Recently, while preaching in Church, my wife made a statement that touched me deeply. She said, “when my husband told me he was going full time with the ministry, I knew he must have been led. He was not trying to escape from work. I have always known him to be very hardworking; he would juggle different jobs with pastoring those days.”

Friend, what is your understanding about life and labour? Some people see work as a punishment while others see it as the manifestation of the curse. But correct Bible people know that labouring is part of the manifestation of the Covenant. The Kingdom of God forbids idleness. God is never idle, Jesus was never idle while on earth (John 5:17).

“They said unto him, Because no man has hired us…” (Matthew 20:7). The reason a lot of people would not be profitably engaged is because they are looking for who to hire them. The truth is, you need to hire yourself before others can hire you. You need to be productively engaged with the business of life and destiny if you hope to get opportunities out there.

Work has been designed by God to help us release our potentials. When you are not working or are underworking, you would be frustrating the greatness that has been put inside you by God. When some people read the story of Isaac in Genesis 26, they are quick to celebrate the fact that he was increasingly prosperous (Genesis 26:12-14). What they fail to realize is that Isaac planted crops.

“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him” (Genesis 26:12). This scripture should not just be used to receive offerings and financial seeds in Church. It should rather be used to encourage people to labour. Agriculture was the work in those days; Isaac worked. He defied the oppositions and recession of his day; he manifested the blessing by working.

Your life would be filled to the extent of your labour (Proverbs 24:30-34). Whoever does not work must not eat (Ephesians 4:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:10). A young lady in our Church moved from being a volunteer in an NGO to becoming the State Coordinator of the NGO. Rather than waiting to be hired, hire yourself. Volunteer somewhere. Add value. Be productively engaged. Your next opportunity must meet you working (Ruth 2:1-5, Amos 7:14-15, Matthew 4:21).

© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria