Someone once said that “no one would have remembered the Good Samaritan if he had no money”. He made history because he had the resources to carry out his good intentions.
As Christians, our responsibility is enormous and we require matching resources to actualize them. The bible puts it this way “….that you always having ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS MAY ABOUND TO EVERY GOOD WORK” The Greek translated abound means super abound, superfluous and having enough and to spare. Beloved we have been prepared for good works and we require all sufficiency in all things to meet this responsibility. Therefore it is laid on us by necessity to “work out” resources to carry out our responsibility.
This is not the time to plan small or be financially passive. Look all around and see the poor, hear their cry and feel their pains. They require just a little to live a better life. YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE JUST ENOUGH. You require all sufficiency in all things. It is our responsibility to desire and work out the resources to meet our responsibility. Refuse to plan for your self alone. Go higher than your household. Men are waiting for us, they depend on us, destinies are tied to us. Friends I tell you, many will listen more attentively to our gospel if the pains of hunger subside and will listen longer if they are fed again. That’s why we must strive for all sufficiency. Rockefeller and others of matching minds generated resources to give them away.
Don’t let lack of resources make mockery of your ministry and the ministry. Jesus made divine provisions available to carry out his responsibility. He got a colt and multiplied bread and fishes. He fed men that came to hear him. Paul worked with his hands that he might burden no one and have resources to preach the gospel without cost. Job had a heart for the poor and resource to carry out his heart.
We have not done well if we celebrated the last festivities alone (you and your family). We have a mandate to remember the poor amongst us. Are you pained when you see a need and you can’t meet it? One child cries, another dies and another is amputated or loses vital education just because we lack resources to carry out our responsibility, to abound to every good work! If you feel guilty when you are moved in pity and can do nothing because you lack resources, you must give heed and change that. If it pains you to see whole generations perish and live in spiritual darkness because we lack resources to “send” missionaries you also must work out your all sufficiency.
And like brother James puts it “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstandingye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” we need resources to meet our responsibilities and our resources must flow in that direction.
Pay attention. The cry of my heart is that we all have all sufficient resources to meet the needs and responsibility divinely assigned to us.
– emmanuel aladenusi
When I was in the university and I got an excellent grade in a course, I was quick to say ‘Wow! Thank God the time I spent in the library was not a waste’. But when I got a poor grade, I concluded that my lecturer must have been in a bad mood when he was scoring my answers. I rarely want to be held responsible for my poor results. This attitude started some millenniums ago.
Yes! Adam showed us the way. When he ate the forbidden fruit and God questioned him, he lamented “the woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it”. As far as he was concerned, God was the initiator and his woman was the executor of the reason for his disobedience.
The same is true today. Weak minds are saying the reason why I don’t get results is because dad, uncle, boss, school, environment, opportunity, friends, spouse, etc. did not cooperate with me. Conversely, great minds have been distinguished over the years by their willingness to take charge of their lives and accept responsibility for whatever happened to them.
Most times when I have a chat with the poor, losers, bankrupt or failures, it does not take five minutes to hear them echo the names of people/events responsible for their state, though it may be the result of their actions. Maybe that is why they are where they are.
I admire the attitude of Joshua which affirms – “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. This accepts responsibilities, even when a mistake is made. Men with this attitude later find themselves in their promise land.
tope aladenusi