Phillipians 3:12 - 14

Your deeds, words, conduct and attitude can either attract positive or negative change. In the parable of the talents documented in Matthew 25 :14-30, the man who had a change for increase got there by a dint of hard work. He was given five talents and he processed them through  labour  to obtain five more. If you want God to give you increase, you must be prepared to labour. It is unfortunate that many people who claim to be believers in Christ are fast losing touch with hard work. They desire to increase by doing nothing or through wishful thinking. Come off it. Every gift, talent, either acquired or innate is given to you to process through labour. Without doing so, there can be no increase. Similarly, the servant with one talent who refused to process it with labour, paid dearly for it. He lost it to somebody else. He also lost his freedom. He became an enemy of his master, and was bound and thrown into hell. It is a terrible thing to have a decreasing change. Some people think that the Lord will not do anything about the talent they refuse to develop and invest into God's kingdom. Oh, what a deception! The Lord will do something about it  and this is a frightening issue. If you fail to discover some of your talents or you bury them like this man, on the day of accountability the Lord will do something about it.

 

A minister of the gospel whose work was being celebrated around the world and was feeling contented got a shocker one day. The Lord told him he was far from reaching his optimal level and that he had many more talents he was yet to develop. The Lord sounded qite disappointed that he was getting carried away by the applause of men and had to show him his score-card. How disappointed he was! Never allow the praise of men pool wool over your eyes in any area. At best they will get you blinded to your fallow ground. What talents are you not developing? What resources are you not processing into a change in increase? Immediately rise up and do something about it. Always adopt the attitude of Paul, who, in spite of his outstanding accomplishments never saw himself to have apprehended. You have not reached your peak. Except for self deception, there is still space for you at higher levels. Move up and fast today!

ACTION POINT: Prayerfully identify your fallow grounds and ask God for the wisdom and grace to develop them. 

 

Prevent Future Regrets.........

2 KING 5: 20-27

Obtaining a change can be quite costly irrespective of whether it is a positive or negative one. Naaman had  to give up his pride and reputation in order to receive his healing. What is that price standing between you and your desired end? For a certain user of this Devotional, pride is what is hindering you from your desired breakthrough. As you humble yourself and submit totally to God on that pressing issue, you will obtain our desire.

Gehazi also paid a price for his negative change. Everyone in the Bible who experienced a negative change paid a very costly price. The truth is, the price you pay for a positive change is far cheaper than what you would pay for a negative change. For one moment of greed and covetousness, Gehazi lost his health, ministry, possibility of being the most anointed and powerful old Testament prophet and even the goodwill of his future generations. If you know what that single, few minutes of sinful pleasure could cost you and your generations, you would prefer to die that moment than indulge in it. Today, many have regrets. Gehazi regretted his foolish act after the curse but it was too late. Abraham is still regretting one moment of unbelief during his faith ride which made him to accept to sleep with Hagar Sarah’s maid. Oh, the havoc the world has seen and is still facing as result.

Adam is another person who paid dearly for a negative change. For deciding to be willful and to take his life in his hands, he lost his relationship with God, the Garden of Eden, control over all creatures and the position as the god of this world. Before you decide to step into sin, think. And think again. Think of what it will take from you, your family, the church of Christ and your generations. One sinful act could turn your helpers against you. It could deny you of the help they were meant to deliver to you. Oh, how Adam would have regretted that day he took of the forbidden fruit. Are you doing something that could make you to regret? Put a stop to it today. Do all you can to reverse any negative seed you have sown to prevent unstoppable regrets in the future.

ACTION POINT: Anything that will cause regrets later can be avoided. ASK FOR GRACE TO PREVENT REGRETS.

What Is Your Offer?

"For which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finist it?" (Luke 14:28)

You can experience a positive or negative change. Change could also take a downward or upward turn. Irrespective of the direction it follows, change can be quite costly. For istance to move from being a certificate holder to being a university graduate is a change for the better but it comes with some price. To move from being a spinster to being a mother requires some price. To move from being a bench warming church member to a pastor is also at some cost. In the same vein, to move from being an ordinary minister into some outstanding one operating in the miraculous takes some great price. If you are not prepared to pay the price attached to a desired change it will keep eluding you. At best you can only wish you had that desired end.

Building castles in the air without a commensurate step in faith will not bring your dreams into reality. Some people have been having big dreams from their childhood but because they were not ready to pay the price for their actualisation they remained dreamers and died with their dreams unrealised. Do you have a dream? If no, then you do not even have a destination or a future. Your dream gives you reason to live. If you have no dream, you have no future. If you have a dream for your life, do you know the price you are required to pay? Can you pay it?

Sometimes you may misconstrue the price tag attached to a desired positive change. For instance, while Naaman was stepping out in his quest for healing, he came with lots of money (2nd Kings 5:9-13). He was prepared to pay money worth the equivalent of millions of today currency. But God required something else - not money. His change cost him his pride. He was reduced to nothing. He was sent to wash in the dirty waters of River Jordan unaccompanied by the prophet. What are you prepared to pay for your change? Does it agree with what God wants from you? If it does not tally, then your desired change may never come. Some people are ready to give God money but God is asking for their time. Some offer God only their intellect, whereas God wants them to give Him everything - time, money, intellect, and even their lives. Are you sure your sacrifice is adequate?

ACTION: If your offer is not commensurate with Heaven's demands, your desire from heaven may not be granted.

Moving Upward or Downward?

Just as a change can be for better or for worse, so also can it bring about an increase or a decrease. In the parable for the talents recorded in Mathew 25:24-30, a man started trading with five talents and ended with 10 talents. That is a change in increase. On the other hand, another man started his business with one talent but at the end, it was taken away from him. He was reduced  to nothing: that was  a change of decrease. 

The Lord made a shocking statement on this in verse 29: "For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken  away even that which he hath". In other words, if you do not have and do not intend to change that situation, you will continue to decline to lose even the little you think you have. Here, God is saying the rich can grow richer and the poor poorer. If you lack the anointing and you are nonchalant about it, before you would realize it, you could even loose the salvation you thought was safely in your custody. What the Lord is saying is that you must always position yourself for an increasing change. Not doing anything at all automatically positions you for a decrease. What are you doing to change your life for good? In any way you have contributed to the present decline you are facing, terminate it by doing something positive about it. 

In 1st Samuel 3:19-21, we are told of how young Samuel kept growing in the things of God to the extent of becoming an established prophet in Israel. He benefited from an upward change. On the other hand, the sons of Eli who could have succeeded their father continued to go from bad to worse until they were completely replaced in Gods plan. By your deeds,   you determine whether you will experience an upward or a downward change. Any time you violate God’s Word or go out of God’s Will, your change moves downwards and towards a negative outcome. If you want to experience an upward movement on a progressive basis, abide in Christ. Let Him be your residence. Dwell in Him and let him dwell in you. Shut up every loophole in your life. You will move forward from today.

ACTION: Make JESUS your ally and your change will be upwards.