GOFAMINT DAILY DEVOTIONAL
NO SUCCESS WITHOUT HARD WORK
ThurSDAY 14/7/2022
Suggested Hymns: GHB 237, 238
Devotional Readings: Gen 26:12-18
Topic For Adults: Hard Work: Pathway To Success
Topic For Youths: Be Diligent
Topic For Intermediates: Be Committed To Duty
Lesson Scriptures: Prov. 10:4; 12:24, 27; 13:4; 14:23; 19:15; 21:5-8; 20:4; 22:29
MEMORY VERSE
“The hand of the diligent will rule; but the lazy man will be put to forced labour” (Proverbs 12:24) NKJV.
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Hard Work Pays
ProvERBS 22:29; 10:4-5
As His children, God expects us to be hardworking. He expects us to be fruitful. Being fruitful implies that we must have something doing. The logic is clear; anyone who desires to harvest must sow seed, anyone who wants to gain, must invest. There are no two ways about it. A fellow who is competent as a worker will be promoted. Anyone who is diligent with what he is doing will be duly honoured. As Christians, God wants us to be diligent, hardworking, productive and proficient. Success, not failure, is the mark of honour God desires for His children.
Point of Emphasis: It is rewarding to be hardworking.
Prayer Point: Lord, give me the grace to be hardworking and fruitful in Jesus’ name.
Reading The Bible Through in a Year: Morning: Rev. 5: 1-7; Evening: Jer.51-52
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BACKGROUND
God desires, requires and expects His children to be hardworking. It is through hardworking that we can be productive and successful. It is God’s will that His children should be successful. It is equally true that
success, in most cases, comes through hard work. It is not godly for anyone to wish to be successful without having anything doing. It is good we pray for blessing, but we must not forget that it is the work we do that God will bless.
NOTES ON THE LESSON
PART 1: SUCCESS IS A PRODUCT OF HARDWORK - PROV. 12:24; 10:4; 13:4; 19:15; 21:5-6
God desires what is good for His children. He wants His children to be successful in life. He designed man for success. He created man to be an achiever of great things in life. However, there is what man must do in order to achieve the great things of life. There are laws that must be obeyed.
Apply Perseverance: Anyone who desires success must apply perseverance in carrying out any duty assigned to him and in doing the task ahead of him.
Detest slothfulness: God desires His children to have genuine hatred for the acts of laziness and pursue with vigour, a worthwhile goal that will lead to success.
Refuse to be indolent: Determine not to be indolent, lazy or slothful. This is because it is dangerous to be indolent, as that simply gives you over to poverty. Riches, wealth or success do not and cannot come by mere wishful thinking. Success, in all its ramifications, comes as a result of hardwork done in a right way, in the right place, time and more importantly in the will of God.
PART 2: DILIGENCE PAVES WAY FOR GOOD SUCCESS – PROV. 6:6-8; 14:23; 4:23; 22:29
Good success is implied when the wealth acquired is such that is gotten through a legitimate means. Success is termed good when it makes one more useful to God, when its proceeds are utilised in ways approved by God, when the wealth keeps the owner closer to God and not far from Him and when the owner is the master of the wealth and not the other way round.
Diligence – Hard work done with perseverance and in a sincere heart with a sense of commitment to God-very often, paves way for God-honouring success.
Believers should note the following facts:
- It is God’s will for His children to have success.
- There are godly ways of having or getting success.
- If you do your work God’s way, you will have success.
- Love God and follow His will while doing your work.
- Follow God’s instructions while doing your business.
- Be transparently honest in your dealings with people, especially in matters relating to money.
- Pay your tithe fully and regularly.
- Pray earnestly before and after taking any step.
There is no way a believer can observe these and not be successful.
PART 3: BE DUTIFUL, FAITHFUL AND COMMITTED - PROV. 12: 27; 20:4; 22-29
It is God’s will that His children should have success. The success that God desires for His children is that which flows from doing the will of God, obeying the word of God, walking and acting in keeping with the leadings of the Holy Spirit. Godly success comes as we do the following:
1. Be dutiful: As children of God, we are expected to be diligent people, paying careful attention to doing the task we are assigned to do, putting worthwhile effort into whatever we are meant to do. We are not to give room for laziness.
2. Be faithful: As children of God, we are required to be faithful. Our faithfulness must show in diligence. If we are children of God, we are expected to be the best in our chosen fields, in our career, in our profession. We should put the best of our efforts in our work. God has no room for indolent people. It is what one sows that one reaps.
3. Be Committed: When we do our duties as expected, and we are faithful and diligent, God will bless our work as we remain committed to Him.
CONCLUSION
For every labour is an expected reward just as the sower is expected to reap whatever he sows. While it is appropriate for anybody to desire success, the bitter truth is that there is no success without hard labour. It is foolhardy for anyone to be lazy and still expect success to fall for him as a “manna” from heaven or unexpectedly as a “virus”. Success is the reward of diligence and hardwork.
QUESTIONS
1. When can success be termed ‘good’?
2. Explain why success requires hardwork.
3. List 3 of God’s way of having success.
4. Why should a Christian aim at diligence as he or she works?
5. What are the dangers of slothfulness according to our lesson?
DO HAVE A BLESSED DAY
©2022 THE GOSPEL FAITH MISSION INTERNATIONAL DEVOTIONAL IS BY PASTOR (DR) E.O ABINA, THE GENERAL OVERSEER OF GOSPEL FAITH MISSION INTERNATIONAL (GOFAMINT) Worldwide. |
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