THE BASIC DEMANDS OF LIFE.
1. LIFE DEMANDS FOR US TO STRETCH OURSELVES
What this truth means is that for you to really make it in life and not be defeated, life demands that you stretch yourself. It is a demand of life. Anyone that does not wish or desire to stretch himself will get nowhere in this life. That is just the way life is. You are meant to stretch yourself in life.
As a young man growing up in Africa, I used to look at the relatively wealthy families around our neighborhood. I always thought if I could only be from one of those families, I would not need to stretch and struggle in life. The impression I had was that those who enjoy life don’t stretch themselves. They don’t suffer, they don’t struggle. Well, I was wrong. I had thought that successful people, wealthy people and prosperous people, don’t stretch themselves and don’t live a life of pressure.
“The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity.” – Joshua Waitzkin
Today my opinion is different. I have come to discover that the reason why they are so wealthy and prosperous is not because they lie on the sofa all day. Their success came as a result of the pressure they exerted upon themselves. It is because they stretched themselves that they are able to live the good life they are living now. That is stretch – that is a demand of life. Life only favors those who respond accordingly.
Life only favors those who understand the demand of stretch and give themselves fully to it. One of the main reasons why obesity is now one of the top killers in the world, is because some of our young generation don’t know the demand of life number one, which is STRETCH. They live by the opposite philosophy that they can lie around, sit around, drink around and still live the good life. It doesn’t work sir. This contradicts the demands of life.
When you live contrary to this demand of life, life doesn’t work for you. Life rather works against you. So, ladies and gentlemen, the number one demand and supply of life is STRETCH.
2. LIFE DEMANDS CHANGE
The number two demand of life is change. Anyone who wants to live a successful and prosperous life has to know that life is wired in such a way that in order for you to survive and make it in life, CHANGE must be your constant companion. Life does not work for people who don’t like to change. Rather life works against those who don’t like to change. For life to work for you, for life to favor you, for life to go your way, for life to smile on you, you must equip yourself with the power of change. You must go to bed with the mentality and thought of how to change yourself the next day. You must wake up in the morning thinking of things you could change in and about your life on a daily basis.
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: « If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? » And whenever the answer has been « No » for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” – Steve Jobs
Life itself demands change from every dweller on planet earth. Life demands change. Only those who are aware of this truth find that life is enjoyable. They discover that life is easy. They go through life with a smile on their face. Why? Because life favors those who constantly change. Because change helps you to adapt to circumstances in life. It helps you to adapt to various situations that will come your way. Change helps you to be flexible. Change makes you pliable. With change you can survive anywhere. With change there is nothing you cannot deal with. With change there is no task too hard for you. With change, life becomes an interesting ride.
To be continued tomorrow with the following points:
- The consequences of not Fulfilling life’s demands
- The third and fourth demand of life.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CHURCH AND NATION
By Pastor Sunday Adelaja
