An adage in Igbo says “If you tell a poor man what it takes to be rich, he will prefer to remain as he is”. Let’s read down and find out.
Practically, everybody wants to be great in life. As you know, virtually nothing goes for free in this life. Even air which seems to be the most common and free gift is no longer free. Why? Human beings had devised a means through which all of us directly or indirectly pay for the free air in form of GSM and Internet air-time.
Let us consider the prices and those ones that paid it on their way to greatness, peradventure, that will help us to begin to pay the price as we accelerate to the height of greatness unless you are comfortable with the height you have attained so far.
Firstly, Jesus, our perfect example paid a great price before He was raised to the highest place and given a name above every other name. What price did He pay? In Phil. 2:7-8, we were told that He gave up all He had, and took the nature of a servant. He took the human nature and walked humbly through the path of obedience unto death. Let us understand something. While in human nature, He had feelings like we do, at least in one of the instances, the bible said that He was hungry (Mt.4:2), in another instance, he was angry (Mk. 11:15 ). There is no way we can excuse Him that He didn’t feel like we do today, but one astonishing thing is that He paid the price of all the confrontations that came His way joyfully and patiently. He also has the power to silence those voices that were speaking against Him and molesting Him but He decided to pay the price until He was hanged. What a great challenge! Today, we find it difficult to let go someone that mistakenly stepped on our feet or tried to chance us without giving him/her the history of his life with our tongues. Perhaps, some people called Him “Mugu” and “yeye” because of the way He handled the situations but because He has determined to reach His target, He decided to pay the price. It was a costly one indeed. (Heb. 2:9).
Secondly, David, a man after God’s own heart paid a costly price too. He was a mere shepherd boy before he was chosen and ordained as a king of Israel. He reigned over the Israelites and achieved a lot of things and wealth. Before David was enthroned and started ruling as a king, he passed through hell in Saul’s hand. Saul sought for a way to eliminate his life and he spent some of his lifetime hiding in the field. (1 Sam. 20:24). On some of the occasions, he tried to kill him with javelin and failed. You know what, there was no record that David had grudges in his heart against Saul, even when he had the opportunity to kill Saul, he said he can not raise his hand against God’s anointed. Majority in our time would have called Holy Ghost fire to devour Saul. As if that was not enough, Absalom, his own son started fighting against him. indeed, David paid a great price of patience and love in his life time. It is worthy of emulation.
Thirdly, Joseph also paid a price before he became well-known and adored by his brethren. Initially, when he got a glimpse of his future, his brothers became jealous and sold him into slavery. Even his father mourned him alive based on what he heard from the brothers. From there he found himself in prison and suffered as a prisoner. After suffering, he was eventually elevated. Those that meant to kill his vision turned around and started feeding under him. Patience is the staircase to greatness, just climb one after the other, there is no need to rush.
Fourthly, Daniel, a young man that made up his mind not to defile himself on the pathway to greatness (Dan.1:8). Do you know why Daniel was able to pay his own price? He was a man of prayer. Even when a decree was made that people should not pray to any other God except idol, he decided to open his windows to let everybody know that he still prays to that mighty God. (Dan. 6: 7-10). He and his colleague suffered humiliation before the masses and was even thrown into lion’s pit and lake of fire respectively. But after everything, they were glorified.
A lot of people in our generation paid the price of greatness before they reached their different positions in life both in Christendom and secular field. People like Uma Ukpai, Benny Hinn et cetera, passed through what we can term as “fire” before they became instruments of greatness. Uma’s Children got drown in a river while Benny was treated as an outsider by his parents because of his faith in God.
In the secular field, people like Alan Ture, Bill Gate, Charles Babbage to mention but a few, passed through sleepless night and mental stress before they came out with what we can call “global village” today. That is the internet and all the hardware and software that help it to work.
Medical doctors, Lawyers, et cetera, are not left out. Before they can come out as professionals, they must have passed through stages like studying a dead body, reading voluminous books and passing through sleepless nights. These are all prices in different categories.
Are you ready to pay your own price now? Go ahead the Lord is with you and you will soon find yourself on top. (Deu 20:4)
