I originally planned for Part IV to be the finale of this series, Life Is Not an Accident, but after publishing it, I sensed that God wanted me to say more—and I was right, because the Holy Spirit began speaking to me. In Part IV, I explored aligning our lives with God and being on His side, not only for victory in spiritual warfare but also for winning in life as a whole. Now, I want to share three life lessons.
Hardworking is Required For success
“Issachar is a sturdy donkey, resting between two saddlepacks. When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor.” Genesis 49:14–15 NLT
This was the blessing Jacob gave to his son Issachar before he died. At first glance, you might ask where the blessing is or wonder how these words could even be a blessing. To understand it, you have to look at Jacob’s own life. When Jacob prayed to God for deliverance from his brother Esau, he said,
“…I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps” (Genesis 32:10 NIV).
I may write an in-depth post exploring the lessons of Jacob’s staff, but for now, let me highlight its deep significance. We see Jacob still holding it near the end of his life—Genesis 48:15 and Hebrews 11:21 tell us he “…worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.” The staff represents the story of his life and symbolizes God’s faithfulness, providence, deliverance, transformation, and the fulfillment of His promises.
Jacob worked hard for his blessings. When he first crossed the Jordan River 20 years earlier, he had only his staff. Two decades later, as he prepared to return to his father Isaac, he had grown into two camps and had become a wealthy man. The NLT puts Genesis 32:10 more clearly: “When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!”
How did Jacob accomplish this? Listen to what he told Laban, his uncle and master manipulator:
“There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock…” (Genesis 31:40–41).
Jacob was saying, “I got what I have through toil and sacrifice; it wasn’t given to me.” Sometimes, people expect others to simply give them things and feel entitled to them. But it doesn’t work that way. God can use others to bless you, but you must work for your own blessings. Laban certainly would not have given it freely, for as Jacob added, “…you [Laban] have changed my wages ten times.”
There is no one God has ever blessed without it being through work or some form of endeavor.
So when Jacob blessed Issachar with those words, he was passing on a quality he had learned in his own life. The countryside and pleasant land represented abundance and prosperity. The image of a sturdy donkey resting between two saddlepacks conveys the idea that the donkey can choose to keep resting or to pick up the saddlepacks—though heavy and unpleasant—and go into the countryside to graze and frolic. Jacob was telling Issachar that the opportunities were within his reach, but he must be ready to work hard to claim them.
God blesses hard work, not laziness. If you want God’s blessings, you must give Him something He can bless.
Don't Despise Small Beginnings, Seize Every Opportunity
“For who has despised the day of small things? …rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” Zechariah 4:10
When the foundation of the temple was laid in Ezra 3:11, the younger people rejoiced, but the older wept—probably because they remembered the grandeur of the former temple or because they doubted it would ever be rebuilt. Laying the temple’s foundation was indeed a small step, but it was still a beginning. Afterward, they faced fierce opposition and discouragement during the reigns of at least three Persian kings (Ezra 3:8–6:15).
The plumb line was God’s assurance that the temple would indeed be built—a vision of what lay ahead and a reminder not to be discouraged. It is also a call for perseverance. Though it took a long time, the temple was eventually completed in the reign of King Darius, just as God promised, because they persevered.
We often see successful people and, hopefully, admire and learn from them—not envy them—but we rarely see their beginnings. We only see their present. And sometimes, people want to be like them—not by starting where they started, but from where they are now. No successful person begins with what they have today. They started small but recognized and seized the opportunities before them—and worked hard at them.
Today, perseverance is something many avoid. We live in an age of instant gratification, expecting quick results; when things don’t work out or challenges arise, we often move on to the next thing. Maybe God has given you a business idea, like He gave Jacob the idea to breed his own animals—Genesis 31:10–13—to reward him because of Laban’s duplicity. Stick with it—that’s where your success lies. If things aren’t working, find out why instead of moving on. Maybe it’s you, and you need to adjust your behavior or change your approach. Don’t blame others. To succeed in life, you must hold fast to the vision God has given you through thick and thin. I’ve known and deeply admire people who do just that.
If you are going to succeed in life, you must learn not to despise or belittle any opportunity you receive. You must learn not to despise small beginnings and to seize every opportunity God gives you—in life, work, business, ministry, relationships, and more. Perhaps God has led you to start something that seems small or impossible; know that it will be completed if you remain steadfast, for God will see you through.
Take every opportunity He gives you seriously. Don’t live a daydreaming life—it’s the pastime of the lazy, and the lazy never succeed.
Stinginess Leads to Poverty
“The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.” - Proverbs 28:22 NIV
Remember what I said in Part I of this series—that life is not a mystery, that we can predict outcomes, and about the lessons learned from the field of the lazy? This is another example. People who have but don’t share, who are not generous, often think that holding back will help them become rich faster. But they are wrong. The Bible says,
“One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (Proverbs 11:24 NIV).
You might say, “I am not rich and can barely make ends meet,” but that does not exempt you from being a giver. Do you have something to give? Then yes, you should.
God’s only requirement for giving is that you have something to offer and the opportunity to do so.
Remember the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:7–16. She had only a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar (v. 12), yet Elijah told her to make him a small cake first—and she did. Because she obeyed,
“the bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry” (v. 14).
I am not speaking here of making donations to the church, but of giving to those you encounter—friends, and especially family. Some people will give to church causes but ignore those in need around them. To be clear, I am not suggesting you should stop giving to your church, but if you must choose, God would rather you help the poor and needy than donate toward buying musical instruments, buses, or new buildings. If you can do both, even better—but helping those in need is God’s priority.
Stinginess leads to poverty; generosity leads to prosperity—and I am not talking about the perverse “prosperity gospel” that teaches that “…gain is godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5 KJV) or that church projects should take precedence over helping individual believers. Too often, those who preach this false message use it to enrich themselves or fund their own lifestyles. We’ve heard of American pastors telling their congregations to raise money to buy them private jets. It’s much like the Pharisees, who told followers to declare as Corban—a gift to God—what they should have given to their parents (Mark 7:11). Who benefited from this? Only the Pharisees. Jesus condemned it then and condemns it now.
If you put the essential needs of others first—your children, spouse, parents, friends, or relatives—God will make sure that your own needs are always met.
This is the finale of this series. I encourage you to read the entire series if you haven’t already. God bless you!