Today we continue our series entitled, “Pursuing Grace-Based Success!”
Here are our foundational scriptures:
(Ephesians 2:8-10 ERV)
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.
9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.
10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.
(1 Corinthians 1:30,31 NLT)
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.
31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
(2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV)
Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
For the last few days we have also been looking at this verse:
(3 John 2, AMP)
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.”
A few days ago, we started to walk through the passage I provided for you from Ecclesiastes 5. Let’s go back to it this morning. King Solomon, a man who had access to both divine wealth and divine wisdom, said this about wealth, health and life:
“Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NLT).
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. God’s answer to poverty is the Word, not money.
Today’s message is about “Enjoying your lot in life.” I was led to add this portion because it is hard to enjoy life when you are struggling to make ends meet. In my book, “Level Up Your Life,” I say the following about God’s answer to poverty:
“The real answer to poverty is NOT money. The answer to poverty is the Word of God. It is developing a prosperous soul!
In Luke 7, John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, found himself in jail, and he was upset that Jesus was not coming to get him. He sent his disciples to go and ask His cousin this question: “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” This is obviously a question birthed out of frustration because John knew who Jesus was. But let’s look at Jesus’ response. Jesus said, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” Did you see it? Look again.
Jesus always ministered the answers to life’s problems. What did Jesus minister to the blind? The ability to see.
What did Jesus minister to the lame? The ability to walk.
What did Jesus minister to lepers? Clean skin.
What did Jesus minister to the deaf? The ability to hear.
What did Jesus minister to the dead? Resurrection/life.
Lastly, what did Jesus minister to the poor? Your first response is probably to think it was money. But Jesus never gave the poor money. He ministered to their needs, but He did not give them money. Jesus gave them the WORD! He said, “The Good News is being preached to the poor,” not money!
You can give a poor person money or meet their immediate need, but if you don’t change their heart and mind, they will need the same hand out the next day. Jesus’ answer to poverty is the Word. If we can get the Word down inside a person, then they will find their divine purpose and their purpose will lead them out of poverty.”
If you don’t have a copy of the book,, you can get it at https://rickpina.co/.
2. When your work aligns with your purpose, you sincerely ENJOY it.
— Many people don’t like their work because they are working on things that don’t align with their divine purpose.
— If you are called to do one thing, but you spend most of your time (40+ hours a week) doing something else, then it is hard to find a sense of purpose in what you are doing. As a result, you will feel like you are wasting your life away while you work.
— If you pursue a job or career for money and not because of your purpose, you may make lots of money, but you will be miserable in the process.
— A 2013 Gallup Poll said 70% of Americans hate their jobs. Why? Because they are not working in accordance with their purpose.
— When your work aligns with your purpose, you get a sense of fulfillment that makes you WANT to go to work.
— Remember, work is of God. You may retire from a job, but you will never retire from your “work.” God sent you to this planet for a purpose, and because of it, you have work to do. Now, if what you do to create income aligns with what God sent you to this planet to do, then you will be in a better position to ENJOY life as you attempt to fulfill your purpose.
— When your work aligns with your purpose, you feel amazed that someone is paying you to do what you love. Said another way, when you find your divine purpose and connect with employment or a business that aligns with it, your labor will become a labor of love.
3. When you accept your lot in life, you free yourself from endless comparisons that lead to frustration.
— If the grass looks greener on the other side from the side you are currently on, it will also look greener on the other side when you switch sides. The problem is not with the grass; it’s with the lens.
— True success and happiness are treasures that are unlocked when you stop attempting to be someone else and you embrace the person you were born to be.
— When you find your divine purpose (your lot in life) and accept it, you are then positioned to tap into the grace of God to be the person He destined, designed, and [currently] desires you to be.
— God only gives you grace for your race. Other people have their own race with their own grace.
— Since you only have the grace to run your race, if you get “caught up” in the lives of others and you begin to covet what God is doing in their lives, all you are doing is setting yourself up for frustration. Because frustration sets in when you attempt to “make a demand” on God (in prayer or otherwise) for things that are NOT YOURS!
— Everything you need to accomplish your divine assignment is already stored up for you. God prepared for your arrival on this planet, and He is now attempting to prepare you for what He prepared FOR you. However, when you pursue the wrong things, you will need things that God did NOT store up for you, and you will get frustrated when you see Him do it for others. The problem is not with God. The problem is with you. The reason why God did it for others is because it is part of THEIR race. God won’t do it for you becuase it is NOT part of YOURS!
— Stop comparing yourself to other people because you only have the grace to be YOU! Now, when you are at peace with yourself and your assignment, you are so FREE that you will genuinely celebrate the diversity of giftings and callings without jealousy.
*** It’s hard to ENJOY your lot in life when you are focused on the lives of others.
4. Life is lived as a gift when you accept your lot in life and enjoy your work.
— When you discover Jesus, you are in a position to discover your true yourself.
— When you find yourself, you can find your purpose.
— When you find your purpose, you will find your peace.
— Knowing who you are frees you from wasting valuable time, energy, and effort trying to be someone else.
— Knowing what you were born to do frees you from wasting valuable time, energy, and effort working at the wrong thing.
— Being “successful” at something you are not supposed to be doing is actually not success.
— When you know who you are and love what you do, you enjoy every day as a true gift from God. That is my testimony.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me about grace-based success.
I declare that Your Word is my testimony. You said, “To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.” That’s a picture of me!
I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I have found my true self in Him. I know who I am because I know my divine purpose. I accept my divine assignment.
I don’t waste time attempting to be someone else. I don’t waste effort pursuing money by doing things that don’t align with my purpose.
I align my perspective of myself and the effort of my work with my divine purpose. This keeps me happy and productive. I get to do what I love, and I sincerely enjoy it!
Since I am doing what You birthed me to do, You open doors for me that no man can close and close doors for me that no man can open. Since I live to fulfill Your Kingdom plans and purposes for my life, I get to live my life as a gift!
I enjoy every day. I am at peace with who I am and who I am not. I am at peace with what I am called to do and what I am not called to do. I embrace Your grace to run my race, and I enjoy every step of the way. I enter this day happy, content, excited, and thankful. GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
