Your Passionate Purpose

 

To fulfill your purpose, you need the help of the One who created you.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Purpose and passion are not the same. While your passion is what you love doing, purpose is what you were created to do. Your passion isn’t peculiar to you. For instance, if you love writing, you should be aware that there are other people who also love writing. But your purpose is specific. It is what you’ve been set aside to do. Your passion can either be related to your purpose or completely unrelated. Even though what you love doing can be used to fulfill your purpose, it could also be

Be Purposeful

 Your life’s purpose is God’s ultimate plan for you.

 By Ben Dankaka

The first thing we learn from the Bible is that God is a Creator. That’s the dominant theme in the first two chapters of Genesis. But as God created the heavens and the earth, you would notice that everything He created was for a purpose. Light, which is the first thing that God created, was for the purpose of having times and seasons. Man, the last creation of God was also created for a purpose - to rule the earth. God didn’t create anything for nothing. Knowing why you were created is

Change Your Mind

Nothing changes until you change your thoughts.

 

By Ben Dankaka

In the parable of the lost son, Jesus shared a story of a man who had two sons. The younger one demanded for his share of inheritance and left home. After he had spent everything on reckless living, an economic recession hit his country. To survive, he had to work in a farm where he was assigned to feed pigs. Apparently, the money he earned from his boss wasn’t enough because he found himself longing to fill his stomach with the food of the pigs. This went on until one fateful day when he suddenly realized

God's Mind - Part 2

Change your mind on that matter.

By Ben Dankaka

 

Although God has an unchangeable nature, He changes his mind. While He doesn’t change His image, word and promises, God changes His mind anytime He forgives. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” Because our God is compassionate and merciful, He forgives. And forgiveness doesn’t take place until there’s a shift in the mind of the forgiver. You see, when we offend God; He gets angry. But God’s anger

God's Mind - Part 1

Do you act like God?

 

By Ben Dankaka

Does God change His mind? While there are Christians who believe that God changes His mind, there are those who disagree. Remarkably, each of these groups backup their claims with Scriptures. Those who believe that God doesn’t change His mind support their claims with the words of Balaam, “God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind,” (Numbers 23:19). But those with contrary views often refer to Jonah’s story (Jonah 3:10). Interestingly, each of these contrasting positions is correct but then,

Sarah's Intentions

As you walk with God, some of your closest allies might mislead you.

 By Ben Dankaka

When Sarah asked Abraham to have a child with her maidservant, she actually thought it would solve their problem. Sarah’s suggestion was a sincere plan, intended to help her and Abraham fulfill their dream. Sarah had said, “Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her” (Genesis 16:2). Apparently, Abraham wasn’t the only one that was concerned with having a family. As his wife, Sarah was also in need of children. For that reason, she presented a plan. Sarah couldn’t have had the kind of faith Abraham had because

Wait!

 

When things don’t work out as we expect, we allow other people’s opinion to get in the way.

By Ben Dankaka 

God did not only tell Abraham that he would be a father of many nations; He backed up His promise with a covenant. The covenant ensued when Abraham cried out to God and demanded to know how God’s promises will be fulfilled. In response, God had asked Abraham to present a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a young pigeon for a sacrifice (Genesis 15:8-9). On that fateful day, God made a pact with Abraham. Obviously, the purpose of that covenant was to reaffirm God’s promise. Normally, Abraham should have

The Ishmael "Strategy"

If you’ve ever waited on God, you would understand what Abraham went through.

 

By Ben Dankaka

After God reassured Abraham that he would have a son, “Abraham believed the Lord” (Genesis 15:6). But despite Abraham’s faith, the child didn’t come. Abraham might have pondered why his wife didn’t have a child in spite of God’s promise. If you’ve ever waited on God to fulfill his promises to you, you would understand what Abraham went through. Abraham had done what God had asked him to do by leaving his own country to a foreign land. Now that he was becoming old, God was still

Backup Strategy

Are you trusting God and at the same time worried?

 

By Ben Dankaka

God had said to Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Although Abraham heeded God’s call, He didn’t do exactly what God asked him to do because Lot, his nephew went with him. Recall that when God called Abraham, he didn’t have a child of his own. So, he didn’t have an heir even though he was wealthy. Maybe, Abraham took Lot along because he needed to feel safe that his wealth would at least go to his nephew if

Unlike his father

 

God will not ask you to do something that will not succeed in the end.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Terah (Abraham’s father) had initially desired to stay in Canaan; the Bible didn’t tell us that he got that idea from God. Unlike his father, Abraham’s decision to move to Canaan was inspired by God. In other words, it was God’s will. While Terah appeared to have followed his own will, Abraham, seemingly, was a man who depended on God’s will. For that reason, one can say that Terah represents people who often think their future is in their hands whereas Abraham represents those who

Motivation is Key

 

If God is asking you to embark on a journey with Him, comply.

By Ben Dankaka 

When God called Abraham, He said to him, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Although, Abraham had to leave his country, he was consoled by the promises that God made to him. Abraham must have been motivated with the fact that God had chosen him to be the father of many nations. Recall that this was a man who didn’t have a child of his own. All of a sudden, God showed up and

By Faith

Whatever God tells you to do, do it in faith.

 

By Ben Dankaka

When God asked Abraham to leave his country and his father’s household to a land, He would show him, Abraham obeyed. He complied even though he was already doing well in Haran. Recall that Abraham wasn’t poor and wretched before God called him. According to the scriptures, “He (Abraham) took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran…” In other words, Abraham left Haran as a wealthy man and then set out on a journey to a land he didn’t know. No doubt, Abraham took

Move!

It’s time to do what God wants you to do.

By Ben Dankaka 

As Terah ended his journey in Haran, living in that country became normal for Abraham and his family. For Abraham, it was a case of following a tradition that had already been created by his father. He might have resolved to stay in Haran, lead the family that his father had left, build his business and possibly adopt the culture of Haran. Clearly, Abraham didn’t have his own vision. Whatever it was that he had planned to do wasn’t really different from what his father had done. But just as Abraham was settling down, God

Beyond Limits

  

God’s plan might be different from your father’s plans for you.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Do you know that Abraham’s father had intended to live in Canaan? The scriptures say, “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there”. Instead of getting to his destination, Terah settled in Haran and died there. The Bible didn’t tell us why Terah didn’t get to his actual destination. However, he

Be Unstoppable!

Keep your mind focused on your goals.

By Ben Dankaka 

As Jesus went about doing His work, He was often confronted by challenges. Once, some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” Normally, that statement was enough to put fear into His heart. But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.” In other words, Jesus made them realize He was unstoppable. Clearly, Jesus didn’t allow

Trouble in His Presence

 

Don’t be frightened by storms. God is with you.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Before Jesus began his ministry, His disciples were mostly skilled workers, hoping to spend their lives pursing their own dreams. Then Jesus showed up and asked them to follow Him. Since they were fascinated by the great Rabbi, they trusted Him. But one day, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go to the other side of the lake”. Without knowing why, they got into a boat. Then a life-threatening storm came. The disciples were frightened and surprised at the same time. Here was a great storm, bad enough to take their lives. But Jesus lay quietly on the boat, sleeping!

Many of us have found ourselves in similar situations. Perhaps at one time, you were doing something you thought was important to you. Then

Victory without Injuries

 

While we can overcome certain challenges with our willpower, some problems require Heaven’s help.

 

By Ben Dankaka

One day as Jesus entered the synagogue, he was suddenly confronted by a demon possessed man. As soon as the demon inside the man recognized Jesus, it cried out. To shut the demon, Jesus commanded it to come out of the man. As is always the case, the demon complied but in the process of leaving, it drew the man on the floor. Interestingly, even though the evil spirit flung the man, it came out without injuring him. That is, the violent fall didn’t cause any injury on the man’s body. It was a case of victory without injuries.

Life can overwhelm us with tough challenges. While we can overcome certain challenges with our willpower, such victories

The Fruitful Leader

Increase your influence by serving others.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Fruit trees are endowed with seeds that produce fruits for the benefit of others. Fruit trees do not eat their own fruit. Instead, they serve others with it. So, fruit trees gain fame by serving others. Like fruit trees, man was created by God to be fruitful. But while we are all gifted, not many of us make it fruitful. That is, we don’t often serve others with it. For example, a person may be gifted in singing, but would never sing for others. When you are the only one who enjoys what your gift produces, then you are not

Get Ready

 

Prepare yourself for the opportunity ahead.

 

By Ben Dankaka

In my leadership training sessions, I encourage people to spend more time on the principle of intelligence. This is the point where you learn all the information relevant to your vision. Without this process, you wouldn’t have the required tools for achieving your goals. I learned this principle from Jesus. When Jesus was 12 years old, His parents temporarily lost Him after they went to Jerusalem for a Feast. After three days, He was found in the temple, sitting among teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Notice that Jesus wasn’t found in a farm. Instead, He was seen in a temple – at the very place where

Follow Him

 

He transformed fishermen to fishers of men.

 

 

By Ben Dankaka

You might have noticed that Jesus used the words, “follow me” while He was selecting His disciples. On one occasion, He said to the crowd, “anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).  But why does Jesus insists that we follow Him? You see, when we give our lives to Christ He automatically becomes our Lord. Now the word, “Lord” means Master. It also means Owner. As our Master and Owner, we are expected to follow Him. Therefore, to accept Jesus as our Lord, does not only involve a declaration of our faith in Him. True acceptance happens when we follow Jesus. And we do not become the followers of Christ until

Give Him Back

 

God wants to teach you.

 By Ben Dankaka

One day, I closed from work, feeling terribly bad. On my way home, I got some biscuits for my two kids. On reaching home, my kids immediately snatched the biscuits. But just before I relaxed, my daughter (the younger one) returned the biscuits and asked me to open it for her. I quickly did. Meanwhile, I noticed my older child still struggling to open his own biscuits. When he suddenly realized his younger sister had begun to eat hers, he hurried back to me and cried out, “Daddy, help me!” I laughed and opened his biscuits. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I had been acting like my son.

Children in the MarketPlace

  

Leaders stand out because they are driven by a sense of purpose.

By Ben Dankaka

One day, Jesus compared the attitude of the Pharisees to a situation in the marketplace where some children complained because they played a flute but the people did not dance. And when they sang a funeral song, the people also didn’t mourn. When Jesus made that statement, He was concerned with the way the people had responded to both His ministry and that of John the Baptist. That is, when John came, the people ignored him and even called him a “demon”. And when Jesus Himself came and preached the same gospel but through a different technique, the people also insulted Him.

How to Create

 

It takes knowledge to create something.

 By Ben Dankaka

Hardly is there any career leader who doesn’t depend on creativity. It doesn’t matter the field, creativity is required in every business, including retailing. For example, Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores used a creative business formula that most retailers ignore. He bought a wide variety of products in bulk across his network of stores so he could pass savings on to his customers. As a result, people flocked to his stores. Fortunately, everyone is creative. You may not be creative in your current work, but there’s a place you can be creative. And that place is certainly in your area of gifting.

Your Gift Matters!

 

Focus on your gifts!

By Ben Dankaka

One day, Jesus embarked on a journey to the Sea, so He could have a quiet time with His disciples. But a crowd of five thousand people followed Him. Although Jesus didn’t invite any of them, they followed Him, all the way to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee. Clearly, the people took a huge risk. Some of them might have followed Jesus on foot. Why would such a huge crowd of people, leave their villages and follow Jesus to a deserted place? According to the scriptures, the people had followed Jesus “because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick” (John 6:2).

That Hidden Message

 

Inside every person is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others.

 By Ben Dankaka

Jesus once said, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought to the open”. What Christ said is exactly what senders of mails do. The senders of mails hide their message inside an envelope and like Jesus said, the hidden message is meant to be disclosed. Whatever they concealed inside the envelope is not intended to remain hidden, but similar to what Jesus said, it is to be brought to the open. Now Jesus was in fact speaking about the messages He had been putting inside His disciples.

Stay on Track

 

Not every solution is right.

By Ben Dankaka

While Paul and Silas were evangelizing, they got into trouble and were imprisoned. Confined in a prison cell, they began to worship God. Suddenly, a violent earthquake broke the prison doors. When the prison officer saw what happened, he tried to end his life, thinking the prisoners had escaped. But Paul stopped him. One interesting thing about this story is the way Paul and Silas stayed faithful to their cause in the midst of a crisis. The normal thing to do after the prison doors opened was to rush out, assuming it was God’s will. Instead, they ignored the break and stayed, taking advantage of the opportunity it gave them to gain new converts.

Good versus Right

 

Knowing the right thing often requires us to make use of our spiritual antennae.

 

By Ben Dankaka

When you have two options that are both good, but you have to determine which of them is right, you will have a hard time. While a good thing can be easily detected with our senses, knowing the right thing often requires us to make use of our spiritual antennae. Remember when David got the chance to kill Saul; his associate suggested they should kill Saul. That seemed like a good thing because Saul had been trying to kill David. But David realized that the right thing to do was not to lay a hand on Saul.

Goal Setting

   

Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals.

 By Ben Dankaka

Over the years, I have learned that setting goals do not guarantee success. There are times you may set goals and then succeed in realizing them, but just as you are about to celebrate, you may suddenly discover the goals you achieved shouldn’t have been set in the first place. The scripture says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” This message is repeated twice in the book of Proverbs. The importance of this message cannot be overemphasized.