Faith for Elevation: Strategy for Stardom

Whenever faith is activated, with patience and perseverance, the rise to stardom becomes a foregone conclusion.

Dear reader, welcome to another moment of inspiration and motivation. Today, I bring to you the success story of a successful legal practitioner. He is no other person than Barrister James Ocholi (SAN), former gubernatorial aspirant in Kogi State, Nigeria.

I had the opportunity of attending a dinner programme organized by the Lokoja branch of the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON) on November 6, 2012, where the legal uminary delivered his inspirational message titled: “The Secret of Success in Legal Practice.”

In his message, he shared with us how he rose from the bottom to the top. According to him, “I started my legal practice in Ankpa (Kogi State, Nigeria) without a dime. I rented a room for my law office with no state-of-the-art furniture because I could not afford to buy furniture. So, I called a local carpenter and asked him to construct a table and chairs, which I used in my law office.” This marked the beginning of his rise to stardom.

Starting from the scratch is really not an easy job. For this legal icon, the story is the same. When he started his legal practice, he had no client. Clients were not coming.

He, however, used the period to study his Bible and pray. He also read many law books and law reports and jotted down points of law in his practice note.

Sooner than later, clients started coming. But the breakthrough was still like a mirage. According to the legal icon, “I lost my first ten cases at the Magistrate Court. I began to question my decision to practice at Ankpa.” 

Earlier on, he has got some attractive offers to work at Kano, but his desire to remain close with his family made him turn down the offers. Now, he had to face the consequences of his choice to practice at Ankpa.

With such dismal outings, how would he retain and attract more patronage? If one is not winning cases, more cases may not be coming one’s way. Should he quit? What would he do?

In the midst of this situation, the temptation to succumb to unethical practices was not far-fetched, but he easily overcame the temptations because of his solid Christian principles.

With the reality of legal practice starring him in the face, he knew he had to do something to salvage the situation or else, his hope of excelling in the legal profession would remain a mirage.

He worked harder and made the necessary sacrifices. According to him, “I used my money to file appeals. I appealed against the judgments of the Magistrate Court in the ten cases I lost. I won all the ten cases at the Customary Court of Appeal. This marked the turning point in my legal practice. Words travelled round very fast. This is how my fame spread all over and bigger briefs started coming.”

After breaking loose from the strongholds of mediocrity that is holding many people down at the bottom, he worked harder and prepared himself for the top. In the end, he applied for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) only once and he was awarded the rank.

Six Lessons for Elevation

Dear reader, there are vital lessons we can distil from the success story of this legal icon. Here, we are going to discuss six lessons we can apply for our elevation. Read these lessons, digest them and apply them in your own life.

1.   The Top is Vacant: Aim for the Top

“The top is always vacant, but the bottom is crowded”, says Ocholi (SAN). The SAN was not mincing words when he made the statement above. The bottom is actually crowded. At the bottom, you will find the run-of-the-mill professionals. At the bottom, you will find millions of jobless graduates in the labour market. At the bottom, there is poverty, unhealthy rivalry and congestion.

But the reverse is the case at the top. At the top, there are only few people. There is therefore enough space for all of us. We are told that there are billions of stars in the space. But the space is always enough for all of them.

One star is about 13 times larger than the earth, yet, there are billions of them and the space is more than enough for them. None encroaches on each other’s socket. There is enough space for each star. Similarly, there is enough for all of us at the top.

There has been a pattern which continues to exist from the ages. This pattern is: when some people get to the top, they try all they can to frustrate others from getting there. They try to make things difficult for people. They see all aspirants to the top as a threat to them. Their fear is that when others get to the top, they will overshadow them or push them down to the bottom.

But this is ignorance. Just as there are billions of stars in the space, we all can get to the top without pulling each other down.

THE STARTING POINT TO ACTIVATING FAITH FOR ELEVATION IS BELIEVING THAT THE TOP IS VACANT. There is room for you at the top. The top is not only the exclusive preserve of a few. The top is for you.

The reason there are not many people at the top is that getting there is a bit difficult. Many people prefer to remain slaves at the bottom to taking the pain to work their way to the top. No wonder, Ocholi, (SAN) said: “Getting to the top may be clumsy, but the top is vacant.” He knew what it takes to move from the bottom to the top.

Getting to the top is not an easy job. Those who feel threatened at your rise to the top are there to mount loads of frustration on you. The devil and his cohorts are also there. They are out to frustrate you from becoming the best that God wants you to be.

But on a cheerful note, they cannot stop you. No Jupiter can hold you back from getting to the top unless you permit them. NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE TOP. THERE IS ENOUGH SPACE FOR YOU AT THE TOP. THE TOP IS WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO BE. DON’T BE THE TAIL. IF YOU ARE PRESENTLY AT THE BOTTOM, YOUR FOCUS SHOULD BE AT THE TOP. NEVER SETTLE AT THE BOTTOM. STRIVE FOR THE TOP.

2.   Build a Structure for Your Elevation

For God to bless you, you must put in place a structure for your elevation. The faith that elevates you does not exempt you from putting in place a structure which you can build upon to rise to stardom.

For the legal icon, the structure he could afford to put in place is a table and chairs and some law books and law reports.

IF YOUR FAITH HAS NOT GROWN TO THE LEVEL WHERE YOU PUT A STRUCTURE IN PLACE, YOU ARE NOT YET READY FOR YOUR ELEVATION.

It is not enough to plan and strategise. If you have the best plan and strategy and you don’t have the faith to implement the strategy, success may remain an illusion.

I used to think that one reason the bottom will remain crowded is: many people who desire to get to the top do not have the faith to set up a structure for their elevation.

Many people are hoping to acquire enough money before they can set up a structure for their elevation. They fail to realize that IT IS NOT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT MATTERS, BUT AMOUNT OF FAITH YOU HAVE.

If you have enough amount of money and you don’t have enough faith to set up a structure with that amount, you are not likely going to rise from the bottom to the top.

Conversely, if you have a big amount of faith and you have only small amount of money, you can set up a structure with that amount and yet experience a meteoric rise from the bottom to the top.

The size of the structure you have to start with is not the important thing. You can start with anything you can afford. Whether you are starting with a big or small structure, it is important that you have enough faith to start.

ONE SIGN THAT YOU ARE READY FOR YOUR ELEVATION IS THAT YOU HAVE A STRUCTURE ON GROUND. Don’t expect a miracle to happen when you have not set a stage for the miracle to happen. It is the work of your hand that God will bless. If you want to be elevated, the question you must ask yourself is: “What structure have I put in place for my elevation?”

Money problem? Well, this is our common complain. It is true that we all have money problem. We are not denying that fact. I have money problem too. But we are saying that money should not be a problem because IT IS NOT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU WISH TO START WITH THAT MATTERS, BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU CAN AFFORD.

WHEN YOU ARE OPERATING BY FAITH, THE LITTLE YOU HAVE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH. AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE A LITTLE THAT YOU CAN USE TO SET UP A STUCTURE, GO AND FIND ANY LEGITIMATE JOB YOU CAN DO TO RAISE THE LITTLE AMOUNT YOU CAN START WITH.

If you cannot start with the little that you can afford; even if you have enough, you may still not be able to start with it. This is because, ESSENTIALLY, WHAT YOU NEED TO START WITH IS FAITH. FAITH GINGERS YOU TO START WITH ANYTHING YOU CAN AFFORD.

3.   Grow When Your Business is Not Growing

It is not the moment you put your structure in place that clients will start coming. It takes time for people to know you and what you do. Again, it is not all the time that clients will be coming. Every business has its time of adversity.

During the time your business is not growing, you have to grow. If you don’t grow, you are not likely going to develop the faith to survive the adverse business condition. There are times of adversity and there are times of prosperity. In times of adversity, you need faith. Faith keeps you on top of every situation.

During the times clients were not coming, the legal icon kept growing by praying and studying the Bible constantly. Prayer and Bible study are powerful combination for spiritual growth. The essence of spiritual growth is to draw on power for victorious living.

When you start growing by praying and studying the Book of Success, the Bible, you will eventually grow your business to an enviable height.

4.   Be Dilligent

It is not enough to pray and study the Bible, it is also important that you work. The faith that elevates you does not exempt you from being diligent. The Bible says faith without work is dead.

Faith alone does not guarantee success. You have to put your hands to work. The legal icon did not only pray and study God’s Word, he also put in constant effort aimed at changing his fortune.

Diligence does not just mean hard work, it also means being meticulous. Like all professions, legal practice entails diligence or meticulosity. The legal icon attributed his success partly to diligence. He constantly read law books and law reports to keep himself abreast of the latest development in the legal practice. He did his best to properly represent his clients.

Quoting the scriptures to back his point on diligence, he said: “Seest thou a person who is diligent in his work? He shall not stand before mean men.”

Dear reader, if there is any one thing that will single you out of the rest of the pack, it is diligence. The way you go about your work matters. An English proverb says: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”    

Diligence also implies professionalism. Diligence is sheer display of expertise. Everything you set out to do, you do it with great skill and competence.

THERE IS NO HEIGHT THAT IS TOO HIGH FOR THE DILLIGENT MAN TO REACH. THE TOP IS ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE FOR THE DILIGENT. THE WAY TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE CROWDED BOTTOM IS TO BE DILIGENT. Prolific author, Ken Saro Wiwa said: “You must be awake when others are asleep, if you are to get to the top.”

5.   Go the Extra Mile

Going the extra mile includes taking it upon yourself to do what needs to be done to get to the top. The legal icon took it upon himself to fund the appeals in respect of the ten cases he lost at the trial court. He did not wait for his clients to make the appeals, nor did he persuade them to do so.

He filed the appeals and won all the cases. That decision he took changed his fortune forever! IF YOU ARE NOT YET MAKING PROGRESS IN LIFE, PERHAPS WHAT YOU NEED DO TO START MAKING PROGRESS IS TO GO THE EXTRA MILE.

Master motivator, Zig Ziglar said: “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the word extra.” To get to the top, you must go the extra mile. You must stand out of the crowd.

Stop doing things the way the crowds are doing them. If you do things the way the crowds are doing them, you may not be able to break away from the crowded bottom.

The bottom is crowded because the people at the bottom are doing similar things. You cannot keep doing things the way the crowds are doing them and hope to get to the top.

THE TOP IS SPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY. WHAT WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT OF THE CROWD IS THE EXTRA EFFORT YOU BRING TO BEAR IN THE JOB YOU EMBARK UPON.

The secret of getting to the top is doing something extra. Stretch yourself further and further. Do those things that the crowds will not and you will get to the place where others cannot get to.

6.   Be a Light to the World

In his message, the legal icon explained that as Christians, we are the light of the world. And as light, we are expected to illuminate our surroundings. As light, people around us should notice that we are different from others.

In our profession, business, trade or vocation, we should be honest, transparent or straight forward. We should not be involved in sharp practices or any shady dealings.

Being a light to the world is actually crucial to our success in life. I have observed personally that in this world of deception and exploitation, many people are looking for honest and trustworthy persons that can proffer solutions to their problems.

When people are looking for solutions to their problems, they try to look for honest and upright persons on the long run. Out of desperation, people may inadvertently fall into the hands of dubious people. But on the long run, it is those honest ones that they will be looking for.

Dear reader, when you set out to illuminate the world, people may take you for granted. Your shining light may cause some discomfort to people. When you are honest to a fault, people may not like you.

But you know what? WHEN IT MATTERS MOST, WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN, IT IS THE HONEST AND UPRIGHT PERSONS THAT PEOPLE WILL LOOK FOR ON THE LONG RUN.

Honesty is the best policy. In the short term, your honesty may cause you some loss. But on the long run, when people start seeing your shining light, it will become glaring that you hold the solutions they are looking for.

This is one reason you should always shine as light anywhere you are. Try as much as possible to run away from the shenanigans.

If you are a professional, comply with the code of ethics of your profession. As the light of the world, you are bound by the Higher Code, which is God’s Book of Success, the Bible.

In fact, when you are bound by the Higher Code, you will continue to shine as light to the dark world.

THE PATH OF HONESTY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE PATH TO ELEVATION. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR TRUE SUCCESS, TAKE THE PATH OF HONESTY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. ON THE LONG RUN, WHEN IT MATTERS MOST, IT IS YOU THAT PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING FOR.

The strategy for stardom has been delivered into your hand this day. Faith is the strategy. To activate this faith, master the six steps explained in this article.

And until I come your way soon, go and implement the strategy for stardom!