1. MAINTAIN A HEART OF GRATITUDE
2 Chronicles 32:25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up …
God helped King Hezekiah mightily during his reign, yet he did not give God praise, worship, and honor in proportion to what the Lord had done for him. It is a sin, and it displeases the Father when we fail to show Him gratitude the way we ought to.
A heart that overflows with gratitude is the antidote to pride. When a person struggles with pride, it often means they have not perfected their praise. Failure to praise God as He deserves is like telling Him that He was not the only contributor to what He did for you—that you also played a significant role.
The Bible says:
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
We should not only praise God and give thanks when good things happen, but also when things seem unfavourable. Praising God in times of adversity means praising in advance—declaring that it will work out for good.
Romans 4:19–20
Abraham did not deny the fact that Sarah was past childbearing age, but he began to glorify God—through praise, worship, and thanksgiving—in the midst of what was impossible by human standards.
No wonder the Bible tells us in Isaiah 51:2 to look to Abraham and Sarah. Why? Because Abraham put on the garment of praise and glorified God when everything looked like it was over. People mocked him, but he defied nature and held firmly to God’s Word, knowing it could not fail.
There is always a reason to thank God, even when what we are believing Him for has not yet manifested. Gratitude is one of the keys that will keep you rising from one degree of glory to another. When it becomes your lifestyle and heart posture, your life can never remain stagnant. May the Holy Spirit help us to sustain a posture of gratitude all the days of our lives.
2. HONOR PEOPLE
Another path to continuous success is honouring people in our lives.
At one point, God asked the children of Israel: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?” Malachi 1:6
Do you honour people at your workplace, at home, in church, and in other areas of life? Many of us are clothed with the garment of dishonour and do not realise it. We fail to celebrate people, forgetting that God uses people to bless us, help us, and open doors for us. Do not be the kind of believer who looks down on others.
Luke 15:4–7
Jesus gave a parable of a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. When one got lost, he left the ninety-nine and went after the one—because to him, that one sheep had the same value as the ninety-nine.
In today’s world, we often let the one perish as long as we still have the ninety-nine. But the Kingdom of God does not operate that way. God places equal value on every soul. That is why it is important to honour all people, regardless of who they are (1 Peter 2:17).
Naaman, in 2 Kings 5, would not have been healed of his leprosy if he had mistreated his maid. That maid became the channel through which healing came to a great Syrian commander.
Honouring people opens doors to what you need in life. May God grant us wisdom to discern, celebrate, and reward people appropriately.
3. LIVING A LIFE OF DILIGENCE
A diligent person will always defy circumstances. Nothing stops such a person from doing what they are supposed to do until results are seen.
Jesus made a powerful statement in the parable found in Luke 18:4-5; And he would not for a while; but afterwards he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’
This widow was diligent; he persisted until she obtained results. God’s Word does not lie—if He said it, He will do it. All you need to do is stay at it. Be where you are supposed to be, and do what you are supposed to do.
Further Study
Hebrews 13:15
2 Corinthians 4:7
STAY BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED, WE LOVE YOU.
PASTOR BEN OCHOLA.