When Christ calls people, He calls them to live a productive, fruitful life. At the time they are called, they may be in a wretched condition, with little or no vision for their future. Sometimes they do not realize what talents they have. They may start out deeply in the world, even to the point of claiming there is no God.
As He (Christ) views the people living on the earth, He cares for each one as if s/he were the only person living. He takes special notice of those who are soft-hearted, who would likely listen and tremble at His word. He hopes to mould these people’s characters for His glory.
Jesus sends His spirit to all people, however, the soft-hearted ones often respond. The Holy Spirit convicts them of their unworthiness and shows them their need of a Saviour, creating in them a longing for something better. He lets them know what they are capable of becoming when they invite Him into their hearts. Drawn by His precious love, many accept the call and come to Him. He then gives them joy, peace and direction in their lives.
There are many examples in history that show how God can take someone from a very sinful estate and transform them into great men for His glory.
Let us think about the apostle Paul. He was actively causing Christians to be tortured and put to death until he was visited by the King of Heaven who called him. Paul accepted the call and was transformed into a saint. What great, unfathomable love Jesus showed him!
“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” Acts 9:4–6
From the moment Paul met Jesus on the Damascus road, he attained a deeper experience, and ended up accomplishing great things for the Lord. Paul then submitted to the moulding of the Lord and became a successful worker for Him. His question: “what wilt Thou have me do?” (verse 6) was asked continuously throughout his life. He sought guidance from the Lord at each step of his life and he grew stronger, developing into a giant in the cause of God.
Life in Christ is not stagnant, dry, and fruitless. A true Christian life is characterized by growth and a peaceful and joyful life, with a dignified bearing, and having a strong missionary zeal. They have a strong passion to work for the salvation of others, as well as bringing relief to the suffering and needy.
Regarding, “Developmental Religion,” when a new government assumes power, people expect a significant transformation of the country’s appearance. Especially in developing countries, the signs of development could be new road infrastructure, schools, colleges and universities, better hospitals, etc. If years pass and nothing is happening, that government is seen to have failed.
Likewise, within the church, as soon as new a leader takes over the leadership of the church, on any level, immediately there are expectations that the church will be revived and transformed. New projects are expected to be started by harnessing the current available resources, and employing them for better use. The hope is that life and growth will be seen everywhere.
Developmental Religion is that kind of religion which brings about growth and a meaningful transformation in all areas that make up a person: spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It is very important to take care of all three of these. As a person seeks to continuously improve, with the help of the Lord, it will clearly be seen in all three areas in the person’s life.
In most lessons and sermons, emphasis is often given to the first two (spirit and soul); the last is spoken of mostly in terms of health only. The reality is that they all work hand in hand and influence each other. You visit a brother, and then five years later you visit him again. If you find him in the same condition or having gone backwards he will have not grown, but backslidden. It is the same with a church. If you visit a church once and then again five years later, you would hope to have seen growth. If you find it in the same condition, or having deteriorated, then the problem is there was no developmental religion. Things are at a standstill.
As a church, we sometimes hear that the church members in a certain place are very poor and need our help. The cause of poverty in some cases is a poverty mind-set. Some believe and often teach that poverty is part of spirituality (or helps us to be spiritual), by making us humble. When these thoughts are entrenched in the mind, the result is perpetual poverty with the person having no desire to grow and improve their situation or provide for their own needs. They expect handouts from the rich. The truth is that faithful people are promised blessings. (Deuteronomy 28). This does not necessarily mean a person will be extremely wealthy, but God will provide for their needs as they diligently work and use their talents for His honour and glory.
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and He shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Deuteronomy 28:1–8
It is interesting to note that almost every passage which talks about spiritual advancement also includes physical advancement.
No one is too poor to make a success in life unless they believe they are helpless, and thus make no effort to advance. They accept life as it is and remain in that condition. There is much that can be improved in the physical world if we never harboured any thought that we cannot advance. To some just mentioning the word “rich” is unacceptable and must not be mentioned in context with true Christianity. Some believe that the rich cannot be saved and thus they are afraid to take any step that may bring them out of poverty, even if by honest methods. In most cases, a person with a poor mind-set, will not have an understanding of how resources can be gathered to make advancements in life. In such cases they judge rich people as being bad. It is true that riches without Christ will results in loss of eternal life. Jesus, spoke a parable about a rich man (Luke 12:16–20) and concluded by saying, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, but not rich toward God.” (verse 21). However, to be poor, refusing to use the available resources to improve one’s life is equally poor in God’s sight.
Some people misinterpret Bible verses making incorrect conclusions. For example: when Christ said, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself,” (Matthew 6:34) He did not substitute work for mere trusting. The problem is not in doing work. The problem is the “worry.” If the mind gets so obsessed with what a person is lacking, then it becomes sin. In the fourth Commandment, the part most seen as a command is that of not working on the Seventh day, but the part before commands us to work for six days. (Exodus 20:9). This part is often ignored, however the truth is that God is commanding us to work.
When Christ says: “God cares for the birds, so He will care for you,” He does not say, do no work. For even the
birds wake up early to seek out food and come back in the evening to roost. So, these verses are not an excuse for us not to work. The truth is that all these things shall be added unto us, if we seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first (Matthew 6:33).
When the mind is poor, the result an inability to improve one’s situation whether spiritually or physically. “The destruction of the poor is in their poverty.” Proverbs 10:15. The first step, therefore, is to begin to use available resources to free one’s self from spiritual and physical poverty. Everyone has room for improvement. Even the rich can have a poor mindset if they are not growing. There is a lack of willingness to advance, reaching for higher goals.
You must believe that you can be rich in Christ, spiritually, emotionally and mentally, and if He so desires, you can be rich physically also. However, having physical wealth may not necessarily result from your hard work if the Lord sees that your poverty will bring you salvation. Jesus said, “For ye have the poor always with you.” Matthew 26:11. Whether rich or poor, you can rise and do something to provide for yourself and family. All can have self-worth with good honest labour. It is no sin to be rich, and it is not a lack of faith if you are poor. John the Baptist said, “be content with your wages.” Luke 3:14. The Apostle Paul said, “for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11. He was poor in the eyes of the world. He had no home, no family, no material wealth. But he worked hard to advance the cause of God, and he was content. Thus he was spiritually very rich.
In the Spirit of Prophecy we can read how the rich are to help the “worthy poor” (The Acts of the Apostles p. 296). These worthy poor are hard workers. Those that are not worthy poor, are in physical poverty and have no mindset to improve their state. They expect the rich to give them handouts.
For some Christians, God sees no risk in giving them physical blessings: children, a good home, and other possessions. Job was a very wealthy man (Job 1:1–3), yet he was not more acceptable in the eyes of God than was the Apostle Paul who had nothing in this world.
When Peter asked what they will have, having left everything, Jesus said, “But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” Mark 10:30
In order to be successful in every aspect of life, both spiritually and physically, you must identify your skills and talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and employ them to work. God gives wisdom to do well if you pray in faith. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5
After praying such a prayer, assess your resources and talents and see what you can do to grow in grace and improve your situation if possible. After time, you will notice a change. There will be an improvement in your character and in your surroundings as you work productively. Set the standard high.
Some are unable to visualize how they can improve. The use the excuse that “I have nowhere to start from”. Or “I have too little to make a change.” “I do not have a talent to do that work.” What did Jesus do using the little food that was available? He fed over five thousand people (Matthew 14:17–20).
Set high goals within a certain time frame. Set some yearly goals, monthly goals, weekly goals, and daily goals. One day at a time be faithful in your work and God will bless you and help you reach your long-term goals and prepare your character for heaven.
Remember to be disciplined. Do what you plan to do no matter what circumstances arise. Some set goals, but give up easily when circumstances prove not to be as favourable as they expected. Do not engage in anything that will destroy your life. When wealth-seeking conflicts with the law of God remember that you cannot serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). In the end, the result will be eternal death.
Everyone can do something. We have seen videos of disabled people, who could easily provide a good reason as to why they have nothing, and can do nothing to improve their situation. They could acceptably rely on alms and people would give to them, feeling pity for them. However, many of these people are seen to be engaged in something useful, like a profitable business, and are able to support themselves and the church. For example, a man with no hands and legs, who could be justified in living by just asking for alms can work to perfect the art of speech making, and then ask his bearers to put him on stage and deliver a motivational talk and then people pay some money, not merely out of sympathy, but to pay for the value he has provided.
In many cases people are just afraid of the unknown. They are afraid to step out and reach higher. “The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.” Proverbs 26:13. In their own minds, by slothfulness, they say they cannot step out because of the lions in the streets. Each one can identify his lion and get rid of it—something which makes one fear of something that, in reality, is not even there.
For some people, the problem is not that they do not work; the problem is that they work while having a poor mind-set. They work slothfully, slowly, with no purpose or desire to improve their situation. Thus there is not much progress in their lives. This can be true both physically and spiritually. Thus they are dormant.
As the Lord blesses your work, do not forget to be very faithful with tithes and offerings. By being very exact in tithe paying, and being liberal in offerings, you will receive the blessings that God has promised to you (Malachi 3:8–12). Some people are very stingy when giving offerings on the Sabbath, during Sabbath school and the divine service. They may have a pocket full of larger denominations but they pick out the smallest and this they give as an offering. This is sad. This is a poverty mind-set. They give the Lord a mere pittance. May God help us not to be of this class.
Each member should actively be giving to support the work of God, whether it be funding missionary trips, or producing tracts and banners. They must also take time to meet people in person face to face and share the gospel. However, their missionary work may be the important task of cleaning the church or taking care of the property. With this mind-set in each member, our churches would not struggle spiritually and the work of God would be finished sooner.
It is encouraging to hear how the organization has built a Missionary school in Kibaha, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and is working together with the General Conference. Also, the purchasing of Norman College as a new place for the American Union headquarters. And, that a union has built a school with its own resources in Malawi. These projects will be of benefit in the immediate future, and in the long term.
Some hold the view that since Christ is coming soon, such projects are a waste of time and money. It is true that our Lord is coming soon and that we must not be absorbed in earthly pursuits, but these projects mentioned are worthy projects for the furtherance of the gospel—developmental religion, growth.
Just think, if around the year 1993 people had the same mindset, now in 2022, 29 years later we could have benefitted from the long-term vision if it had been acted upon.
If you have a farm, plant more fruits. Do not plant just two or three trees, but a large farm. Perfect the farming practice and supply vegetables and fruits to supermarkets for sale to support yourself and the cause of God.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1–3
As you read every verse in the Bible, ponder carefully how this verse can help you advance in all three areas of your life (spirit, soul, and body).
With all that said, let us end with the words of our Lord, “And He called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” Luke 19:13. Amen.
Joel Msiska, Malawi