Too often, we expect people to support us when we launch a business. But if the business is in its infant stage, people may snub us because what you intend to do isn’t what people want to hear but what you’ve achieved.
When Saul was made king, some of his countrymen didn’t like him. But Saul didn’t try to win their hearts.
Later, Nahash, the Ammonite attacked the Israelites. Saul saw it as an opportunity and led a successful war against the Ammonites. And then, the same Israelites who once despised him reaffirmed his kingship (1 Samuel 11: 1-15;). Wait until you’re tested!
Job was a man of great faith. When he was prosperous, he stayed faithful to God. When he lost everything, he remained faithful. And as Job held on, he couldn’t figure out why he was surrounded by tragedies. Unknown to Job, it was only a test.
Maybe you are also overwhelmed. As we’ve seen in the case of Job, even if you are determined to do God’s will, you will be tested.
Recall what Christ said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Crises are inevitable. But in Christ, we are overcomers (John 16:33).
We’ve been taught that leaders ought to exude light, because Christ Himself said we are the light of the world. While light is a symbol of good, darkness is perceived as a depiction of evil.
Before God created light in the Book of Genesis, He had to first of all, meet the darkness that hovered on the surface of the deep (Genesis 1:1-3). Isn’t it interesting that Jesus had to go through hell before He redeemed us? Stay strong!
Don’t blame yourself for every crisis. A crisis might come through no fault of yours. While crises can be painful, they have benefits. No one goes through a crisis without growing because God can move you from where you’ve been to the place, He wants you to be.
Perhaps, the crisis in your life is designed to bring you closer to God.
One time, David said, “It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). If David hadn’t experienced calamities, he wouldn’t have been close to God. Stay strong!
You might have noticed that Jesus used the words, “follow me” while He was selecting His disciples. On one occasion, He said to the crowd, “anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). But why does Jesus insists that we follow Him? You see, when we give our lives to Christ He automatically becomes our Lord. Now the word, “Lord” means Master. It also means Owner. As our Master and Owner, we are expected to follow Him. Therefore, to accept Jesus as our Lord, does not only involve a declaration of our faith in Him. True acceptance happens when we follow Jesus. And we do not become the followers of Christ until we stop following others, including ourselves. Jesus wants us to “follow Him because that’s the only way He would be able to transform our lives. I know this, because that was what He did when the disciples followed Him. Indeed, Jesus transformed the lives of those who followed Him. He transformed fishermen to fishers of men. He transformed a tax collector to an author, whose book has impacted many. He also transformed Paul, from a killer to a life saver.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, be my Lord. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY:Luke 14:27
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
One day, I closed from work, feeling terribly bad. On my way home, I got some biscuits for my two kids. On reaching home, my kids immediately snatched the biscuits. But just before I relaxed, my daughter (the younger one) returned the biscuits and asked me to open it for her. I quickly did. Meanwhile, I noticed my older child still struggling to open his own biscuits. When he suddenly realized his younger sister had begun to eat hers, he hurried back to me and cried out, “Daddy, help me!” I laughed and opened his biscuits. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I had been acting like my son. Instead of acting like my daughter who gave me back the gift so I could help her unwrap it, I was trying to run my own life. Many leaders think God isn’t interested in their lives. They fail to realize that God is a teacher who wants to teach us how to make the best use of the gifts He has given us. God’s way may be different from the path you are taking right now. Go to Him for help and He will teach you and possibly redirect your steps.
Prayer: Lord, show me your ways. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 25:4-5
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
Leaders stand out because they are driven by a sense of purpose.
Written By Benjamin Dankaka
One day, Jesus compared the attitude of the Pharisees to a situation in the marketplace where some children complained because they played a flute but the people did not dance. And when they sang a funeral song, the people also didn’t mourn. When Jesus made that statement, He was concerned with the way the people had responded to both His ministry and that of John the Baptist. That is, when John came, the people ignored him and even called him a “demon”. And when Jesus Himself came and preached the same gospel but through a different technique, the people also insulted Him.
By nature, leaders stand out because they are driven by a sense of purpose. Recall that when John the Baptist showed up, He preached a unique message, and urged the people to repent. Unlike the Pharisees, he drank no wine, lived in the wilds and lived, eating locusts. Jesus on the other hand, interacted with people, even though He also preached the message of the kingdom. In contrast to the Pharisees, he mingled with “sinners”. So He was also criticized. But despite the condemnations, John and Jesus succeeded. You too will succeed in spite of the criticisms.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the strength to face criticisms. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 11:1-19
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
Hardly is there any career leader who doesn’t depend on creativity. It doesn’t matter the field, creativity is required in every business, including retailing. For example, Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores used a creative business formula that most retailers ignore. He bought a wide variety of products in bulk across his network of stores so he could pass savings on to his customers. As a result, people flocked to his stores. Fortunately, everyone is creative. You may not be creative in your current work, but there’s a place you can be creative. And that place is certainly in your area of gifting.
If you are engaged in a work that you think has to do with your calling, and yet you are finding it difficult to be creative, maybe you are not making good use of your knowledge. It takes knowledge to create something. The Bible tells us that God made the heavens and earth by His understanding. That is, by His knowledge, God created the heavens and the earth. So He didn’t just create the heavens and the earth with His word. To create the earth, God had to use His understanding. Do what God did. Be creative.
Prayer: Lord, teach me your ways.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 136
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
One day, Jesus embarked on a journey to the Sea, so He could have a quiet time with His disciples. But a crowd of five thousand people followed Him. Although Jesus didn’t invite any of them, they followed Him, all the way to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee. Clearly, the people took a huge risk. Some of them might have followed Jesus on foot. Why would such a huge crowd of people, leave their villages and follow Jesus to a deserted place? According to the scriptures, the people had followed Jesus “because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick” (John 6:2).
To be a great leader, you would have to commit yourself to doing something that is of great value to others. People aren’t going to follow you because they like your face. What you can offer is the main thing. The thousands that followed Jesus were mainly concerned with the miracles. What can you do that will be of great value to others? Your ability to discover your unique gifts, and then offer it to others will determine how relevant you would be to your generation. Focus on your gifts!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, show me how to develop my unique gifts. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: John 6:1-2
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
Inside every person is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others.
Written By Benjamin Dankaka
Jesus once said, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought to the open”. What Christ said is exactly what senders of mails do. The senders of mails hide their message inside an envelope and like Jesus said, the hidden message is meant to be disclosed. Whatever they concealed inside the envelope is not intended to remain hidden, but similar to what Jesus said, it is to be brought to the open. Now Jesus was in fact speaking about the messages He had been putting inside His disciples.
Jesus wanted His disciples know it was their job to bring out the messages in their hearts. Just as the sender of the message in an envelope expects the receiver to expose the hidden message, Jesus expects us to unravel and make use of the messages He has hidden in our hearts. The message that has been hidden in us is Hisword. It is also the natural abilities He has endowed us with. Inside every person is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others. What are you doing with what you have received from God?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift you placed inside of me. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 4:2-25
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
