Daily Devotionals

What will keep you from pursuing your God-given mission? Should there be tribulation, distress, persecution, danger, a lack of support, or a lack of resources? You must understand that you will not be able to deliver results until your heart becomes unstoppable. There will always be fifty-five million reasons to justify your failure, but not one excuse. You could even take things a step further by “rebranding” your failure. Many individuals give up on their original goal and look for some fluffy, meaningless words to justify their failure. You must first define your mission. Then you must decide that nothing will stand in your way.

There is no such thing as an easy or effortless accomplishment. There will always be a disadvantage or something unpleasant to deal with. Nobody out there is working on something important without being met with opposition. In the words of Albert Einstein, “great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” You will face opposition. You will have to deal with poverty and a lack of resources. You must, however, find a way to continue. You may have heard stories about Thomas Edison toiling for years before inventing the first practical light bulb. Nobody in the world has all of the resources they require. You must learn to persevere.

You have the ability to lead and grow the mission. Whatever your age. Regardless of educational level. Regardless of whether you have the gift of leadership, the gift of persuasion, or any other “gift” you believe you should have but don’t. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV), “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” The only important thing is to remain steadfast and immovable. What shall separate you from your God-given mission?

What is the exact reason you have not been able to create the things in your mind? If you believe the culprit to be a lack of funds, think again. Money is not the ultimate barrier to your success. Your grand ideas should not remain unfulfilled, trapped within the confines of your imagination. Do not let the illusion of scarcity hold you back from realizing your dreams. Allow your determination and creativity to be your guide to bringing them to life. You must understand that education and training are more important than money to the creative mind.

Do you know enough to convert your ideas into technology? Can you articulate the exact barriers to your progress in terms of what you don’t know? Here is an example. It is easy for a new business owner to complain about a lack of marketing funds. In reality, they do not understand marketing and are more likely to waste any financial resources they devote to it. It is more beneficial to admit that one does not understand marketing. And then recognise the need to learn. Rather than blaming everything on a lack of funds. What are the top three subjects and skills you must master?

Money is important, but wisdom is the principal thing. Anyone who claims they are held back from manifesting their ideas due to scarcity of funds are just being lazy. Intellectual laziness hides under the excuse of lack of resources. An educated and determined fellow will always find a walkabout to achieve the same thing. There is a knowledge gap that is holding you back. You do not know enough to convert your ideas into technology. It is far more productive to focus on finding out what you don’t know. Rather than worrying about a lack of funds.

Jesus instructed his disciples in Matthew 10: 13-15 to share their peace with others. He instructs them that if they come across a welcoming and worthy household, they should bless it with their peace. However, if the household is unwelcoming and rejects their message, they should simply leave and not force anything upon them. Jesus emphasizes that those who reject them will be held accountable, as their rejection is a serious offense. The fact that Jesus refers to peace as a tangible thing is intriguing. It is something you can give and something you can take back. Similar to how you give or take back a physical object.

Jesus wants you to think about your blessing of peace, well-being, favor and prosperity as real things. Just like your car. As real as your favorite chair. As authentic as a cake or your favorite snack. The love you give is as real as the wireless connection that enables your modern devices to function. Your spiritual journey and maturity will reach new depths the day you understand your spiritual stuff is real. The Apostle Peter famously equated his spiritual gifting with silver and gold. He gave his spiritual stuff to the fellow that begged him for money.

If your “love” and “peace” are worth anything, then it cannot be received by just anybody. Jesus said if you give peace, and it doesn’t rest upon the place, your peace will come back to you. From Matthew 7:6 (ESV), “do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Have the understanding that your peace is real. Your love is real. There will be a positive, visible change when you give your goodwill to someone or a place. Operate with this confidence every single day.

Forbes, an American business magazine, has published its annual ranking of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2023. The list includes pretax salaries, bonuses, and endorsements for the 2022-23 season. Football, basketball, and golf players dominate the top ten list, with one representative each from boxing and tennis. Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list for the first time since 2017 following his big-money move to Saudi Arabia. He earns a whopping $75 million per year for his on-field activities. During the time period under consideration, he earned $90 million in endorsements, appearances, licencing income, and other business ventures. This brings his total earnings to $136 million.

In one year, the ten athletes on the list earned an estimated $1.1 billion. According to Forbes, the Middle Eastern money flowing into golf and football has sports stars making more money than ever before. The oil-rich Middle East is not known for its technological innovation or industrial prowess. The majority of the countries in the region are attempting to establish themselves as service and tourism hubs. Putting money into sports helps their cause. However, this is only one side of the story. A lot of people hold the opinion that the investments are a form of sportswashing.

The Collins English Dictionary defines sportswashing as “the sponsorship or promotion of sporting events in order to enhance a tarnished reputation or distract attention from a controversial activity.” These countries host sporting events and buy or sponsor sports teams. They do this to divert attention away from violations of human rights and corruption scandals. Making so much money as a professional athlete is a validation that “do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men” (Proverbs 22:29). However, one should be watchful and consider the ulterior motives of anyone or any organisation paying so much money.

Our Lord Jesus entrusts us with the mission of being the salt and light of the world. It is our responsibility to reflect the grace of God and God’s kind of love in our communities. Without it, the world becomes a dark, cold, and cruel place. Anyone who does not walk in God’s love is channeling some form of selfishness. And selfishness breeds greed and lust, which corrupts the soul. Selfishness will eventually lead to wickedness. So, if we are to escape the evils and perils of a wicked world, we need you to step up to the challenge. You have to light up your community.

It has been said that for evil people to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good people should do nothing. For all its religiosity, Nigeria is a place where nobody seems to care about justice or righteousness. There are only two ways to prevail: money or power. In other words, to thrive in that country, you have to bribe your way through or leverage your connection to a higher authority. It makes no difference whether you are correct or not. Just bring power. In a country where justice, mercy, and love are not used to checkmate power. Everything turns into a dogfight.

Psalm 125:3 (ESV) says, “for the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.” It is hard for people to live a righteous life when righteous people are not in positions of authority. The biggest businesses in your city should be run by righteous people. Let us fill every political office with a righteous person. Are you going to become the light of your world or not? God has empowered you to break the bonds of wickedness in your world. You have to operate at the highest levels in your community.

The primary distinction between an average Nigerian and Aliko Dangote is not his multibillion-dollar fortune. It is the fact that Dangote has been on a mission for over thirty years to become the leading provider of essential daily needs in Sub-Saharan Africa. He wants to be in charge of producing goods that billions of Africans consume everyday. This is the true secret behind his wealth. Do people object to the way he has carried out his mission? Yes. But is there anyone on a mission that nobody has a problem with? People who have a clear mission are constantly criticised.

Some misguided Christians are praying for some sudden, unexplainable transfer of the wealth of people they tag “unbelievers”. In general, we cannot rule out prayers about wealth creation and wealth transfer as being unbiblical. The Egyptians transferred true wealth to the children of Israel. They gave the Israelites knowledge, skills and “startup capital”. Believers just need to understand how wealth creation works. Aliko Dangote is busy creating value every single day in the global economy. Today, one of the companies he founded is one of largest listed companies in West Africa and the first Nigerian company to join the Forbes Global 2000 Companies list.

How are you creating value in the economy? How do you describe or articulate what you are doing in the economy? You will struggle to grow your business or ministry if you cannot express what you do in a clear mission statement. You will do yourself some good to review the mission statements of your favourite heroes. And businesses that have stood the test of time. What can you learn from their mission statements? Prayerfully copy one that resonates with your heart. Begin today, and in a few decades, you will have the wealth, influence, and impact you could only imagine. You might even become a billionaire.

Any religious convictions that stand up to the scrutiny of critical thought must have some validity. If your religious beliefs are true, productive and glorifying your God, you should not be afraid of some critical thinking. Religious beliefs have stood the test of critical thinking when they possess inherent merit. Philippians 4:8 admonishes us to think about whatever we think to be true, just, pure or lovely. The Bible also warns not to believe every spirit, but to test them to determine if they are from God. We don’t need to fight over people’s religious views. All we need to do is educate their minds.

While education has the potential to challenge and influence your religious beliefs, if your religion contains the truth, there is nothing to fear. According to one survey, approximately 90% of people who have studied higher education, including advanced degrees such as master’s or doctorates, still have religious convictions. This data implies that these religious ideas are capable of withstanding critical thinking tests. And some forms of religion has an inherent value. If you would rather fight than explain and educate others about your beliefs, something is wrong with your religion or denomination.

Instead of engaging in confrontations over religious beliefs, it is crucial to embrace the power of education. Education broadens horizons, instils critical thinking skills, and empowers individuals to question and evaluate their beliefs. It empowers you to evaluate the beliefs of others. By encouraging open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity, education fosters an environment where individuals can explore various perspectives and deepen their understanding of the world. It is wrong for your religious authorities to prevent anyone from obtaining education in spiritual, intellectual, and other areas of life. They inhibit their followers’ growth and development, making it difficult for their followers to function in the world. We don’t need to argue about religion. Simply allow people to be educated.

There are numerous lessons we can take from our Lord Jesus. The clarity of his mission statement is one of the most fascinating things to learn. Matthew 4:17 (ESV) says, “from that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’.” He was able to communicate exactly what he was on about in a few words. The great commission is another fantastic example of profound clarity in communication. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” the command is straightforward. You understand what needs to be done.

We frequently struggle to make any progress with our work because we lack a clear mission statement to work with. Your mission (and vision) reflect your level of clarity over your work. You will not have any impact with your work unless you have some kind of mission statement guiding and moulding your day-to-day work. Around 1980, Bill Gates gave Microsoft, the company he founded, a clear mission: “A computer on every desk and in every home.” Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook bio reads: “bringing the world closer together”. A clear mission statement will transform your life forever.

The first step in starting a business or ministry is defining who you are and what you are called to do. Clarity will improve over time, so it is acceptable to lack clarity at first. Spend some time praying about a mission statement for your work. Then go out there and prayerfully copy the mission statement of anyone or organisation that speaks to you. The message Jesus Christ proclaimed in Matthew 4:17 was a rehash of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-2). We learn from this that we can model a mission statement from others that started before us. It is acceptable.

Whether you believe you are talented or not. Consistent spiritual discipline will benefit your spirit. It will make your spirit stronger. You need a strong spirit more than you realise. It takes a certain amount of resilience to follow through on your ideas, hopes, and dreams. When your spirit is weak, you are more likely to abandon your goals. Proverbs 18:14 (AMPC) says, “the strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?” You need to grow stamina and capacity within your spirit.

Spiritual development is not as widely recognised as it should be. This is due to the fact that the modern world is a secular place that tries to keep spiritual things out. As a result, it is unclear what the top performers in religion, culture, business, economy, or government are doing to maintain their mind and spirit. You may hear mentions of meditation or journaling. Or mentions of practicing mindfulness. It is now acceptable and enlightening for someone to discuss their yoga practice in public. In the secular media, these are code words for spiritual development.

The bottom line is that you must have a kind of strength. A strength that cannot be seen physically but is very real. You will fail if you do not have it. It is obvious that the world is a harsh place that will drain your life force. You require something greater in your spirit than whatever is wreaking havoc on the world out there. You can only succeed to the extent of your spiritual aptitude. So, make spiritual activities a priority. Make time for spiritual activities such as thanksgiving, prayer, reading, contemplation, and meditation. You will notice a significant improvement in your planning and execution skills.

The narrative fluctuates with unexpected turns. A man selflessly supports his wife’s journey abroad, only to be betrayed by her in return. Similarly, a woman sacrifices her all for her beloved, only to experience the pain of abandonment. How should we navigate such situations in the face of such circumstances? Your first instinct is to seek some kind of revenge. After making a promise to yourself that you would never love like that again. The anguish, hurt, and overwhelming sense of loss are all real. But you must have faith that God will judge the situation and that eventually, you will get the love you give.

No amount of words will change the fact that you have been duped. You gave love only to have it taken for granted. In return for loving, you appeared to have reaped some wickedness fueled by selfishness. However, it will not end well if you follow the path of revenge. You want revenge? So, make two graves. Because you will be dead by the time you exact your revenge. Something good, pure and holy would have died inside you. Your soul will be corrupted. You must never seek revenge on your own. Trust God to do right by you (Romans 12:19-21).

There is an alternative to seeking revenge which will bring the death of your own soul. It is to hold on to the standard of Christ. If you love God, and trust in his word, this is the common sense thing to do. According to the principle, you will reap what you sow. You do not have to reap it from the person to whom you sowed it. You will get the love you give in the long run. If you love like Jesus loved, you will attract high-fidelity love and trust. Forgive, and move on. Allow yourself to heal over time.