Becoming

James 1:^2-4 “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work…” (MSG)

We will kick off today’s devotional with our major thought from yesterday which is that with heaven, success is about WHO you are becoming and not about WHAT you do. Some time ago, my brother and I were playing golf and we are very competitive in my family, so every game is like the Olympics or champions league finals. We were both keeping an eye on the scores. Then at hole seventeen, my brother hit his ball into the rough while mine was on the fairway. So, we went looking for his ball, we searched and searched but we did not find the ball. At the point where he was almost giving up and taking a penalty drop, I saw his ball.

I must confess I wanted to use my feet to bury the ball, but I did not. Do not think of me as a bad person, it was just how I was feeling at that time. It is not who I am. I also considered walking away from the ball, after all, he is responsible for his ball, not me. But I struggled with those thoughts and feelings. And at the point where he was going to take a penalty drop, I said, ‘Your ball is here.’ He was happy but I was not too happy because I felt that I would have gotten an advantage. And because I showed him his ball, I went ahead and lost the match.

At that point, I said to God, ‘Should You not have rewarded me with a win because I was a good boy?’ And what I felt God was saying back to me was, ‘WHO you are becoming is more important than winning.’ What is the point of winning and becoming a monster? What is the point of winning and at the end of the day you would have cheated your brother? Or instead of using the opportunity to do good to your brother, you let it pass because you want to win. WHO you are becoming in the endeavours of life is more important than WHAT you are earning or WHAT you think success looks like. Success with God has to do with your character and not your career.

Most times we are struggling to get ahead in our careers, but God is saying success with Him has more to do with our character. Matthew 16:²⁶ “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (NKJV). God will look at your profit, the profit of your life, as an indication of the quality of your soul, not the balance of your bank account. WHY you do WHAT you do will influence HOW you do it. And HOW you do it will influence WHO you become. Beginning tomorrow, we will go into seven Biblical attitudes for work metamorphosis. If you want God’s blessing for your work, get ready!

Prayer: Father, I submit to this process of character and work metamorphosis, let who I become bring honour and praise to You consistently, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!