ROMANS 12:1-2; GALATIANS 1:3-4 Romans 12:1-2
They might say, who are you? What are you? What have you done? The fellow might say is that all you can do and you get offended that he didn’t praise or appreciate you. You missed the point! Is that all you are created for, is that all you can do and achieve? whereas, you were expecting praise. When someone comes into your life like that, and he asks that 100 million Naira question, “Is that all?”, you must begin to think deeply.
Someone came and asked me about my name and I told him. He asked if I knew the meaning of the name, I said No, and he told me the meaning, and that refocused my life. A simple question – is that all? And your life is refocused today. And you expect from today high achievement by the grace of God.
- THE GOAL OF CHANGING OUR IMMEDIATE WORLD
(Matthew 5:13-16; 2 Chronicles 26:3-5; Zechariah 8:21-23;
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
No one can play football purposefully except there is a goalpost. It is goals that make us wake up in the morning to pursue a purpose. It is goals that make you decide to do and finish a number of things before the end of the week. Goals make us to see ourselves different from others and determine to go beyond them. Without goals, there is no game of life. Goals make you go farther and higher even when you are tired. It keeps the propeller of your life rolling all the time. What goals do you have in life? What are you driving at? What do you have in mind to do despite all that have happened to you? God wants us to have goals.
Matthew 5:13. “Ye are the salt of the earth” Have you ever thought about this? The salt looks like granulated sugar but they both have different functions. I look like Mr so and so, but I have a different destiny. I look like Miss so and so, but our goals are different. “Ye are the salt of the earth”. Some people say the world is bad and corrupt and there is nothing they can do. All efforts have proved abortive, hence they have to join them since they can’t beat them. There is a goal, a challenge, there is something salt can do that pepper, onion and vegetable cannot do. Vegetables, onions and other ingredients are good, but let them do their own duty, that is their purpose for creation. But me, I’m different. You will not abandon your goals and desires because someone is doing well and making history in his own life.
vs 14. “Ye are the light of the world” Light functions well when there is darkness, but it does not fight darkness. Some people say our country is corrupt, everywhere is dark and everyone is walking in darkness. It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. If they are dark, corrupt, and bad, how about you? This is why you were created by God and you came to Christ.
You shine brighter where there is darkness, light has a purpose.
There is natural light, there is manufactured light. Have you heard about Thomas Edison? He wanted to provide light and he set up a laboratory to start working on filaments that will bring light to his community. Many times he failed, more than 600, 700 times, he said “I will, I can, I must”, and he kept on and on. Sometimes our problems is we know what to do, we know God has raised us to do something. Some people go to preach in some places and fail several times, and they say there is no way. He comes to another thing and without learning or any form of apprenticeship, he fails a few times and drops that. He himself becomes an unfinished product and he calls himself a failure.
The tortoise does not make progress until his neck is stretched out. Thomas Edison said he would do it again and again, and he succeeded, as you are going to succeed. Failure might come – someone asked him if he has failed and he said, No, but he has discovered many, many ways of how not to do it, but would try another way. You are not a failure. You have done things that didn’t work, but this new way shall bring success to your life. Without a goal, you can’t play the game of life well.
G O A L
#G GET TO THE ALPHA AND OMEGA
Get to Him, you have turned your back on Him, you have been walking without the heavenly light, you have tried your best but human best is not up to God’s best. Have a goal in life, do something, know why you were created, know what you will follow and succeed.
#O OBSERVE ACHIEVERS AND OVERCOMERS
Ask questions from those who have succeeded how they overcame the challenges of life. Observe them. There are many books in the library which give us insights into the lives of those who achieved in the past: the manufacturers, achievers, heroes, and those who succeeded in every area of life. Social media and internet has made getting information easier. You want to be a scientist, look at successful scientists online, you want to be a motivational speaker, check up the successful ones on YouTube. You want to be a successful medical doctor, check libraries, encyclopedias and you will find them there.
Find someone who was down, but got up, someone whose life was scattered but now has his life put back together. There were people who were paralyzed from waist down, yet they succeeded in life, go and get their stories and learn from them.
There was a man who wanted to commit suicide but decided to go and hear the word of God in a church before killing himself. As he entered, the preacher did not know his story but preached that if any sinner in the congregation receives Jesus, He will clear all the troubles of his life away. He said you have tried everything but not Jesus. The man decided to not kill himself, dropped all instruments of suicide and gave his life to Jesus, his life turned around and he ended up being one of the greatest men in his nation.
My son, my daughter there, you will become the greatest person in your nation but get to the Alpha and Omega.
#A ACCEPT HIS ABUNDANCE AND OPERATIONS
Open your heart and mind and accept His abundance and operations. You will get there.
#L LABOUR FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF OTHERS
There were two people at the seashore. One could swim but the other could not. The one who could swim was not ready to dive into the sea because the water was cold. The one who could not swim begged the other to help him out, and because of him, the one who could swim put him on his back and swam to the other side. In his mind, he was helping the other man, but while at it, he himself got to the other side.
Help enough people to achieve their goals, lo and behold, God will help you to achieve yours.
- THE GLORY IN CHANGING AN INDIFFERENT WORLD
(John 17:14-18; Acts 17:6; Galatians 6:14-16; Philippians 2:5,15-16)
There is a world that is indifferent, and no matter the encouragement, they will not change. The glory we have is when we change the indifferent world to God.
The next time I see you, I will see glory on your face, in your life and in your achievements. You will achieve great things in Jesus name.
Philippians 2:5. There are different kinds of minds, satan, the never-do-wells, and Christ our Lord has a mind. You have a choice to make: the mind of Satan or Christ. Open the door and let the mind and nature of Christ enter into you. Your life will produce glory. Say it all the time and your life will be glorious.
GLORY
#G GIVE WITH FAITH IN GOD (to challenge the world)
This was what Christ did. Give your heart to God, give your life to Christ, and give your personality to the Holy Spirit. Give your service to your neighbour, let your life be a life of giving. Selfish people never go to glory. Me, me, me all the time does not have a glorious outcome. Give your life to God and His creatures by faith in Christ.
#L LIGHTEN WITH FIRE FOR GOD (to charge the world)
John was a bright and burning light. Don’t be tired, weary, with no spine/backbone. To the person who always look down, lighten your environment with the grace of God in your life.
#O OCCUPY, WITHOUT FALSEHOOD, LIKE GOD (to champion the world)
Do something to contribute to the progress of the world. Get occupied and be happy, hopeful, and holy, be involved in every good thing happening around you.
#R REFLECT THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD (to chart a new world)
Reflect God in your action and attitude to people who don’t know Him. By your joy and excitement in life, reflect God to all.
#Y YIELD FRUITS IN FULNESS TO GOD (to change the world)
God will change the world inside of you and help you to change the immediate world around you and glory will come upon your life in Jesus name. His glory will settle on the work of your hand, everywhere you go, glory will follow you, everywhere you turn, glory will turn around with you. You will never be in a strange land where there is no helper.
Keep all that the Lord has revealed to us here, and you will have a testimony of glory. Power, goodness of God, and joy in your life, you will not die prematurely.
- Go through life with a different attitude, glory has come on you.
- From now on, I carry glory, the same glory I have you will have.
- The good goals I have you will have and the glory which Christ gave me the Lord will also give you.
Rise and receive. Everyone will have the grace to change the inner world, talk to the Lord in prayer.
