This Race Called Life.

This Race Called Life.

Born into a life full of peace, tranquility, and serenity; and being raised by loving parents in an atmosphere characterized by tender love, warmth, and care; there are many things we have come to know life to be, experientially.  As much as we have been made to believe that life is not a bed of roses; and experiences have amplified that lesson in no small way; there are certain facts about life we need to pay apt attention to.

Life is a race as well as a battle, but we need three factors to finish well. Bread, wealth, and favor.

The wisest man that ever lived once left us a clue, and wisdom demands that we take a cue from it. I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong, and neither is bread to the wise nor riches to those of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of ability, but time and chance overtake them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11 AMP.

Many things were highlighted in this narrative, but in this piece, I will focus on a few. I hope to discuss more with others in subsequent editions.  The narrative in that verse highlights three kinds of people and three prerequisites each category needs to finish well in their respective categories.

The three classifications of people in that verse were; men of wisdom, men of intelligence, and finally, men of ability. Let's dig this a little.  Follow me as closely as you can get.

1. Wisdom:

There are many things scriptures tell us about wisdom. In Ecclesiastes 7:12, Solomon said wisdom and money were a defense.  This goes to say, if you have either, you are guaranteed some measure of safety, however, wisdom and money provide varying kinds of defense from different kinds of foes.  Just thought to balance that, immediately. Job told us in Job 11:6 that wisdom has secrets. Job 33:33 and Psalm 111:10 show us that wisdom can be taught.  Proverbs 1:2-3 tells us that wisdom can be known and its instructions can be received. Proverbs 2:6-7 reveals to us that wisdom can be given, and sound wisdom can be layed up. In Proverbs 3:13 we see that wisdom can be found, and vs 19 tells us that wisdom was the brain behind the creation of the earth. Proverbs 4:7 assures us that wisdom is the principal thing and that it can be gotten. Proverbs 4:11 tells us that wisdom has away. Just to mention a few.

As beautiful and sophisticated as the bounties, this gem called wisdom has, it has the potential of giving a reward which is the basic need of man - Bread.  In my post on wants vs needs, I explained the basic needs of man and their spiritual implications, as well as God's provisions to meet those needs.  The bread was the first temptation the first and second Adam faced, while the former fell for it, the latter saw through the schemes and scaled the pitfall.  The issue of food has been, still is, and would always remain a primary need, both physically and spiritually.  A man can do without wearing good clothes, he may even be living in a rented apartment and still live a comfortable life.  But eating an unbalanced diet will eventually deteriorate the health, which will affect the body negatively and could shorten the lifespan of the man.  This explains why bread(food) is a matter deserving of urgent attention.  It is in meeting this need for bread in the church, that we have ended up with all manner and sorts of adulteration in the body of Christ.  Many heresy and false teachings rode on the wings of the ignorance, unguided appetite, and voracious hunger that was eating into the core of the church's fabric.  This has eroded a lot of Christian values and it seems as though the labors of our hero's past are now in vain.

However, the wisest man gives us an escape route from this quagmire - wisdom. He said in his narrative, that he returned and saw that bread belongs to the wise.  This means that to access Bread, your primary focus should be on locating wisdom and not bread.  When you have wisdom, the bread will come. Remember, wisdom instructs, so it can teach you how to combine factors to produce bread. The wisdom that sponsored the creation of this earth, whose beauty we can't find sufficient adjectives to describe, can guide you on how to bring bread out of every chaos. Wisdom has secrets. It can show you the way to the bakery, where you can have an abundant supply of bread. Ecclesiastes 10:15 AMP says "The labor of a fool so wearies him [because he is ignorant] that he does not even know how to go to a city". Wisdom can, like a compass, help you navigate your way through the maze of life, avoid all the pitfalls, and save you the time and energy your ignorance would have cost you.

Moses warned the children of Israel in Exodus 13:3,7 not to eat leavened bread. Leaven is a substance, typically yeast, that is used in dough to make whatever it is applied, rise. It is a pervasive influence that modifies something or transforms it for the better. Pervasive is an unwelcome influence or physical effect spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people.

All these things we added to scripture to make it swell, are not of God. Wisdom inculcates in you the discernment to know which bread (doctrine) is leavened and which is unleavened. Deuteronomy 4:2AMP. "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I am commanding you".

The only bread we are permitted to eat is what comes from heaven. Exodus 16:4 AMP.  "Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will cause bread to rain from heaven for you; the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them [to determine] whether or not they will walk [obediently] in My instruction (law)".  The Holy Spirit is the fountain of wisdom, and the Father displayed His benevolence unashamedly in James 1:5 AMP when He said, "If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him". So, that wisdom to get wealth is and can only be found in God. 

So, rather than complaining about the scarcity of bread and trying to outsource it from and through other means, pray the prayer Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:11 AMP "Give us this day our daily bread".

Men of wisdom never lack bread. They know how to create, multiply and replenish bread.

2. Intelligence:

Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.  To be intelligent means you have or show the ability to easily learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations.  And if riches is the reward for intelligence and understanding, we can deduce two hypotheses from this.

1. That your wealth (riches) is a derivative of your intelligence quotient.

2. Your wealth is directly proportional to your intelligence. That is, as your intelligence increases, your wealth increases as well and vice versa.

Many people were born with exceptional intelligence, this came naturally; while others were nurtured by way of training.  By default, everybody is intelligent, this is why you can differentiate between right and wrong.  This intelligence accounts for your intuitions which govern your day-to-day activities, choices, and preferences. However, basic levels of intelligence (which everyone possesses by default) are not sufficient to achieve the required level of results we would want to boast of.  It is this sophistication in results that prompts our acquisition of higher levels of intellectual enhancement. 

Every man can walk up to a woman, propose to her, get her consent and marry her, but marrying God's will for your life needs a higher form of intelligence your basic human wisdom cannot afford.  Signing the dotted line of an offer letter is possible for everybody, but knowing which company will offer you a platform where you can have a conducive working environment five years from the date of employment, as well as a rewarding remuneration package, requires a superior level of intelligence your human mind cannot phantom in its natural state. Everybody knows how to buy and sell, that is basic enough for everybody to understand instinctively.  But taking a business decision; in the face of glaring economic realities that are ever-changing; you need something extra. That is why Isaiah 48:17 AMP, tells us "This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says, I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit (benefit), who leads you in the way that you should go".  

You can start that business in the strength of your intellectual prowess, backed up substantive years of quality experience, not to mention the legions of business mentors at your beck and call, but if God is not in that venture, there is a very high probability that you may not have sustainable profit from it.  On the flip side, you can start with nothing other than the voice of God; just as Abraham did in total obedience; and I can assure you that you will not just end up owning lands (assets) but your descendants (business empire) will inherit and subdue the earth.

Many times, we venture into endeavors with life implications without the leading of God.  Jesus in His parting address to the twelve made them a promise that He was going to send them a comforter, and part of the job descriptions of that Comforter was that He will guide them into all truth. Some truth is not the same as All truth.  Herein lies the explanation for the avoidable gaps in our successful experience.  Many of us are running ha half-truth such and we hope to arrive at the same destination as those running on the whole truth.  God is a meticulous creator and until things are done according to the pattern, results are not in view. 

You may be intelligent, but until your intelligence quotient is in alignment with His set standard, you can't profit from that intelligence. You may be married, but if that marriage is not by His eternal will, you may not profit from it.  You may be a businessman, but not until that business is done in line with His precepts, you cannot profit from it, His way.  You may be a pastor, doing ministry, with all forms of miracles and testimonies in your meetings, but if God's verdict is not in it, you may not profit from it.  That your career may be paying you now, but if it is not in tandem with God's plans for your life, it will not profit your eternal destiny.

When the bible said that Intelligence and understanding produce riches, it was not lying, neither was it proposing a fallacy.  Intelligence and understanding can truly bring riches.  The Holy Spirit can teach you the way to profit.  The Holy Spirit can teach you the way to have sustained profit.  The Holy Spirit can teach you the way to live a life that profits the Father.  The Holy Spirit can teach you the way to live a life that will profit you, yourself.  The Holy Spirit cannot just teach you, but lead you in the way that you should go.

It takes engaging the ministry of the Holy Spirit to walk in intelligence.  The Holy Spirit is the fountain of wisdom, and the Father displayed His benevolence unashamedly in James 1:5 AMP when He said "If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him". So, that wisdom to get wealth is and can only be found in God. 

3. Ability:

Ability is the possession of the means or skill to do something. When you talk about skill or ability, the factors that readily come to mind are your potentials, capability, capacity, talents, expertise, aptitude, etc. 

As with Intelligence, abilities are either natural or nurtured. 

Natural ability is those skill set you possess and can exhibit with little or no effort. They are innate to you. Examples of innate skills include; safety skills, numbering skills, language or communication skills, imagination skills, survival skills (hearing, smelling, touching, tasting, and seeing), amongst others.

Nurtured ability is one skill set you pick up along your life's journey.  As it turns out, we are born with very few, if any, natural talents and skills. Excellence is borne not of any particular innate ability, but practice. The secrets to becoming a man of great ability are finding something you love, doing it until you can become good, hopefully even great, at it. Never worry if you're not that good yet. This is what practice is for. Finally, share your gift in a way that helps other people. If you do this, you actually can get paid to do what you love.  In other words, you can be good at whatever you want.  

Nobody pays you for any idea(s) in your head or your imaginations.  You only get rewarded for what you can bring to the table by way of goods produced and services rendered.  Your skillset is what carves out your niche for you in any and every field of endeavor.  The more skilled you become, the more unique you get.  The more unique you get, the more irreplaceable you become. The more irreplaceable you become, the more indispensable you get.  This is the secret behind Solomon's admonition in Proverb 22:29 AMP. "Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honor] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men".

There is something your skillfulness and experience can do for you.  It can create your space for you in the hall of greatness.  Your level and quality of skill, determine your audience.  The more skillful you become, the more your audience changes positively and vice versa.  Rather than chase influential people, build your competence.  Rather than seek access to the great, hone on your skillset.  Rather than go around, lobbying your way into the corridors of the king, get busy refining your gifts. There are two constant factors in this equation, that are fail-proof and guaranteed to happen - Time and chance (opportunity), I will discuss this more in detail in the succeeding post of this series. 

What a hard thing it is to find a truly ingenious industrious man. "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? Thou wilt not see many such, so epidemical are dullness and slothfulness.

He is here commended who lays out himself to get business, though it is but in a very low and narrow sphere, and is not easy when he is out of business, who loves business, is quick and active in it, and goes through it, not only with constancy and resolution but with dexterity and expedition, a man of despatch, who knows how to bring a deal of business into a little compass.  A moral prognostication of the preferment of such a man; though now he stands before meaning men, is employed by them and attends upon them, yet he will rise and is likely enough to stand before kings, as an ambassador to foreign kings or prime-minister of state to his own. 

Have you seen a man diligent in the business of religion? He is likely to excel in virtue and shall stand before the King of kings. Have you seen a man diligent in the business of catering? He is likely to excel in virtue and shall feed kings.  Have you seen a man diligent in the business of fashion designing? He is likely to excel in virtue and shall dress kings.  Have you seen a man diligent in the business of training? He is likely to excel in virtue and shall teach kings.  Have you seen a man diligent in the business of administration? He is likely to excel in virtue and shall administer for kings.  Have you seen a man diligent in the business of music? He is likely to excel in virtue and shall play for kings.  Have you seen a man diligent in the business of dream interpretation? He is likely to excel in virtue and shall interpret the dreams of kings.  Diligence in business leads to preferment and honor.

I hope you can now trace how David got into Saul's palace. He was diligent in the act of music. What of Joseph? his ability to interpret the dream of Pharaoh earned him the second-highest seat and made him a god in the land of Egypt.  What brought Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar was his ability to make known to the king his dream and its interpretation.  This explains why God never calls slothful people.  Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress when the Angel appeared and sent him to deliver Israel. Elisha was plowing with the twelfth oxen when Elijah cast his mantle on him.  All of Jesus' disciples were either fishermen or tax collectors before they were drafted into ministry. Saul, a thorough and reliable military general was on his way to accomplishing an assignment when he was arrested. God never calls the idle.

There is an anointing for Favor, but there is also a dimension of Favor you can enter through diligence.  Your skillset can only be honed through diligence.  Your ability can only be enhanced through diligence.

In closing:

While we live in a cruel world, characterized by selfish and envious people, if we can labor to get these tripartite forces of wisdom, intelligence, and skills (ability), we are certain to be rewarded with bread, riches, and favor.

Grace and Mercy!!!

Amb. Emmanuel Etukudo

Kingdom Wealth Ambassador