* 'Self Discipline And Prudence, Very Key'....Rev Okadonye
By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
Until you cultivate the attitude of self discipline, making sustained progress will be hard for you, Rev Stephen Okadonye has said.
Rev Okadonye who stated this while preaching on, "Keys To Progressive Living", added that, If you take your life easy, life will be easy for you but when taken in a harsh way, it will be harsh for you.
The Sokoto Missionary Zone Pastor of Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nigeria (CEFN), Rev Stephen Okadonye while emphasising that all things are possible to be achieved in life, however added that the key factor is that are we ready to pay the price?
"This year, God has destined us to succeed but the question before all of us is can we pay the price. Anybody celebrating must have put in lots of sacrifices to have gotten to that point. Becoming a Professor is not by mere wishing or day dreaming it, actually it takes years of studies, and contributions to scholarly development as the price for attaining such excellence".
While admonishing the congregation to note that the prize or glory obtained from any venture is in the price and the rise is also in the price, Okadonye said, "For you to make any positive mark, you must move. You must also stretch hard to reach your set goals".
He added that, "In the journey of life, nothing is free. Even favour has a price. God paid a price to redeem the world by sending his only begotten son. Whatever you want to attain under the planet earth, you must pay the price"
Talking on the place of self discipline in the attainment of ones set goals, Rev Okadonye said self discipline means self control, self mastering and self denial.
"Until you master them, if not, those things will control you. Self control makes sure that every of your behaviour is in consonance with what God wants. By self denial, you try to deliberately but consciously avoid those things that gives you instant satisfaction but enslaves your future into perpetual penury.
"Discipline therefore encapsulates a decision against procrastination, a determination to work and pay now while you rest later on rather than rest now and suffer later in life. All youths seeking rest in future, must discipline themselves from their youthful age. Working when you are supposed to rest at your old age is because you lack discipline from your youthful age.
"Discipline also means denial of gratification in whatever form that will take your future aback. Any legitimacy that is not profitable for you must be avoided. It is legal to sleep but not profitable to sleep out your good working periods.
"This is because life is measured by time. There is a time to sleep, and a time to work. If you sleep too much, you won't have time to think and plan out your vision. Those that sleeps to much don't have vision. Reduce your sleep, and visualize you future. That excessive sleeping is bringing poverty to your life. Discipline yourself in how you eat as well. Without financial discipline, you may not be able to make riches".
Giving advise on how best to use money, Rev Okadonye said, the two most acceptable way of spending money is emergency and investments, as "Salary cannot make you wealthy. Money that is not managed well, will lead to suffering in the future. Any money that is not invested is digging foundation for failure. Invest any money that comes your way. Stop keeping money without investing it.
"Wasting resources will never increase you rather it brings you back to square one. If your asset can not maintain the level of a millionaire, then you are not one. Aquire assets that will enable you retain your millionaire status. Do not spend your capital for celebration. Also remember that borrowing money for celebration is poverty mentality. If you want to experience financial prosperity, justify your spending", said Rev. Okadonye
He further appealed to women to stop nursing the mentality of their husbands are the head of the house and must provide for his family at all times, noting that as wives, they can also invest and help their husband's invest to stabilize the family.
"Do not allow anybody to look at you and ascertain your value. If you do not invest, your children will insult you tomorrow. A good man will leave inheritance for his children", Rev. Okadonye stated. NNL.
