Scriptures: Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 5:13-16, Genesis 2:15; 19-25.
When the purpose of a thing is not defined, it cannot be refined, and it will definitely be misused and abused.
The primary purpose of God creating man on earth is to deputize for Him on earth. From the Scriptures cited earlier on, you must have noticed that we were crafted and manufactured in Christ Jesus to do good works. Work was involved in your creation and recreation. You were created to do good works.
Be ye holy for I am holy does not necessarily mean being without sin. It means hating what God hates and loving what God loves. It is as simple as that.
Therefore, good works are determined by Jehovah’s standards. Good works must be such that men will glorify God because of you. Man was created for ambassadorial responsibility. We are representatives of God on earth. When men look for God, if they see us, they should be satisfied.
God is the owner and creator of the earth, and He created us in His image and likeness to be the chief operating officer of the earth. God functions by working. He created the earth through work and derived pleasure from His work. Those who excel in life derive pleasure from their efforts and the results of their efforts.
We are created to work. Everything He created in us are designed to work and for work. Our brains started to function even before we were born. Our ears started to function even before we were born. Our hearts started to beat even when we were still in the womb and will continue until we die, at an average of 60 to 70 beats per minute. Imagine the work and the volume of blood pumped round your body every hour for 24 hours × 30 days × 12 months × 90 years. Our lungs start to function immediately we are born and will continue till we die. One of the reflexes of a new born child is the grasping reflex. The baby is able to hold the index finger of an adult between her thumb and the index finger. The grip is so firm that you can sometimes lift the child up with that grip. Our muscles, bones, tendons and nerves are designed for work and to work. Our intestines work while we are asleep.
The failure of any part of our body to function properly is called disease or illness. When different units of a society fail to work properly, as expected, the society becomes a sick society. Sick societies are products of a multiplicity of people and agencies that fail to function properly.
A crazy society is the culmination of leadership failure and followership responsibility. The irony is that when irresponsibility becomes very prevalent, it becomes a new normal. Filth, noise, fraud, exam malpractice, electoral fraud, and several other vices have become a new normal for our youths. Dysfunctional societies are more as a result of sequential leadership failures and indecision.
Dignity of labour is no longer a cliché in Nigeria. A good name is better than riches is now seen as if one is lazy or not ambitious. Love your neighbour as yourself has been deleted from most of our messages.
The miraculous works of God are to restore functionality and not an end in themselves. Most people who received miracles in the Bible through the ministry of Jesus never amounted to anything significant because there was no functionality associated with the rest of their lives.
The sun, moon, seas, and stars carry out their functions regularly. They work to sustain us and God’s creations.
God works efficiently; if we are created in His image and likeness, we must work effectively. His word states clearly, “he who does not work should not eat”. If you don’t eat, you will die; by implication, if you are non-functional, you are as good as dead. Non-functional engine parts are usually discarded. Functionality confers relevance, recognition, and patronage. What you did not sweat for does not really belong to you. Your sweat is from your blood and your blood is your life. The functionality of any system or society involves every component contributing its own quota of good works. When you fail to work, you are a disease to or parasitic on the society (like a cancerous infection).
Nations that fail to function properly eventually become extinct or collapse. The Soviet Union failed to function and so it collapsed. Former Yugoslavia failed to meet generational expectations after the death of Josip Broz Tito; it collapsed. Nations don’t become failed states suddenly; it starts gradually until a tipping point is reached.
A business does not go bankrupt suddenly. It starts with small deeds that fail to meet generational expectations over a period of time. It involves small amounts lost per transactions and small delays in attending to customers.
Functional airplanes and airlines fascinate me. Airline operations and airports that are very functional work with precision.
Functional societies pray less than dysfunctional societies, but they practice drills to ensure that people will perfect their roles.
There was a drill by the UK government on January 7th, this year, on the possibility of a no-Brexit situation to assess traffic control between them and the Irish border. Nigerian Christians would have set up a prayer convocation for Brexit.
God will not illuminate Nigeria with electricity; it was Thomas Edison and Tesla that worked the solutions to providing illumination to the United States of America.
We were not created to pray. Prayer enable us to function (work) better, it’s not an alternative to responsibility. We were not primarily created to sing, but our good deeds should make others praise God.
Someone rightly said that God gave us heads to reason so that we don’t give Him headaches.
This morning, Tuesday, January 8th, 2019, I saw young men and women trouping to a church to pray. I saw another group of church folks in a convoy of vehicles causing traffic gridlock because they were doing a rally for a program. Most of our Christian folks have been in one church program or the other since mid-December and will cascade into early February. You will hardly see the rich (and productive) in such programs. Those that control the economy and their lives were busy with making sure the system works for them. The political class were busy campaigning for elections and re-elections. Yet, some others were on vacation so that they can be refreshed to function better.
The Bible says, “They praise me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”. Why did Jacob work for an extra 7 years to marry Rachael? That was where his heart was. Love triggers responsibility and functionality. Your heart is your seat of interest; interest generates passion, and passion makes work interesting.
Imagine you have children who sing your praises daily, place demands on you as a parent, and they refuse to work or grow the family business or take care of your affairs. Won’t you be irritated? That’s how some of us are as Christians.
Life is about functionality and results. “Let your light so shine that men may see your good works”, means you should be so excellent, exceptional, illuminating, and attention-arresting to deserve acclaim.
The whole creation is earnestly tiptoeing to see those who function like God—His replicas or sons or daughters. As said in one of my posts on Losing Your Saltiness, when you fail to spice lives, you will be despised, discarded, and deleted.
You must strive to let your works be so valued and appreciated. Since I learnt this, my life improved dramatically. I strive for improvement on my person and my work. Every message I preached took so much effort from me, but each effort creates more space and opportunities for me to function. In fact, productivity and functionality attracts more grace from God and blessings.
Many Christians think that creating visibility is wrong. It is only your works of giving alms that must done discreetly. Don’t deliberately under-price or represent yourself.
A young man was, late in 2018, introduced as an apostle in a church. He testified about how he prayed and some people died (perceived enemies of his prayer clients). He said someone introduced him as the man who prays against household wickedness; I could see the pride in him. He did not know he was being introduced as a murderer, an assassin, a killer, and an evil man. Looking at him, he is a very unproductive young man that is struggling to derive relevance amongst ignorant, fearful, and superstitious church folks. Even if all their enemies are killed and they remain unproductive, they will remain underdeveloped.
The Nigerian church, like most African Negroid churches, have become an assassin-church without development. The pursuit of productivity and purpose attracts enemies, but God prepares a table in the presence of your enemies. The enemies stand first before the table is prepared; if there are no enemies, the recipe is incomplete.
In the next post, we’ll look at God Visits You In Your Workplace.
God Bless You.
Great words sir
Thanks, Akpesiri. I’m glad you were blessed