Daily Devotionals

It is always safe to make the assumption that people want to be successful. That someday, you will like to look back, reflect upon your life and feel that you have been successful. However, there is a problem with defining what should be evaluated as a success or not. This is because success is not objective. Success will be defined by each individual, and this is where the problem lies. A lot of people think they are working towards becoming successful, but in reality, they have not even defined what success means to them. The best way to solve this problem is by modelling the successful lives of others.

When people fail to hit their goals and lead a successful life. It is not because they are lazy or lack the necessary intelligence required to succeed. It is always because they did not have a proper estimation of the task at hand. You are consciously trying to succeed, but unconsciously, the goal is not clear. Modelling the lives of successful people will help you clarify your own thoughts. You might not be able to articulate what you want in your life, but when you see it or hear about it, it will resonate with your heart.

So, you want to look for at least 3 to 6 people that represent the kind of future you dream about and use them as a model to order your own life. Prophet Daniel read the works of Prophet Jeremiah. There is a reason Christians are taught to study biblical characters that resonate with their heart. Thomas Edison studied the life of Michael Faraday. Michael Faraday’s life was shaped by the books of Isaac Watts. It does not matter how talented you think you are, you will need something external to stimulate your talents. You should pick up the habit to study biographies, interviews and books about great people that resonate with your heart. You can not copy their lifestyle play-by-play, but you will see possibilities.

Ideas are seeds. They are tiny, nondescript, blink-and-you-miss-it insights. However, ideas have the remarkable ability to grow quickly, outgrowing their origins. Growing beyond anything the originator of the idea could have imagined at the beginning. When you think about the biggest forces shaping your world in business, politics, and religion, you would realize that they all started out as a tiny idea. Just by taking action on that initial tiny idea, something was set in motion that has forever altered your life and your world. An idea is an idea. The initial idea does not have to be bold, loud, or even feasible-at-first-glance. You just need to give it a chance. You should never underestimate the power of your own ideas.

The beginning of an idea is not as important as what one is able to make of it. There is no such thing as a stupid idea. The seed of the idea might look stupid, but as the idea grows and takes on a life of its own, you often fail to recognize the original idea anymore. Heads were turned in July 2022 when a Senior Vice President at Google noted that “in our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search, they go to TikTok or Instagram”. It is interesting to see social media apps take market share from a search engine. It would be hard to have foreseen such a situation.

When Isaac Newton published “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy”, he could never have realized just how much he had changed the course of the world. The applications of his ideas have gone beyond the initial scope. Your ideas can have a similar effect on the world. There is no human race or nation that has a monopoly on viable ideas. Your ideas can change your world forever. It begins with an acknowledgement that world changing ideas can originate from anywhere. However, you must be ready to work on your ideas. If you invest the time and attention demanded by an idea, you will be surprised to see your ideas evolve into something that can change your world forever.

There is a growing number of people that are not interested in getting married and starting a family. They seem to have thought about life, and came to a conclusion that to hit their life goals, family was irrelevant. The idea that getting married and building a home might even be an obstacle to becoming successful. Families demand so much time, energy and resources that you have to sacrifice your personal ambitions. While these objections might appear reasonable, they are coming from a selfish place that exalts personal happiness over collective growth and contribution.

A popular proverb of African origin says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others”. You are not wrong for thinking that you will hit your goals faster if you did not have the baggage of a family to deal with. However, this mindset misses the obvious. Thinking you can get things done without a family gets you into bigger trouble. There is nobody that succeeds in a vacuum, without requiring the financial, intellectual and emotional support of others. The family is the place where you can tap into all of these, and more. And you have a sacred duty to play your role within this great institution.

A watchman understands that duty is more important than personal happiness. Your happiness does not matter. Happiness is a temporary state of mind, it is momentary. That is why when the naive mind asks, “are we not allowed to be happy?”, you should not hesitate to set the records straight. If everyone did what made them happy at the expense of family and society, there would be no society. Therefore, we see that our goal is not momentary happiness, but wholesome fulfilment. You want to reflect upon your life and feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. You will not get this kind of fulfillment by selfishly choosing yourself over marriage and family. You get fulfillment from the things you give. The Holy Bible teaches you to put God first, others second and yourself last.

We worry too much about the short term, and that jeopardizes the long term. Nobody is saying the short term doesn’t matter: earning a decent pay, being able to acquire stuff, cool gadgets and getting married. However, your future, your impact and legacy is somehow tied to the vision you align with. You can not maximise yourself through self-centred service. You will need to become a part of something bigger. In the passing of time, your salary, gadgets and housing will not matter. And you will crave something that goes beyond the mundane.

Actively cooperating with a vision is what will help you to compound your efforts over time. When you think about the biggest companies or most influential people out there, you will see how their efforts compounded over time. Today’s labour building upon the toils, sweat and blood of yesterday. This is the secret behind building trillion-dollar companies. One of Walt Disney’s most famous quotes says, “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse”. The long term vision is what helps us make the most of today. There is only so much you can do in a day, but if you take a long term view, you increase the possibilities.

So, take stock of what needs to happen short term, but also look ahead and work hard on things that might not pay off for another 5 to 10 years. The overall quality of your life will improve over time as the results of your labour begin to compound. It is a straightforward principle that does not fail. There is no vision that is too big, and unachievable if you understand the long-term planning requirements. If you did not need to succeed or make a ton of money within 5 years, what would you pursue? Your answer to this question would give a hint as regards to the bigger picture.

You do not have a future if there is no vision you have committed your time, attention, energy and resources towards. Think about it; your education, discipline and resources require a central goal. Young and naive people think their goal is to make money, but they soon realize that money is not an end in itself. You want to align yourself with a vision. You want to fight for a cause. There is a world you want to watch over, and steer towards where God wants. Your purpose is all about responding to the burden God wants you to bear and bearing it.

The Almighty God is heard rebuking the gods in the Book of Psalms (Psalms 82). The word rendered “god” here (note the small g), is best understood as God’s representatives in the world. It is talking about the high and mighty. This is referring to anybody God has empowered to be in a position to influence their world. God said, “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:2‭-‬4 ESV). You can see here what God wants. When God increases your might; he wants you to fight a righteous cause.

You are growing in knowledge, strength and grace. However, this is not directed towards a righteous cause. When there is no eternal vision in view, your spiritual growth and development is pointless. We see the raw, majestic strength and beauty you possess inside your soul. But then the sad truth dawns upon us – it is all useless and a waste. You could have spoken up against injustice and laziness. You could have joined an organisation dedicated to building technology that empowers people to be more productive. There was always a chance for you to pioneer an organisation with sweat and blood, dedicated to championing some SDGs in your world. How do you turn your back to all of that and choose yourself over impacting the larger society?

Economic problems are not solved by angels descending from the sky in a ladder of light. Whatever happens in the world (good or bad) is driven by human beings. God doesn’t change nations, people do. God works to change the world through people. There are people content to pray about issues and demand that God uses someone to take the problems away. And there is another class of people that prays for God to use them to tackle those problems. God can work upon your heart, transforming your mindset in the process. Your new mindset will drive you to produce the results we have always wanted. The big question then becomes whether you are ready for your journey of transformation?

Economic miracles take decades to come together, and they are driven by people. It is not an instant miracle like a lame man walking again. A critical mass of the people must change and embrace the mindset required to produce an abundance. The Book of Proverbs says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23 ESV). The state of the heart of the people will determine the course of their world. Enough people must be willing to embrace the change of heart required for real wealth creation.

Strong economies are not about the abundance of natural resources as many people, especially in African countries like to think. Strong economies like the USA or China are not considered prosperous due to an abundance of natural resources. They are strong because of the people within their borders. They are not rich because they have money. The source of their wealth is the knowledge and wisdom they apply to build a better world for everyone. This requires a change of heart. Selfish people cannot build a better world. An economic turnaround begins with a spiritual renaissance. Spirituality makes people selfless.

The beauty of the Christian faith is that it calls you to something bigger than yourself. When Jesus asks you to follow him, to serve as the salt and light of the world. You already know that this will bring you immense joy and fulfillment. However, there is a difference between seeking the will of God and aiming for success. A purpose-driven life is not centred upon making you successful or making you great. It is about service and your contribution to the betterment of your world. So, if Jesus says unto you: FOLLOW ME. You are sure that it means you will be given a burden to bear. As you carry that burden, you find joy, fulfilment, and greatness beckons.

A self-centered person is not going to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, any time soon. As long as you remain obsessed with your own things, you will miss out on something greater and of eternal value. This is not about making a name for yourself. Jesus calls us all to a life that is marked by service and contribution to the larger society. When you go through history, you would understand that great people are people that served something bigger than themselves. They did not do it for personal success and glory. It is a call to serve something bigger than yourself.

When Jesus calls out to you, saying, “FOLLOW ME”. Understand that this is not a call to bland religion or daily church attendance. Great men have always been called. And you cannot call yourself to do whatever you like, or chasing some success and, claim that it is a calling. This is your calling, a call to watch over your world and steer it towards where God wants. This is your summon towards the high call. As you grow in service and contribution. You will begin to identify the most influential institutions that define your world. And can then work on steering it towards where God wants. It is a burden; a yoke. Along the way, you will make an impact and not only will you be deemed successful, you would attain greatness.

You do not need to overthink your purpose and higher calling. Just follow Jesus. A lot of people beat themselves up over finding out exactly what God would have them do. You know deep down that you want nothing more than to serve your world with the grace of God and your talents. However, the specifics are not clear. Most of the time, life’s purpose seems unclear because one is overthinking it. You must first disabuse your mind of the idea that you will have some supernatural encounter where a being of light will dictate your purpose to you. Such an encounter is not promised in your holy, sacred scriptures. What happens in reality is that purpose takes shape and becomes clearer as you follow Jesus.

When Peter met Jesus, Jesus offered him a chance to become a “fisher of men”. Peter evolved from a fisherman to a disciple of Jesus, then he became one of the twelve apostles. In the passing of time, Jesus named him as his successor. Peter did not have any supernatural encounter where God or any angelic being dictated his purpose to him. He grew into his purpose over time. A study of the Holy Bible shows that this is the more consistent method by which people get into their purpose. Elisha went from farmer to becoming the prophet’s apprentice, and then became a prophet. You grow in clarity about your life’s mission over time.

Let go of the idea that you will discover purpose. Discovery sounds like some sudden, unexpected event. That is not your purpose. Deep down in your spirit, you already know what your purpose is. You are going to learn more about your purpose over time as you follow Jesus. Jesus simply called out to the people and asked them to follow him. None of them were asked to go and pray to be sure God was calling them or not. Some of them gave reasons to turn down the invitation. If you want to become your most purposeful self, you need to follow Jesus. You do that by fellowship with the Word and submission to divinely instituted authority over you.

Most of the secular research around the origins of creativity conclude that creativity is natural. It is something every human being is born with. However, it has been discovered that less than 2% of the adult population can be considered creative. Something is off. On one hand, creativity is something everyone is born with, but on the other hand, less than 2% of the adult population can be considered creative. The first step to understanding creativity is to approach it as a spiritual matter. Creativity does not manifest from the conscious and active mind. It flows from the subconscious, the spiritual aspects of one’s being. You will perform better if you approach creativity as a spiritual affair.

You have to recognise that God is the origin of all creativity and inventiveness. Human beings manifest creativity because they are created in the very image of God. With this framework, we would see the reason less than 2% of the adult population retain their creative nature. Nikola Tesla wrote, “my brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists”. Minds that are in tune with the Spirit of God manifest creativity. Children are more creative than adults because they still retain the purity of heart required.

If you want to manifest creativity at the highest levels possible, become childlike again. Jesus Christ said, “truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3 ESV). Children are considered to be innocent, passionately curious about everything, ingenuousness; open to new ideas and willing to trust. There is a word we use to denote all the aforementioned: CHILDLIKENESS. That’s why Julian Fleron concluded that the creative adult is the child who has survived. If you want to reclaim your original creative state, approach it as a spiritual matter and embrace childlikeness (not to be confused with childishness).

Jesus Christ said a lot of hard things. Someone once asked him for permission to attend to the important task of burying his father. Jesus dismisses the request, “leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60 ESV). The message is clear, even if it offends our sensibilities; nothing is more important than the mission. On another occasion, someone informs him that his mother and brothers were outside the venue of his meeting, requesting to speak with him. Jesus is dismissive again. He asks, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:48‭-‬50 ESV). The message is clear; nothing is more important than the mission.

Normally, our love for God and our love for family don’t come into conflict. However, what if it came down to God or your family? Whom would you choose? Jesus makes it clear what he would choose. And that should also make you clarify your order of priorities. Nothing is more important than the mission. Nothing! You cannot choose anything, including the comfort and love of family over the mission. It would be ridiculous to insist that the earthly father or wife that God chose for you is the reason you cannot pursue your God-given assignment.

Jesus Christ was not anti-family. At the cross, he instructs a trusted disciple to take care of his earthly mother. It would be wrong to think that pursuing your God-given mission means a complete dissociation from family members. The brothers of Jesus Christ (from the same mother) became devout believers and played their part in the mission after his death. So, let us recall the words of Jesus, “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”. The real message here is that nothing is more important than the mission. So, you can have the love and comfort of a family, as long as that family is in agreement with the mission.