But how can you trust someone you don’t have any form of
relationship with? To really trust God for your life and academics you need to
get into a relationship with Him. Would you like to have a personal
relationship with God starting today? If you want to, why don’t you talk to Him
right now so you can begin a personal relationship with Him? Just make this
simple pray:
Heavenly Father I ask you to please come into my
life today. I believe that your son Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose from
the dead. Forgive all my sins today and make me your child. Fill me with your
Holy Spirit right now and bring stability into my academics and life. Thank you
for coming. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer
with me then know that you have begun a relationship with God. He has come into
your life and will begin working in your life and academics. Please send me a
message @ buildyourvisions@gmail.com or an SMS to +234 817 2239 319 to tell me that you just started a
relationship with God. Remember to include your mobile number and email
address. I would like to keep praying for you.
As I sign off today, I pray
for God’s intervention in any area of your academics and life that you may need
it. There is nothing beyond God’s reach or ability. Ps 37:39-40 states, “The
Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord
helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter
in him.” (New Living Translation bible) I want to encourage you to believe
this. God’s presence is a safe place from the troubles of academic life.
Share this simple pray with
me. Tell God:
Heavenly Father, I thank you because you are my
fortress and my safe place. I thank you because you help and rescue me godly
from the wicked. Today I come to you to save me from everything threatening my
academic success. I thank you for hearing me, in Jesus name, amen.
I pray to God for you that in whatever circumstances you may be
right now, that may be disrupting their peace academically, may you experience
Christ Jesus as your Saviour and safe place. May His power deliver you from
every trouble and reverse every disadvantage. Amen.
Continue to expect the best
from yourself and continue to maintain a great attitude regardless whatever
happens.
I hope to hear from you
soon. Send your testimonies, questions and prayer requests as responses on this
blog. If you have friends, class mates and room-mates whom you feel could
be helped by Intervention messages and Study Tips, kindly share this message
with them.
Friends, thank you for
joining me. I remain your host Tope Banjo and this is Intervention. God bless you mightily!
You will succeed. You will make it!
Contact:
Tel: +234 817 2239 319, Lagos-Nigeria.
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