MAKE A LIFE THAT IS FIT FOR AN EMPEROR. Seed your life for success
FIT FOR A KING
Fit for an Emperor, Fit for a King, Fit for a Queen, Fit for a Princess, Fit for a Prince are all expressions that mean that you are making something so good that a member of the royal family would appreciate. Emperors and Kings are associated with the richest, most opulent living and the highest,wisest thinking as they think for a land, nation and people. We can think of the wisdom of King Solomon, the persistence of King Robert the Bruce, the quick-thinking of King Charles II and the never-say-die daring of Queen Scheherazade.
SOWING SUCCESS
The seed and the acorn represent that small things can lead on to great things. Our good values are our seeds and can bring success. If we plant seeds of honesty then goodness grows. Here is a story of an emperor who wanted to see what his subjects could grow from the seeds he gave them. The greatest subject would inherit the kingdom and become emperor.
THE ENLIGHTENED EMPEROR’S NEW SEED
The emperor was getting on in years and told the people: “It is time for me to name a successor.” The great emperor wanted the land to be ruled by someone as good and wise as him.
LOOKING FURTHER AFIELD
He wanted to consider everyone in the kingdom so he got all the young people of the empire together. “It is time for me to make way for a new emperor and I have decided to choose one of you.” The court was shocked. The emperor explained how he would make his choice: “Each one of you will receive a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant it, water it and come back here in one year’s time with what you have grown. I will judge the plants you bring and the cultivator of the one I choose will be the new emperor.”
One boy received his seed. He returned home and excitedly told his mother about the task the emperor had set. His mother helped him to get a pot and good soil. He planted the seed and watered it carefully. Daily he would water it and hover over it to see if the seed was sprouting. After about three weeks other young people started talking about how their seeds were beginning to grow. However, this boy’s seed was not sprouting.
Weeks and weeks went by but still nothing. Feelings of failure overwhelmed him – all the gamut of emotions from disappointment to desperation engulfed his thinking process. Had he killed his seed he wondered?
LOOKING AROUND
Everyone else had plants as big as trees and he had nothing. He never lost hope and hoped that perhaps his seed was a late developer.
JUDGMENT DAY
One year had now passed and the day of reckoning was about to take place. All the youths in the empire brought their plants to the emperor. The boy thought there was no point going with an empty pot. His mother persuaded him that he should. When he arrived the palace was awash with flowery plants. Many people laughed at him but a few felt sorry for him and said: “Nice try.”
FEAR OF FAILURE
The emperor praised the great plants, trees and flowers and then he saw the boy at the back of the throne room with his empty pot. He summoned the terrified boy who wondered – “Will I be executed?”
NEW EMPEROR
“Behold your new emperor,” announced the emperor. Gasps of amazement went around the palatial palace. What? How? Why? More gasps.
REVEALS ALL
The emperor explained. One year ago I gave everyone a seed. I told you to take that seed, plant it, water it and bring it back to me. Every seed I gave was a bolied seed. These seeds will never grow. Not one. All of you except this boy have brought me trees, plants and flowers. How can that be? You must have added your own seed. Only this boy had the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with the seed that I gave him. He is the most honest among you. Thus he is the one worthy to be the new emperor.
LESSONS
The Prophet taught, "Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8:116]
When everyone else is doing wrong, I encourage you to do right. God is on
His throne watching the righteous and the unrighteous. God is not a
rewarder of blessings to those who mislead others and use deceit for their
own professional or personal gain. The Lord is an upright and righteous
Judge and will never forsake those who do right in the midst of evil. God
promises that He will pour out His blessings so much so that we will not
have enough room to receive it if we walk according to His statutes and
follow His laws. (Psalm 34:11-17) (2 Timothy 4:5-8) (2 Samuel 22:21-25)
Never get discouraged when you see others doing wrong and still seem to go
unpunished for their actions. There is a season in a person's life when
Sin seems pleasurable, but never listen to the enemy's lies when he tells
you, "Everyone's doing it". The end of that person's life is sure to lead
to destruction. I encourage you to do that which is right in the eyes of
God because your reward will be one that lasts not for a season, but for
Eternity. (Hebrews 11:24-27) (James 1:13-17) (Matthew 25:21)
Psalm 7:8-9 "The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according
to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. Oh, let the
wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the
righteous God tests the hearts and minds."
Proverbs 10:6-9 "Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence
covers the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot. The wise in heart will receive
commands, But a prating fool will fall. He who walks with integrity walks
securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known."
Psalm 18:20-24 "The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have
kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For
all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from
me. I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.
Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight."
Proverbs 11:3-6 "The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the
perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. Riches do not profit in the
day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of
the blameless will direct his way aright, But the wicked will fall by his
own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But
the unfaithful will be caught by their lust."
All scriptures can be found in the New King James Version
- King Solomon was a wise ruler. We all need to make wise, honest decisions
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