Bishop Dag Heward-Mills
Serpents are wise because they can live and work alone! Snakes are often found on their own.
Most of us have discovered a solitary snake somewhere in the garden before. A snake is not found with its mother, father or any other brothers. Snakes are experts at living alone.
Snakes do not miss the company of others and do not seek the friendship and fellowship of other likeminded snakes.
Snakes are solitary animals that travel and live alone. Snakes have the ability to live in groups or to live alone for long times. There are certain things you cannot do in a group. Teamwork is great and valuable but you must also value being alone!
Jesus Christ was alone many times. It was necessary that He was alone. By being alone, He accomplished amazing feats. Are you a leader? Are you able to work alone when need be?
Are you able to accomplish what you must accomplish alone? Jesus Christ is unrivalled as a good leader. You can follow the example of Jesus Christ and become a good leader too. Learn to work alone and you will accomplish amazing exploits!
1.When you are alone with someone, you become close and intimate. There is a certain amount of closeness that you cannot have when you are having a group meeting. When you are alone with someone, you develop a far closer relationship than when you are in a group. You are not so close to God because you never have times with Him alone.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 1 John 1:1-2
2.When you are alone with someone, you develop a bond that cannot easily be acquired in public. Sometimes you cannot understand the bond that exists between people. These bonds are often created when people are together alone. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3
3.When you are alone with someone, you acquire knowledge that you cannot acquire in public. You will know God in a much deeper way when you spend time alone with Him. Listen to Paul’s prayer: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10).
4.When you are alone with someone, you can receive an impartation that you cannot receive in public. The private impartation is often the most important impartation in your life. Through this impartation when you are alone, you can become very fruitful. Adam knew his wife, obviously not in public. “And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew” (Genesis 4:25). In 1988, I received an impartation of the anointing. It was 2.00am in the morning and I was all alone in my room in a remote town in Ghana.
5.When you are alone with someone, you can pray private prayers and make private petitions. Private prayers have promise of great reward. Jesus promised that we would have open rewards for secret prayers.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY. Matthew 6:6.
6.When you are alone, you can fast and receive the greatest blessing of fasting when alone. The greatest blessing for fasting is revealed when you fast privately. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and THY FATHER, WHICH SEETH IN SECRET, SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY. Matthew 6:17-18
7.The greatest blessing of giving is released when you give privately. As you can see, God has reserved special blessings for dealings that are done privately with Him. Don’t shy away from being alone with God. It leads to the greatest blessing.
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET HIMSELF SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY. Matthew 6:3-4
Every leader must accept that there are times he is alone in his decisions, in his ways and in his challenges. No one can understand you because no one is in your position! To be a leader is to be alone many times! To be wise as a serpent, you must learn to be alone when you have to be alone. You will notice how Jesus was alone many times. Because leaders are alone in their challenges, they are often alone in their victories. This is why leaders earn far more than anyone else.
