LABOUR OF THE WISE

LABOUR OF THE WISE

The first year of  their  marriage was rosy. They were never short of  money because Ben was comfortable  in  his workplace. Although Mary was not working, his income was more than enough   to sustain  both  of them. Then children started arriving. Sam was born  in  the second year of the  marriage, followed in quick succession  by  two  girls. And suddenly, Ben ‘s  salary could no longer  meet  the  catalogue of  financial  obligation such as providing the family  daily needs, buying  baby things, paying all sorts of utility bills  and  shelling out  some good cash  for  unplanned  expenses  like  paying hospital  bills of a sick member of the family and fixing his  car. It became difficult for the couple to make ends meets.

With sadness , Mary   noticed  that Ben ‘s clothes and hers were faded, and he was very worried about their predicament. Twice,  she saw him brooding with his head  bowed sitting alone in the balcony, and every night when he returned from work, he was always surfing the internet in search of a higher/paying job  than the present one. She also noticed that she’d been snapping children unnecessarily herself. She knew these occurrences were signs of unhealthy family relationship, which could degenerate into a serious problem like the one next door, were having. They were  always  bickering over  money,  waking up  neighbours  every time  with angry outbursts and  deafening  sound  of objects  smashed on the wall.  The recollection of that daily quarrel next door jolted her into action. She sat down and prayerfully thought of what  she could do to augment her husband’s income. Having the knowledge of making confectioneries, she brushed up her and started selling   snacks in fronts her of house.  Her products were so good and tasty that she got a contract through one of her customers to provide snacks and tea every  morning  to the headquarters of a reputable  bank in town. With God’s help   and some financial support from  Ben , she purchased a tea set, employed  the services of few caters, and took her confectionery to the bank. The contracts turns  out to be  a huge success as her business  developed  into  a big fast-food restaurant with  branches in many  places.  Through the work was tedious, she kept at it until the tension at home eased.  Now, the couple is buoyant enough to provide the pressing needs of the family, as well as support their aged parent and the  projects  of their  local  church.  Working as the means of obtaining  the  necessities  of  life  is a universal  law [genesis 3:19]. In fact, there is a maxim in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that ‘’if  any   would not work,  neither  should he eat.  If you don’t work , you should not be supported  or  maintained  by anybody.  You cannot   stay idle and expect manna from heaven or someone else to put food on your table. 

God created you to work and sustain   yourself.  You work to live, you live to work.   Working  has a lots of  benefits  aside from   providing  you with money  to support yourself and explore your interests. Whether paid or unpaid,   working is good for health and well being. It contributes to  your happiness; helps you to build  confidence and self esteem;  keeps you  busy; and  gives you the means to develop yourself. It also  enables you to  socialize, build contracts and find supports; gives you sense of pride, identity and  personal  achievement; as well as   helps you  contribute  to development that  benefits  your  community and  society.

However, in  spite of it’s spiritual,  economical,  physical and  health    benefits and   the  facts        that it’s    an imperative for everyone,  not   all so-called work ,  job or  employment is good. That means you have to be   discreet in your choice of work.  Aside  from the legitimacy  and  decency of  work  you do, you should look  at  productivity; that is,  what you   can   and   must  do to be  efficient  and  get  the best out  of  your  work.  Lastly, ensure your  work  is yielding  good  and  expected results,  benefits and profits. The bottom line is, you should work hard or labour with wisdom.  Be purposeful,  productive  and  profitable  in  your  work.

BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.

Personal faith in God is indispensable in our daily walk with Him. It means having the assurance that when we pray, He answers. It also means being confident that as a child in God's kingdom, when you pray, God listens. This means you do not always have to depend on other people's prayers.

Too many people depend on the prayers of pastors, prophets and prayer warriors, without actually knowing that there is power in personal prevailing prayer to God. But with a fully developed personal faith in God and His promises, you will not have to depend on people's prayers. After all, you also have access to the throne of Grace as a child of God (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 3:12).

Note, however, that this is not to suggest that approaching a genuine and Spirit-filled man of God for prayer is out of place. But the danger inherent in turning this into a habit is that such a person may not always be there to assist you in prayer. and when this happens, it becomes very difficult to stand alone through the hardest of times. Moreover, you are liable to fall prey of prayer peddlers and false prophets who capitalize on believers ignorance as a to the privilege they have in prayer. Many people have been swindled of their money and other resources as a result. Others have become exposed to demonic attacks and influences. Yet others have lost their lives. Indeed, it is needless to expose oneself to such dangers and losses when you can prevail in personal prayer. 

Every believer must know that there are situations when he or she has to trash it out alone with the Lord. Jacob had to, at Jabbok (Genesis 32:24). He was facing a challenging situation. He had to make all his people to pass over while he spend the night - alone - travailing in Prayer until his life was turned around. Isaac too personally entreated God for his wife and her womb was opened. Never did the Scripture inform us that he sought the help of prayer champions. Jabez also cried out to God for a definite change and God changed his pain filled and sorrow-ridden life (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). It was Jabez' prayer that was recorded to have received an answer from God, not the prayer of some prophet or prayer peddler. 

Invest In Your Eternity

WHAT ARE YOU DEPOSITING INTO THE BANK OF HEAVEN?

You have often heard that “The way up is down.” But do you also know that “The only way to receive is to give?” The Scripture succinctly expressed this in Luke 6:36, “GIVE, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measure to you again.” God included a clause in His prosperity plan for His children and that is; you have to give in order to get. This is the only way of multiplying what you have. If you want more money, give more of the one you have. The same thing goes for other material things that you possess. In essence, the way to multiply your (money) is to give it out to God and fellow humans. 

One major way to give your money to God is through the work of God when you see pastor or Evangelist want to go for missionary or like this website you are reading this content you can donate to the work of God to continue or through paying of your tithe and giving offerings through this website. Unfortunately, the subject of tithing is one that is being trailed with controversy in Christendom today. There are some who argue that tithing is an Old Testament practice while others disagree with what the parameters for tithing should be. However, the word of God is quite clear on this. Leviticus 27:30 says, “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.” Your tithe is exclusively for God. The Lord himself commanded in Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house…”Tithing, contrary to some opinions is God’s mandate not because He is hungry and needs to feed with your money, or that he wants to amass wealth for Himself but because He is God; Giver of all things and He wants to help multiply that gold in your hand.