Motivation and Inspiration by Peter Mbada: Be the last person standing!

Determine to be the last person standing

A weekend in Real Estate

During the weekend I spent sometime viewing some properties in a very nice area. The properties looked very beautiful, well built and relatively well maintained. However, there was something peculiar about most of the properties or buildings I saw in that area. They had fairly extensive cracks on the walls! My engineering eyes are trained never to take anything for granted; so I had to do a root cause analysis for this common pattern of failures. I didn’t need to look up the buildings to find the cause of the cracks but I looked down and around the buildings. A quick look around the area showed me the problem – the soil or ground conditions of the area! The builders had not taken time to do the necessary – invest in the right foundations for the type of the soil in the area.

Problems upstream are a result of neglect downstream

I realised that the cracks up the walls were a result of compromise down in the foundations. The sandy soils in the area required that the builders put up a special foundation or dig right deep to anchor the building in the rock; but they had not done that. Do you know that in life most of the problems downstream are a result of neglect upstream? Most of the challenges we face later in life are a result of what was neglected earlier in life; and the cost of fixing the problem increases as you progress further and further away from the source of the problem. Think of it this way; if the problem is in the foundation it is easier to fix it at the foundation stage than when the building is already roofed because then you will then have to demolish everything you have built in order to access the foundation! Fix the problem at the source. You might bury and hide the foundation but you cannot hide the cracks on the wall!

Pay the full price

It’s painful; it’s costly, but it’s worth it. Pay the full price for the foundation; it’s worth the investment because the returns are high. Don’t compromise or take short cuts on the foundation. A good foundation does not come at a bargain price! When you set up the foundations for your children’s lives, their characters, the foundations of your career, your business, your marriage or what ever it is, determine to pay the full price for ‘they that sow in tears shall reap in joy’ (Psalm 126 v 5). Even if the foundation is hidden and no-one can see anything except your sweat, don’t give up because ‘he that goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him’ (Psalm 126 v 6). You have just missed the right point to say AMEN!

Let the storms of life be the ultimate judge

The difference between wisdom and foolishness is in the amount of time spent in investing in the things that matter the most. The wise man in Matthew 7 spent time digging deep into the rock to set up the foundation whilst the foolish man had it all easy on the sand. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it’ (Matthew 7 v 24 – 27). The external finish on the top structure of the buildings was the same and excellent; but the difference was in the foundation. The wise man’s work seemed in vain as he got deeper and deeper into the ground and no wall was seen rising up; while the foolish man was the hero who could set it all up in a day. But it’s the storms of life that became the ultimate judge to determine who the true hero was. Don’t neglect the foundations; the deep seated things which no man can see. Invest in them even if your hard work and labour might seem in vain. One day, in a season of storm, your firm foundations will save your day! You will have the last laugh and you will be the last person standing!

Practice makes perfect

By the way I had one of my best sights last week when I got home and my little boy, Shabach, walked to me. He just made his first baby steps at 9 months. It was such a joy seeing him trudge along a few steps and drop hard on his back. He never gave up! He rose up again and plodded on until he got to me. You missed the sight - you should have seen me with an ear-to-ear uncontrollable smile and feeling like the proudest dad in the whole world! During the rest of the week I watched him gain more and more confidence and the trudge developing into a more controlled gait – what a sight! Practice makes perfect. I tell you, the little chap is perfecting the art of walking daily. The hard falls on his back never discouraged him. By the way – if you are beginning on your baby steps in any area of your life don’t let the hard falls on your back or the hard knocks discourage you - rise up and move on. Practice makes perfect, you will soon be the master in the area. God bless you.

Calvary love

Peter Mbada

Thanks for purchasing ‘Destined to Succeed; Unstoppable and Unlimitable’ and for the great testimonies! You have to read it to believe the testimonies!