Daily Devotionals

Creativity and spiritual gifts do not die or go out of fashion. We know this because God’s gifts are irrevocable; they can never be taken back once they are given (Romans 11:29). In a practical sense, spiritual gifts will always be relevant. These gifts can have a socioeconomic impact on the affairs of our world. It is not for aimless showboating, but spiritual gifts, including creativity, can be used to manifest God’s power in the physical realm with some discipline, training, and focus. You have not lost your creativity and spiritual gifts, you just need to pay more attention.

The manifestation of God’s spirit through feeble and frail human beings is truly a sight to behold. This manifestation, however, is not automatic. In some ways, we can think of this as a communion between God’s spirit and a human. Nothing happens unless a human is willing to yield and keep an open mind, allowing the spirit to move wherever he wants. God’s spirit will not always contend with humans (Genesis 6:3). If you do not yield to the giver of the gift, your creativity and spiritual gifts may not reach their full potential.

So let us submit ourselves to God’s perfect will. And keep in mind to kindle the divine gift that is already present within us (2 Timothy 1:6). It is up to you to focus on the gift that God has given you, to learn more about it, and to put it into practice. You never lose your giftings as you get older. No amount of hunger, famine or financial hardship will cause you to lose your gift. Your creativity and spiritual gifts will make room for you and bring you before the great (Proverbs 18:16). You just need to embrace the required discipline and training.

It is possible to be solely focused on what we are getting out of a relationship without taking into account the demands that the relationship places on us. You need to understand how privileges and demands intertwine in relationships. Honour the blessings your connections bring, but be mindful of the responsibilities they entail. Remember to nurture and maintain those bonds as you enjoy the joys and benefits of your interactions with others. Caring for relationships requires effort and mutual understanding; it is a two-way street. Embrace the beauty of the connections while also acknowledging the commitment needed to sustain them.

This holds true for all of your relationships in life. Including your relationship with God. You should not continue to enjoy God’s goodness and blessing while refusing to take up your cross in service of your Saviour. You have to be mindful of the demands placed upon you by your relationship with God. The Apostle Paul asks rhetorically, “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (1 Corinthians 9:11 ESV). Don’t just enjoy the counsel and teachings of your spiritual leaders, mentors, and teachers, understand the demands necessitated by such a connection.

Every relationship in your life comes with a tax. Your parents will place expectations on you. Your spouse will always tax you (both sides), and they will always require something from you. You may have planned ahead of time, only to have someone you consider family demand that you sacrifice that time. This is the reality of relationships. People will go above and beyond to assist you. You should be prepared to do the same. You cannot continue to treat important relationships irresponsibly and petulantly. Spend some time today reflecting on how you balance the blessings of your relationships with the demands of those relationships. Do it!

In an increasingly secular world, if you find yourself disillusioned with your Christian faith and values, don’t rush to abandon them. Doubting your faith isn’t necessarily negative; life’s challenges often prompt questions. What matters is clarity in your beliefs and understanding why you hold them. Your belief system’s significance must be evident to you, ensuring your faith remains steadfast and meaningful amidst uncertainties. Accept your doubts as opportunities for growth, and seek answers that will strengthen your conviction and spiritual journey. Allow your faith to be founded on truth rather than some subjective interpretation of events and circumstances.

Our Lord Jesus warned us to build our faith on solid rock (Matthew 7:24-27). Building your faith on rock means understanding the principles that define your faith. This will keep you from being tossed around by every new wave of doctrine. You will figure out what is useful and productive, as well as what is not. Whatever happens, your faith in God should not be linked to the actions of another human being. An instruction or teaching should be determined to be true because of the underlying facts and principles being used, not because of the person saying it is true.

In today’s world, the utility of your belief system must be clear to you. You must understand what you are attempting to accomplish through your spiritual growth and discipline. What role does your value system play in today’s culture, business, and governance? Is there no way you are making a difference, no matter how little through the principles you uphold in the marketplace? The dark and corrupt world around you desperately needs the light of heaven. More than ever, we require a watchman to channel God’s love, wisdom, and power into our communities.

Jeff Bezos was 36 years old when he founded his space company, Blue Origin, in September 2000. Jeff Bezos usually mentions that he had been studying and thinking about rockets since he was five years old. However, he never expected to have the funds to launch a space company. Over time, he was able to leverage his success with Amazon.com to launch a space company. This happened decades after he first entertained the notion. You’ve probably heard the phrase “your dreams are valid,” and it’s true. However, make certain that your expectations regarding the time of manifestation are not invalid or unrealistic.

Your dreams are valid, but your timelines are not. Just because you have a big idea today, right now, does not mean you should start pursuing it right away. It may be decades down the line. Joseph began having big dreams in his adolescence, but nothing happened until he turned thirty and suddenly became Egypt’s second most important person. So, don’t belittle your humble beginnings; you started small, but your future is bright and prosperous (Zechariah 4:10, Job 8:7). Be faithful with what you have right now and commit to your own growth.

If you are a young person reading this, accept the fact that the biggest ideas in your spirit may be 10 years or more away. Consider how much you have grown over the years if you are an older person reading this. Even if you’re not “swimming in money” right now, there’s a chance you’ve accumulated quality relationships and an education that you can use to see if you can now pursue some of those childhood dreams. Above all, whether you are young or old, do not stop dreaming. Our God is a way maker, and he will perfect everything concerning us.

Money is essential. The utility of money is obvious to any adult human being. However, making money cannot be your top priority. Working solely for financial gain can leave you spiritually and emotionally impoverished. If it is all about making money at any cost, you will soon cross certain lines. You must start with the understanding that money is not a real thing in and of itself. Making money is a byproduct of leading a productive life and solving problems. Your primary goal is not to be rich. Your primary goal should be to do God’s will and to be fruitful in what he has called you to do.

It may appear to be a paradox, but nobody builds global businesses and organizations to make money. They do it because they require a vehicle for their ambitions. They create large organizations that can multiply their personal productivity a thousand times. If you continue to hustle through the marketplace, not to add value, but to make money, you will continue to fall short. People who are obsessed with money will never succeed in life. If you allow your holy quest to drive you, you will live a fruitful life and bear even more fruits for God. You will soon find yourself working on projects that are important to your world.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of people who value money above all else is that they live unhappy lives. Jesus explicitly warns us not to waste our time worrying about food, clothing, and other material needs (Matthew 6: 25-34). You will create your first multi-million business the day you decide to reach more people with the value you have created. And you will find fulfilment in how your activities and productivity levels contribute to the kingdom of God. You will be happy when you see your work enabling others to do their best work that glorifies God. On top of that, you could make a billion dollars in the process.

You have heard it said, “never take permanent decisions on temporary feelings.” Colossians 3:2 (ESV) says, “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. The things that are on earth are subject to change, but spiritual principles never change. There are things that change, while others remain constant. You must structure your life around things that will never change. You must become more aware of when your decisions and actions are influenced by transient factors, situations, and circumstances. There are no permanent conditions on earth, it changes all the time.

As a watchman tasked with steering your world in the direction God desires, you must believe in the world’s transience. The belief that, no matter how persistent and pervasive the current state of affairs, you can, and you will make a significant difference. You must be guided by 2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV), “as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Our temporal world is shaped by eternal principles, and as you continue to align your thoughts and actions with such principles, conditions change.

Nikola Tesla once said, “We crave for new sensations but soon become indifferent to them. The wonders of yesterday are today common occurrences.” Human emotions are fleeting, unpredictable, and constantly changing. Technologies are constantly evolving. Whether you are considering the latest technologies like artificial intelligence or the metaverse, you can be sure that it will change. Governments and world powers are always in transit. They soon change one way or the other. You must master the fundamental principle that you can change anything by applying constant principles. It is your responsibility to seek out those eternal principles and apply them to your specific situation.

President Biden once tweeted, “My father had an expression: ‘Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget—and I’ll tell you what you value.'” This holds profound truth. Our priorities are revealed by how we allocate our time and money. Nothing is more valuable to a person than their time and money. The way you spend them reveals your priorities and the things you truly value. If you truly believe you are on a mission, your daily schedule and budget should reflect this. Align your calendar and budget with your mission; they should reflect your deepest convictions. Let your actions speak louder than words.

Whatever your mission, we all have the same 24 hours a day, 168 hours a week. What matters is not the passage of time, but what we do with it. We can all learn a lot from Jesus. Jesus was so focused on his mission that his family and friends began to suspect him of insanity and sought to take custody of him (Mark 3:20-21). It’s always interesting to see what we say we want and what actually happens. We claim to be on a mission to build a specific business or to advance a just cause, but neither our spending nor our daily schedule reflects this.

Look at your calendar each week and look beyond the tasks to see what story it’s telling you. Consider whether it corresponds to your mission and, more importantly, your values. Is your budget and schedule in line with your role as a watchman tasked with steering your world towards a brighter future? Are you really committed to that mission if you’re not putting in at least 10 to 20 hours per week? Intentionally invest time and money in what truly matters to you, showcasing your unwavering commitment to what you value most.

Seek wisdom and divine strategy through prayer and meditation for your current station in life. The excellent farming analogy in Isaiah 28:24-29 emphasizes the importance of understanding different seasons. A farmer does not plow and plow and does nothing but plow. He plows for a season before beginning to plant. To become the successful farmer he was born to be, he must first understand the seasons and then rely on God for strategies to implement during the plowing, planting, harvesting, and post-harvest seasons of the farming cycle. Similarly, you must understand your current stage of life and pray for the guidance and wisdom you require right now.

In order to explore your creativity and spiritual gifts, you must be aware of your current seasons and develop an appropriate strategy. Your journey may begin with a revelation or an idea planted in your mind. Then you have to figure out how to approach the situation. You can’t keep praying and praying and doing nothing but praying. Other activities would be necessary in order to stay on track. To develop the intellectual capacity to make your ideas work, you may need to get an education and study for more than five years, for example. Failure to recognise that the study season is as important as the prayer season is foolishness.

A farmer doesn’t plow endlessly; each stage requires specific actions. Similarly, grasp your current life season and seek God’s guidance for the appropriate strategies. Pray to be rightly instructed, for the wisdom to navigate each phase successfully and become all you’re meant to be. A thorough study of biblical characters will reveal how they evolved throughout their lives. David began as a shepherd boy and progressed to become a militant commander of 400 men. He grew and evolved, employing various strategies until he became King. Depend on God’s instructions and discernment, just as a farmer relies on wisdom throughout the farming cycle.

Your choice of church significantly shapes your life’s trajectory. Success hinges on three vital factors: your spiritual growth, the quality of leadership available to you, and the circle you surround yourself with. All three are influenced by your approach to church membership. The age-old adage can be rephrased as “show me your pastor, and I’ll reveal your possibilities.” So, first and foremost, stop thinking that you’re better off without a church or that you want to develop your own private relationship with God. This is simply a form of arrogance and deception.

If your current church is stifling your spiritual growth and preventing you from growing deeper in your relationship with God, it may be time to prayerfully consider leaving. God wants us to flourish, be challenged, and grow in our faith. We should look for a church that expands our minds, nurtures our souls, and fosters spiritual development. A place that challenges you to become your best self by redefining what’s possible for you. As it is written, “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24‭ ESV).

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and explore other congregations or communities that can help you flourish in your spiritual journey. Remember, the goal is not to abandon God or abandon sound biblical principles. However, it is important to find a place where you can fully experience the richness of God’s presence and uncover the depths of your faith. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions about your church experience. May we find the courage to seek out the right church to propel us forward in our faith and allow us to flourish as we continue to grow in our relationship with God and others.

The world is influenced by its inhabitants. A good world or a corrupt world is up to the people that populate such a world. In Luke 6:45, we learn that a heart filled with goodness brings forth good, while an evil heart breeds evil. This revelation brings hope, as people’s nature can change. A righteous world is created when enough people have been taught and exposed to the principles and ideals of righteousness. Hate, crime, and poverty can be overcome through the transformation of the people. If you are conscious about your role to disciple others and influence culture, you will be shaping your world for the better.

The natural human heart is more likely to be corrupt than good. Nobody is good, says Jesus (Luke 18:19), and this should be taken as a warning that we reflect the extent to which biblical principles and values have dominated our hearts. Romans 12:1-2 exhorts you not to conform to the culture around you without first examining it with the word of God. Rather than conforming to the world around you, let God’s word transform your life. Then you’ll be able to contribute to the transformation of others.

You hold the power to change the very fabric of the world around you. Embrace this responsibility to create a better world through the power within you. The key is to remember that the natural human has an evil heart, but it can be changed by teaching and modelling God’s word. Consider how your life is either opposing or promoting the world you want. Is your presence in a place reinforcing righteous values or allowing nonsense to flourish? What impact do you have on your community’s iconography, fashion, and music? If your daily life reflects the values of heaven, your world is bound to follow.