02 - Feb

One way or another, every sermon should push in the direction of revealing the majesty of God, the loveliness of Christ, and the state of man’s heart.

In our text, He offered the promise to those who follow Him; that they would be where He is. Jesus knew where He was going —to the right hand of the Father. Jesus is the Captain of our salvation; following Him poses no risk at all.

God’s word is God’s will and ways. The more we search it, the more enlightened we become in divine path. If we fail at searching the word, we will surely fail at walking closely with the Lord. We are to lay aside every distraction that tends to shift our focus from the word of life.

Whatever vision we hold today might just be the tip of the iceberg. God may have something much bigger for the future. Openness and flexibility must therefore be the watchword.

When called to labour for the Lord, we may not be in a position to fully determine the outcome. The labour is ours; the reach and the impact are the Lord’s. If we do our bit faithfully, God knows where and how to apply our labour for maximum benefit of mankind.

It is impossible to achieve lasting impact in a jiffy. It is also impossible to achieve that without any risk. What often obtains is that the more noble a cause is the more risk one has to contend with before it is actualized.

In the past three meditations, we have learned from the life of William Wilberforce that making a mark requires passion, platform, and partnering with others. The next thing to add is perseverance. Without a dogged determination to go on in the face of all odds, the best of causes will be doomed to failure.

We have been focusing on essential factors for making a mark and living a life of significance. We have already identified passion and platform. What comes on the heels of those two is partnership. Partnership is indeed necessary for making significant marks in life.

After becoming certain of your passion or purpose, seek out a platform for expression. Sometimes, you may have to use an existing platform; and at some other times, you may have to create a new one altogether. If you are fortunate enough to find an existing platform for expression, take good heed of it because it is not easy to create one.

Making a mark begins with having a consuming passion. Another word for this is a consuming purpose. Until one has identified what to do, there is no chance of living a life of significance. Identifying a passionate cause will save you from distractions. It will help you conserve energy and channel resources to what matters.