Daily Devotionals

We define creativity as the ability to come up with ideas that are new and useful. Creativity differs from imagination in that creativity is useful and productive. Your imagination can run riot and light up your mind in any way you choose. However, creativity is characterized by its utility, and knowledge is required to transform vague imaginations and make it useful. The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6 ESV). If you reject knowledge, you reject the chance to improve your fruitfulness.

Show me anyone manifesting their creative powers at a high level. And I will show you that the person possesses knowledge, and continues to acquire knowledge everyday. Oshiorenoya Agabi, the Nigerian founder of Koniku, is working to integrate biological neurons and silicon computer chips, to build computers that can think like humans can. Do not get carried away with the brilliant idea, but focus on the fact that he is armed with his PhD and deep knowledge in relevant fields. Elon Musk is said to be autodidact, but that is not a complete picture. We should remember that he was college educated in Physics which gave him the tools to self educate himself in rocketry, electric motors and so on.

Your imaginations will remain useless dreams unless one is equipped with the necessary knowledge to develop new ideas that are useful. What profit is there to daydream about fancy toys and world changing projects when there is no knowledge about how it can be done? You can possess the power of God to do anything, but it is of very little utility without knowledge. The quote from Hosea says God would even reject you from service if you reject knowledge. You need a vast, rich and diverse knowledge base if you want to explore your creative talents in a deep measure. Creative and inventive ideas surface on their own when we add knowledge, information and skills to a “correct” spirit untainted by lust, greed or any form of corruption.

Friendships and relationships are important. No matter how brilliant, powerful or creative you consider yourself to be, you are going to need people. You need a family, friends, partners, mentors and other kinds of support systems. These relationships nourish and sustain us. Relationships are so vital, that you cannot just lay back and allow things to happen. Do you sit still and allow emotional bonds to form due to access and proximity? And then cling on tight to these relationships regardless of what happens? It is time to have a rethink. Our relationships should be guided by principles. Do not have permanent friends. Have permanent principles.

You do not need to designate permanent friendships and relationships. What you need to have are permanent principles. When you do this, be ready to attract new people into your life and push back others. If you refuse to compromise your principles, you always get to a point where the best thing to do is to part ways. This will not be an easy decision and some consultation and guidance might be required. However, a lot of times, it is inevitable. This principle is consistent with the spirit of the Holy Bible. We are instructed to shun fellowship with those who do not share our values. Do not be unequally yoked with people who do not share your faith and values.

Your friends are a big influence on you, they often have much more influence over you than you would ever want to admit. The more you hang out with them – either in person or online – the more you start becoming like them. And besides over time, as people change, so do their contributions into your life. Some friends keep evolving positively over time, becoming better and better, while some other friends may take a plunge for the worse. While it is your responsibility to be a positive influence on your friends and try to make them better people, you cannot expect to change everyone. You have to draw the line at common principles, values, and passion for a better world.

The Bible is very clear on the importance of governments to the moves of God on the earth. Consider this quote from the Book of Romans, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Romans 13:1‭-‬2 ESV). Everyone is instructed to submit to governing authorities. In fact, according to Romans 13:4, rulers are God’s servants. A special kind of servant; an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Why then, do Christians avoid playing a role in government? Why do we think governance is dirty?

Christians are skeptical about governments and government agents because they represent the systems of the world. This idea is an expression of the mindset that the current world is dominated by corrupt and greedy people. And the government is packed with the worst of the bunch. However, this is not true. God establishes and overthrows governments. God has the power and authority over any earthly government. That is why the watchman must pay attention to the governance and strength of institutions available in their world. They are some of the most powerful tools available for the workings of the purpose of God on the earth.

God has designs for providing visionary leadership and strong governance for your world. What do you think would happen to the world if we made disciples of every nation as instructed by Jesus? If you made enough disciples, you would dominate the systems of your world. Dominating the system of your world with good values would mean there is little evil to be punished in your world. And so, God would institute a righteous and just government to establish a prosperous society. We must understand governments as a reflection of our society. The society we have determines the kind of government and authorities God will place over us. We can work towards a righteous government.

You do not have to be “deep” before you realize that God has an interest in people. The best way to take care of people is to empower the best of them to lead the rest of them. This is why God’s number one business on the earth is the government. You would observe upon reading the Bible, that one of its most important themes is righteous leadership and governance. A watchman must think about how to create an empowering atmosphere that allows people to grow, prosper and create economic opportunities under visionary leadership and strong governance.

Apostle Paul wrote, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1‭-‬2 ESV). You are not going to have the peace and quiet you need to pursue your mission under bad leadership and governance. For example, Nigerians are not “japa-ing” to Canada because they are looking for God or spiritual growth. They are relocating in droves because they seek a quiet and peaceful life that is only made possible by good governance.

There is no real progress without changes at the governance level. Brilliant and resilient individuals can make things happen for themselves, and a handful of others. However, we cannot completely sidestep authorities and pretend it doesn’t matter. The church in Nigeria ignored governance issues, content to stay within their church walls. In the passing of time, we have seen how that has turned out to be a terrible mistake. You must understand that spiritual power and anointing cannot do for you what strong governance should do. For an effective watch over your world, take an interest in the quality of leaders in your world. You also want to pray, intercede and work towards strong governance.

Your large population does not mean that you have a robust economy. The fundamentals of a rich and robust economy is not just the people, but the level of productivity. The Bible says, “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). This is a reminder that it is doing the right things at a national scale, that makes a positive difference. There is a lot of good being done in small pockets across the country, but it has to be done at a scale that matters. You are not wrong to think that having a large population could be an economic advantage. However, it does not count if the people are not trained to be productive.

Robust economies are driven by productivity and not just the population. Singapore, a small island city-state with a population of under six million people has a GDP of around $340 Billion. A much larger country like Nigeria with a large population of over two hundred million people has a GDP of “just” $432.3 Billion (all 2020 figures). Nigeria has clearly failed to leverage its large population to create value at a scale that matters. We need to understand this, so that we are no longer under the illusion that the USA’s $20.94 Trillion GDP for 2020 is somehow a magical, unexplainable consequence of their large population (329.5 million in 2020).

Wealth is created by people who understand productivity and value creation. Singapore has a reputation for having a well educated, disciplined and efficient workforce. Nigeria is best understood as a country of poor productivity. Nigeria has a reputation for having a poorly educated, undisciplined and inefficient workforce. To make matters worse, everything is politicized, and that makes addressing the fundamental issues hard. There are a lot of good things achieved individually by Nigerians, but there is nothing going on at a scale that matters. That country (Nigeria) is best described as a reproach at scale. We need a watchman (that’s you, by the way), that would help steer the people towards moral and spiritual integrity, virtuous character and productivity.

It is quite easy for someone to adopt a slogan as pious as “living for Jesus”. However, when we shine a light upon what it means to live for Jesus, it might surprise us all. Living for Jesus is not just about attending religious services. It is more than following the ten commandments of Moses. It is something much more practical than that. Living For Jesus or “giving your life to Jesus” means that your life now has the single goal of advancing the mission of Jesus. The person living for Jesus is the person that has submitted to a kingdom-of-heaven structure somewhere. You toss away your own personal ambition and serve something bigger than yourself.

You cannot live for Jesus without a thorough understanding of his mission and your role within it. This requires you to drop your own ambition, giving it up in favour of something bigger than yourself. Jesus wants us to operate as the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). He wants the world saved, healed and delivered (John 3:16-17). Following Jesus or living for Jesus has never been about “using God” to power up your selfish ambitions. Jesus Christ did not die so that you can become “a millionaire” and buy everything you ever wanted. It is not about fueling your greed and objects of your lust.

You have to ask yourself the big question: Are you living for yourself or have you submitted to something greater than yourself? When you think about the greatest people of all time, across all spheres of life, you find that they had submitted to something bigger than them. Whether Martin Luther or Enoch Adeboye. Nikola Tesla or Gregor Johann Mendel. Mark Burnett or Strive Masiyiwa. They all transcended their personal dreams and began to front for Jesus in the society. You have to drop your private dreams and ambition, and become part of what God is doing in your generation. That is how to live for Jesus. The price for greatness is selflessness and service.

Your world is subject to change, but you knew that already. If you look back a couple of years, you would be able to highlight a couple of big changes to the way you live, work and play. We live in an era marked by constant changes and tremendous technological advancements. Nothing remains the same for long. There are powers, forces and various parties exerting their influence over your world, trying to bend it to their will. Today, we would like to remind you that you can drive changes in your world. You have the power to steer your world towards a better future as defined by your God.

It is written in the Book of Hebrews, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”. We see here that the potency of the word of God extends to “world building”. It is hard to understand how someone that believes in an all-powerful God would reject the idea that the same God has the ability to influence and change the socio-economic world for the best. Do not be content to cry and complain about your world. You can do something about it. You can change your world.

There is nothing out there in the physical world that is not subject to change. The Book of Hebrews includes a list of people that performed great feats through their faith in God. The passage talks about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms. They conquered nations and overthrew powerful, oppressive regimes by their faith. It is through faith that practices we now consider to be barbaric (like the killing of twins) were put to a stop. The important thing to remember is that there is nothing in your world today that is not subject to change. And that you can be the vessel God uses to affect those changes.

If you consider yourself to be created in God’s image, and your spirit regenerated, you should display creativity. God brings a person to new life (they are “born again”) from a previous state of separation from God and subjection to the decay of death (Ephesians 2:1-10). This new life allows us to channel the creative power of God. It might seem as though you are unable to channel this creativity in any meaningful way. However, this is because you have not understood how to focus your creativity. Think about light and lasers. Think about how the harmless sun’s rays set houses and forests on fire when focused through glass containers, their splinters or any “prism”.

There is nothing special about channelling creativity. It is about as special as breathing is. If you can breathe, you can be creative. The same way you pray and seek to apply the power of God for healing or deliverance, that is the same way you apply the power for creativity. King Solomon is on record to have created 3,000 proverbs, and 1,005 songs as well as possessing extensive knowledge about the human condition, animal and plant life (1 Kings 4:29 – 34). These are feats that can be bettered by anyone that is a true “born-again” disciple.

The quest to focus your creative powers begins with your motive. You must develop a passion for creativity and your motive must be aligned with God’s purpose. God never rewards our lust, greed or desire for money with his gifts. Therefore, do not be under the illusion that you want to create songs, movies, engines, solutions, or technologies as a way to make money. You will profit from your spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:7), but it should never be your primary motive. Like any other spiritual gift, it must never be leveraged for personal gain. Every manifestation of God’s spirit is for the common good. We do not expect evangelists to preach salvation, deliverance and healing for money-making purposes. Neither should you as a Creative.

There is always a chance that you outgrow a relationship. We all know that in the passing of time, people, situations and circumstances change. In the passing of time, what was right and perfect becomes wrong. One day, you wake and realize that you are locked in the wrong relationships, wrong jobs, wrong partnerships. You feel trapped and it begins to look like there is nothing you can do about it. Moving on almost seems impossible and there is no clear path in sight. However, it is your responsibility to remember that you can move on. You are the average of the people you spend the most time with. You must always curate the list of people in your personal space.

One major reason we cultivate relationships with people is for vision and support. The reality is that it is impossible to achieve massive success single handedly. You will need to draw strength, inspiration and warmth from your tribe. This is something you need to remember as people, situations and circumstances change over time. When your relationship with someone no longer empowers you for your best, what is the essence of the relationship? If in the passing of time, you realize that you are no longer headed in the same direction as them, it is best to move on.

We see Andrew switch masters in the Holy Bible. Andrew was an adherent of John the Baptist, when John indicated that Jesus represented the next move of God on the earth (John 1:35 – 42). Andrew did the unthinkable and jumped ship. He did not allow his emotions or sentiments to get in the way. It is not about being selfish and wanting to move on. It is about catching a glimpse of a vision that appeals to your heart and wanting to respond to it. Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Simon (Peter) went on to succeed Jesus as the leader of their movement. Perhaps it is time to reevaluate your relationships? Are they still doing what they are supposed to do?

One of the greatest mistakes made by people who are working for God in non-church, non-religious workplaces is that they do not see a need to pray. They pray much less than their counterparts that work in more traditional church and religious workplaces. The scam here is the mindset that their work is purely an intellectual affair, and there is no need for spirituality. This is not true. Whether you are working in church planting or business development, you need equal grace, wisdom, power and proper education for maximum performance. We all need to spend time with God and draw from the throne of grace.

Martin Luther said, “I have so much business to do to-day, that I shall not be able to get through it with less than three hours’ prayer”. This is the very opposite approach of most people. Most people would say, “I have so much business to do to-day, that I can only spare five minutes for prayer; I cannot afford the time”. However, Martin Luther thought that the more he had to do, the more he must pray, or else he could not get through it. This is a deep and profound mindset that is strange to the carnally minded.

Spiritual activities like prayer and meditation operate like an escalator. This is a mental picture inspired by Jacob’s ladder to heaven (Genesis 28: 10 – 22). Angels ascending and descending onto the scene evokes the image of an escalator. Spirituality empowers us to escalate issues to the headquarters above and receive the encouragement, and enablement we need to proceed. You need to understand the logic behind prayer. It is acceptable to put a project on hold for two weeks while you prayerfully contemplate the direction to take. This will save you more time and resources later on. You need to leverage this escalator to heaven more often. For if you insist on driving without stopping to refuel, you would soon come to a stop of a far more serious kind.