Daily Devotionals

You ignore the profound wisdom of the Bible at your own peril. If the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT), “those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!” You better believe it. The authority of the word of God should be enough for you to accept this. There should not be any attempt to water down what it says in any way. You can never have enough money that will satisfy your ego. You can never find a happy and meaningful life that centres around making money. This does not in any way condemn you to a life of mediocrity. Not at all. This serves as a reminder that the only work that will bring you true happiness is work done in service of your mission.

Tech startups are in fashion. Everyone, and their dog are trying their hands at building a tech startup. Even young, ambitious people working in conventional businesses, now find ways to “tech-ify” their work. Building a tech startup, or any business, must, however, be done in service of your mission. You will not find money or happiness unless you do this. There will never be enough money. And you will not see enough intangible benefits to keep you going. Uri Levine, who sold his startup, Waze Mobile, to Google for over a billion dollars, believes that you cannot build a successful startup unless you are passionate about your work. “Making money is never a strong enough drive to build a startup,” he says. The wealth you create is a byproduct of your passionate dedication to your mission. People who achieve great success are those who cannot imagine doing anything else. Not those who come to see the gold rush.

Working on your God-given mission does not give you permission to lead a poor, unremarkable life. Accept God’s mission in religion, culture, economy, and governance. When you do the works of your heavenly Father, you are never poor or unremarkable. Making money is a reward for problem solving. Concentrate your attention on problems that need to be solved rather than on the money you want to make. Focus on the work required to achieve reasonable results with your mission. You will find true happiness if you approach your work in this manner.

Your mission gives you the promise of a future, and a hope. Your mission will get you paid. You will also get to leave behind a lasting legacy that others can aspire towards. You are worried about the bills. As there does not seem to be anything about your mission that relates to making money. Well, check again. Even if your mission is within the religious sphere. As long as you are creating value, you will get paid. Success in life is determined not by what is done, but rather by who is doing it. There is no God-given mission that will not provide you with a rich and fulfilling life if you apply the necessary discipline and work ethic.

There is an aspect of your work that has an impact on your local economy. You must recognize this and direct your attention to it. Your mission has an effect on the economy, it is creating value. That value is what gets you paid. Religious houses, for example, are in the business of developing people’s human capacities. Religious institutions nurture law-abiding citizens who contribute to a society’s productivity. The distinction between religious organizations and traditional businesses is the adoption of a pay-what-you-want model. Every adult human being is contributing something to the economy. You have to identify that within the confines of your mission.

There is no mission or assignment from God that will not provide you with a rich and fulfilling life. Most people struggle with their calling and mission because they are stupid and lazy. Unwillingness to learn how to carry out a mission correctly. A refusal to put in the effort. Jesus was engrossed with his Father’s business. “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord,” says Romans 12:11 (KJV). Do whatever you do with the dedication and discipline of a conventional businessman. Whether your life’s work is the result of hustling or a mission that God has given you. You are aware that whoever does not work will not eat. You must approach your work with an awareness of your economic contribution. God will see your dedication to the mission and provide you with everything you need. You will get paid.

The gospel of mission over money and material possessions needs to be placed in the proper context. Jesus was explicit in pointing out that your father in heaven knows that you need stuff. Therefore, you need to have faith that God will meet your needs. Beyond your needs, God is even going to give you the things you want as well. As it is written, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”. Your top concern must be around living a life that is consistent with a mission originating from God. Modern life revolves around making money and filling up your ego with material possessions. This will not satisfy your soul. And this is contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches a God-centred life.

The wealthiest and most powerful people in the world are mission driven. Across the spectrum, from religion, to culture, economics and governance. The mission-minded people are always more wealthy and powerful than their money-driven counterparts. Aliko Dangote’s wealth is a side effect of his stated mission to make Africa self-sufficient. He wants Africans to consume what they produce. His life is not centred around making more money. It is centred around this mission. Enoch Adeboye’s wealth is a side effect of his mission of making religion more accessible for people from all walks of life. Your obsession with making money will never get you any tangible results in life.

Focus on your mission and trust that God will take care of all your needs. On the practical side, you need to be reminded that as long as you are creating value, you can never be poor. The ugly truth is that if you are obsessed with making money, you will struggle with value creation. You will not be able to solve problems at a scale that matters. When you obey what Jesus considered to be the greatest commandment. By loving God with all your heart. You will discover things that matter to God in religion, culture, economy and governance. As you find your mission within these spheres of life, you will amass the true riches of life. If your life centres around how you will make more money. You’re doing life wrong.

Your mission is not to make money. Your unholy obsession with making money will derail you from your mission. There needs to be an understanding that there is no amount of money that would bring you the fulfillment and sense of purpose your heart craves for. Ecclesiastes 5:10 (ESV) says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity”. Jesus never emphasised having material possessions as a virtue. The mission is to be the salt and light of your world. When you embrace your mission, every other thing will take care of itself.

John C. Maxwell, a renowned leadership expert, wrote about an intriguing case study about making money in his 2008 book; “Leadership Gold”. From 1960 to 1980, a study of business school graduates followed the careers of 1,500 people. The graduates were divided into two groups from the start. People in Category A stated that they wanted to make money first so that they could do what they really wanted to do later—after they had addressed their financial concerns. Those in Category B put their true interests first, confident that the money would follow. The money-now Category A made up 83 percent, or 1,245 people, of the 1,500 graduates polled. Category B risk takers accounted for 17% of all graduates (255 people). After twenty years, the group had 101 millionaires. Category A produced just one millionaire. Category B, the mission-minded people had produced 100 millionaires, despite having the smaller size.

The wealthiest and most powerful people in the world are not driven by making money. It is an irony to see that most people driven by making money, never even make the money in the long run. Jesus calls you out of a life of mediocrity, and hustling for the money. Embrace your watch. Watch over your world and commit to steer it towards where God wants. As you work hard on your mission, you will create value. When value is created, wealth and power is accumulated. The peace, riches and fulfillment you want are all side effects of a life centred upon a mission.

Your God-given creative powers are useless if you do not find a way to focus. A mind that is not distracted by the mundane, physiological needs will ascend to a higher level of consciousness. Your obsession with a need for water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing and reproduction holds you back. Every human being possesses the ability to create. And every day, you dissipate your creative energy in various ways. If you could find a way to focus your creative energy on something that matters. Your creative output would surprise you.

In a 2014 study published in the journal Science, researchers locked their subjects in an empty room for 15 minutes with no access to reading material or technology. They gave their subjects the option of administering a small electric shock to themselves. Two-thirds of the men and one-quarter of the women shocked themselves. They preferred the electric shock to being alone with their thoughts. How do you create, when you cannot even sit down, alone with your thoughts for hours? Studies show that just having your smartphone near you, even face down on silent, drains your capacity to focus. Your mind will continue to wander towards your smartphone. You will never focus enough to create something tangible.

Creativity is the imitable expressions from your innermost being. It is driven by a deep desire for self-expression. You will not be able to create anything, if you do not embrace the discipline required. You begin by cultivating a desire to explore and express your creativity. It is easier to have desire for results, when the goal is clear. Look for something you want more than anything else. Something outside your reach. Something that will demand your full concentration and dominate your thoughts more than sleep, food, love or reproduction. It has to be something you want more than anything else. Desire will help you focus enough to create something.

The parable of the shrewd manager is a head scratcher. You should read it up at Luke 16: 1 – 15. The master admired the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. Praised him for looking out for himself so well. Luke 16:9 (NLT) says, “Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home”. Jesus is teaching here that you learn to sow into the relationships in your life. You have to invest into others. There is no future without people and colourful relationships. Invest into people, make friends and allies of them. Then watch as you transcend the hedonistic, into a life of eternal value.

Ecclesiastes offers some excellent life advice: “Be generous, and someday you will be rewarded. Share what you have with seven or eight others, because you never know when disaster may strike”. Your best insurance policy as you approach an uncertain future is the strength of the relationships in your life. And the strongest relationships are the ones you invest your resources into. That was the secret of David. David became a captain of 400 men. Men that were described as in trouble or in debt, or who were just discontented. However, as he invested into them. They became his army. And together, they took the throne.

Be wary of dismissing anyone who appears to be in a worse situation than you. The people you would rather run after, do not need you. You’re better off sharing and equipping people lower than you. Invest into them. Pour out your life as a sacrifice for them. As you sow the gift of knowledge, access and fellowship. You are securing your own future as well. You will never walk alone. This is how you transcend the mundane life and evolve into something special. You would have secured a place for yourself on the eternal side of life.

The question, “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) is a shortened form of asking: What did Jesus do in situations like this? What would Jesus do in a situation like mine? How can I emulate Him? These three questions provide a solid framework for your day-to-day operations on this side of eternity. If you desire to live your life in a way that is consistent with this WWJD framework, here is what you need to do. First, you must learn the total counsel of God. This is done by reading your bible from cover to cover. With this word base in your spirit, you will be able to model the heart of Jesus in your own day.

WWJD is like a meditation upon this question: “In light of all that I know about Jesus’ character and divine principles, how would He direct me to respond in this situation?” This makes you see that you cannot answer the “What Would Jesus Do?” question without a commitment to intimacy with Jesus. You grow in intimacy with the Lord through reading the word and a true spiritual worship. This is the kind of intimacy that leads you into the perfect Imitatio Christi (Imitation of Christ). You imitate Jesus so well, that people will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

Without a trail of good works to show for your followership of Jesus. Your Christian experience is unfruitful. As a watchman tasked with steering your world towards a better future. You should be conscious of your need to operate a salt of the earth. You season the earth with your superior mode of operations. Furthermore, you are the light of your world. Your world is dark and devoid of all hope, without your contributions. So, when situations arise, you do not cower away in fear or uncertainty. That is the response of the carnal man, untrained in eternal affairs. You only have to check your spirit and determine your response to the call-to-action; WWJD.

The experienced Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his son, in the faith. Admonishing him to teach with great patience and careful instruction. This is because learning is characterized by been slow and painful. There is no easy way to learn a lesson. The pain you feel inside is part of the learning. In fact, without that painful feeling of a loss on the inside, you have not learnt anything. No pain, No gain. This pain is what deters the passionate from seeking growth outside their comfort zones. As a result, you do not sow enough knowledge and discipline into your future.

There is always something good about where you are right now. But good is the enemy of great. And your journey from good to great will be marked by excruciating pain. You must do away with the idea of doing your best. And embrace the far more useful mindset of doing whatever it takes to achieve the result you want. What good is your best, if it is not enough to get the results we want? For the kind of massive success you want. Your job as a watchman tasked with steering your world towards a better future. You must be ready to invest in yourself today. Push yourself beyond mediocrity, and demand the excellence required to perform at the highest levels. You have to embrace pain during the planting season. Be ready to sow in tears, so that you reap with shouts of joy.

No pain, no gain. You must take a clue from Jesus, the originator and perfecter of our faith. Who saw beyond the pain, that there is a joy and glory ahead. It is normal to seek the path of least resistance. Human beings will always seek the least stressful options at all times. However, if you wish to become mighty in your day, you have to go all out. You must never settle, and continue to seek growth. It is like insisting that with a Junior School Leaving Certificate (Basic Education Certificate) you can function in society. You are not wrong, but research has shown a correlation between your level of education and the impact you can have on your world. Getting an advanced degree is painful, but necessary.

The economic future of your world depends upon the seeds you sow today. 2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV) says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”. You must exert yourself to the full during your season of sowing. Your tomorrow depends upon it. Take a long and thoughtful look upon your world today. What is good about your world? And how better can it become tomorrow if you invested your time and resources into it right now. There is nothing except a pitiful harvest today, because nobody had the foresight to invest anything meaningful yesterday. If you are serious about economic prosperity for your family, your community and your world, what seeds are you sowing?

As it is written in the Book of Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”. Your current economic state is the harvest of the labours of time past. Your current situation is enabled by your previous investment into your life. Or the investment of those that walked the earth before you. It is helpful to live day-to-day with the mindset that we do not inherit the earth from our forefathers. We have borrowed it from our children. This should be a reminder about your obligation to sow seeds. An obligation to invest now, so that we can all enjoy a prosperous future.

It takes decades of strategic thinking to create prosperity. God is not mocked. You cannot outsmart the principles that govern the world. You start by accessing the reality of the situation. What is good about your world right now? How better can it become tomorrow, if you paid more attention to it? If you discover that there are no large and influential companies in your neighbourhood. You can decide to build one over the course of the next decade. Passing on a more prosperous community to those that will walk the earth after you. You want to design a multi-decade blueprint for your world. A plan that enables you to shape the economic outlook of your community in the long run.

There is a principle of “seed time and harvest” that governs the world. Your life in the present is the result of the seeds sown in the past. It is always the harvest of yesterday. If you do not like your life right now, it is an indication that you did not sow enough in the past. You did not learn enough. You did not take enough risks. Furthermore, you did not follow-through with your ideas. 2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV) says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”. If you want a prosperous, bountiful future, you have to sow enough seeds in the present. And sowing is a painful activity.

As it is written in the Book of Psalms, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him”. It takes a lot of determination and effort to sow enough in the present. There is nothing exciting about the seed time. It is a time you sacrifice sleep, food, friendships and comfort. You sow everything you have right now. For the hope of a bountiful and prosperous future. Do not sow seeds at the level of your convenience. Your harvest will disappoint you. The seed time is a time of tears as you continue to invest into your future. With little to nothing to show for it in the present.

If you believe that you have a future, you have to sow a seed ahead. Think hard about the future you want. Consider the education, and training that will take you there. You will not enjoy the sacrifices, but it will be worthwhile in the end. A JSS 3 graduate can learn any skill and begin to earn money. However, the person that commits to learning until they acquire a PhD degree is sowing a better seed for the long run. This is a good time to define youth in the words of Shimon Pères, “If you have more dreams than achievements – you’re young”. He also said, “you’re as young as your dreams, not as old as your calendar”. Therefore, open your heart and get ready to sow towards a fresh future. Your season of youth is the time to stress yourself. You can take it.