So, you nullify the [authority of the] word of God [acting as if it did not apply] because of your tradition which you have handed down [through the elders]. And you do many things such as that.” Mark 7:13
While studying in preparation for a bible study session, I was taught a very important lesson on why many believers, in this case, believers from my country do not receive and fulfill God’s vision. I’m Nigerian and proudly so, I love my country, I love being Nigerian regardless of the challenges we face. I also believe that as Nigerians we have been given a rich spiritual heritage and are honored to play a part in what God is doing on earth today. While we are grateful for how far we’ve come, we also recognize that there’s still much room for growth. Today I’d like to expose another opportunity for growth for believers who are Nigerian or who have similar backgrounds.
As a Nigerian, you grow up knowing that you are expected to pursue certain professional career paths, you should either be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc. While this doesn’t apply to everyone, generally speaking, certain careers were held in high esteem and the expectation for most was that you make your choice from one of these options. This expectation stemmed from the desire of parents to see their children thrive and have some measure of financial stability as adults. Because most parents desired financial security for their children, the choices for what to study and where to work were primarily driven by profit not necessarily by God.
The drive for profit or gain has become so ingrained in our culture that it has become a driving force in our lives. We see it in the business world, once one person succeeds or seems to find success in a particular business venture, it does not take long before that business niche is flooded with many more people in pursuit of profit. The pursuit for profits has become a cultural programming, embedded in the subconscious of many.
The challenge is that even when we become believers, we still have and operate with this mindset because becoming saved does not automatically change your mindset. Based on observation many believers from my cultural background make choices driven by profit, not God. The understanding that God wants us to prosper makes it challenging to identify the tradition of pursuing profit because so many just assume that if it is God’s will for me to prosper then choosing paths with proven financial results must be aligned to His will.
While it may not be a sin to make choices based on the evident financial gain, as believers we are called to live by a higher standard. The Bible calls us God’s workmanship, this means when God desires to birth His purposes on earth, we become his hands and feet, we become channels via which He births His purposes on the earth. When God wanted an ark built, Noah had to be able to receive and execute that vision from God. When God desired a nation, a people for Himself, Abraham had to partner with God to bring that to pass.
As believers, it is therefore important that at the core of our choices and decisions is a desire to receive and execute the will of our Father. If we do not undo the cultural programming to chase profit, we will always miss out on God’s plans and vision for our lives because most times God’s way does not look profitable to the natural eyes. We will forfeit and miss out on the great plans God has for us if we continue to make choices based on profit or gain. We will miss out on the opportunity to birth God’s purposes on earth if we continue to only choose paths with proven financial gain.
Yes, God wants us to prosper but He wants us to attain prosperity through the path He has prepared for us, and that pathway will always require faith. For without faith, it is impossible to please Him. Everyone is not designed to prosper via the same path, that’s why chasing profit and just going according to what’s working is a hindrance to God’s will.
There are new ideas God wants to be executed on earth. He has a massive store of thoughts and plans for us that have never entered into our hearts and He’s seeking men and women who would give up on their agenda and take on His plans; bringing new inventions, new solutions, and more to the earth. If we keep making decisions just based on what we see and know in the natural, we shortchange ourselves. What eyes have not seen, what ears have not heard, that’s what God has in store for us. It’s time to let go of just the natural and press into Him to discover new paths and ideas that will bless humanity and advance God’s kingdom on earth.
It’s not easy to admit that one’s life has been driven mainly by profit and not God especially when you are a praying believer. But true change and alignment can only come when we become honest and understand what drives us. There is so much God wants to accomplish through our lives, and it is my prayer that God will grant us grace to align with His plans and purposes. May God truly become the driving force behind every one of our decisions not profit.
Love Always
Obebi
