Mensa Otabil - God's Work Is Always Right (10/03/2025)
We’re ending our first week of discussion on fruitfulness today. I will continue the same topic of fruitfulness next week, but this is the first ending of it, and there will be a second ending later. All right, Genesis chapter 1, verse 31: «Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.» So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. God looked at what He had done and pronounced it very good. They were very good morally, and they were very good beneficially. After God looks at whatever He has done, everything He created, He says it’s very good because it serves a good purpose, and it is very good because it is beneficial; it is something that is a blessing.
As people who have been created in the image of God, whatever we do must also be very good. It has to be good morally, and it must be beneficial. It must serve God’s purpose, and it should be of use to humanity. Sometimes, people work and try their best, putting in a lot of effort, but the work they produce is not very good. You may see someone who has put in a lot of effort and produced something, and all of us can see that this is not good at all. God is not just asking us to do things; He wants us to do very good work. So if I’m a doctor, my work must be very good. If I’m a nurse, my work must be very good. If I’m a pastor, my work must be very good. If I’m an artist, my work must be very good. He has called us to produce works that are very good.
Now, for us to produce works that are very good, we must always work with our strengths and develop the gifts that God has given us into strengths. A gift is good, but in its raw state, it cannot achieve much. Gifts must be developed, and when they are developed, they become strengths. They become things that give you a lot of power. It is when our gifts reach the strength level that our works can become very good. Your inborn gift, your natural ability, that which God has endowed you with, must be nurtured. In fact, that’s why we go to school. We don’t go to school to discover our gift; we go to school to develop and enhance our gift and to elevate it beyond just the talent stage to a skill stage and beyond the skill stage for it to become a strength.
That’s when you can produce a work of art, and not only you, but everybody will look at it and say, «Very good.» That’s when you can provide work as a lawyer and people will say, «That’s a very good lawyer,» or «That’s a very good musician,» or «That’s a very good whatever you’re doing.» As part of fruitfulness, we are expected to produce works that are very good so that every time you stand to do something, whatever comes out of you is of the highest quality. That is our challenge; that is what God has created us to be-not to produce shabby work, shoddy work, mediocre work, or things that require no effort. Lazy work? No. He has called us to produce very good work. To do that, you must discover your gift and be true to your gift.
Don’t try to imitate or copy other people because a mustard seed doesn’t have to try to be like an apple seed. A mustard seed is a mustard seed. Just know what God has given you; know the gifts He has given you. Be strong in your gifts, allow others to be who they are, but allow yourself also to be who you are and produce the best that God has given you. So we end on that note that our work must be very good. Let’s pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, You are my strength and wisdom. Help me to produce very good results in all that I do. In Jesus' name, amen, and amen.» I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.