“2023 COMMIT TO TRANSFORMATION"

Apostle David A. Rodgers

New Vision of Faith Ministries- Chicago

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

As a spiritual leader in the church for the past 30 years and a Senior Pastor for the past 24 years, I’ve seen my fair share of bad theology preached across pulpits and social media to last a lifetime. Those who haven’t truly invested in studying scripture have created a “theology” rooted in a magical, mysticism instead of true faith in GOD. This mysticism suggests that GOD is responsible for everything and we humans, play no part in the affairs of our life, and are just passive regarding changing our circumstances and situations. However, even a cursory study of scripture reveals that GOD requires and expects us to function in high levels of self-discipline, based on the instruction of His Word. Self-discipline has been replaced with a magical expectation of blessings falling out of the sky, under the guise of faith, minus commitment, and accountability. 

Faith, as taught today, has become a standalone system in and of itself, that is completely disconnected from what GOD instructed, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. True faith, however, is and always has been connected to self-discipline, responsibility, and dedication to tasks, that increase and elevate those impacted by faith’s power. As we enter this new year of 2023, I want to just highlight a few areas that self-discipline is required of believers. The physical stewardship of our bodies, proper time management and financial stewardship are the three areas that most believers find the most trouble controlling. The Apostle Paul taught that he had to “beat his body into subjection’. Identifying ungodly appetites and addictions is the first step of physical stewardship. Conquering lust, gluttony and chemical dependence will only take place once we commit to executing judgement on these areas by employing hard disciplines. Planning meals, drinking water, working out, getting sleep, disconnecting from people who help foster the feeding of lust and addictions, and setting proper relational boundaries, are key steps to walking in a transformed life. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

For any area you desire improvement, time must be dedicated to that area. The fact that many believers dishonor time by procrastination, laziness, or operating outside of purpose, is a travesty. GOD gave us six days to work and one day to rest. 6 days of work equals 144 potential hours to get things done. Because we lack a true sense of time management, most Believers are stuck in mediocrity and a lack of exponential growth because we simply won’t invest the proper amount of consistent time to our tasks!! We expect miracles to rescue us from decades of bad decision making, laziness and apathy concerning our own lives and purpose. Life and with it, opportunities to grow, pass us by and we sit on the sidelines of our lives, complaining about the condition we find ourselves in and beg for GOD’s intervention, when we have ignored His call to time management. Every Believer should have a scheduler, into which each day is planned, from morning Bible Study to working out, to writing that book or business plan, to executing the strategic plan to build your business and increase revenues. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!! In Malcolm Gladwell’s epic novel, OUTLIERS, he states, "an extraordinarily consistent answer in an incredible number of fields ... you need to have practiced, to have apprenticed, for 10,000 hours before you get good." Even though Gladwell’s quote has been woefully misquoted and misinterpreted, the principle of time investment is still a key.

Two people who start playing on the same day, will come to much different levels of skill in five years if one practices one hour a day and the other 4 hours a day. The one who practices one hour a day for five years has invested 1,825 hours of practice. The one who practices 4 hours a day, would have practiced 7,300 hours. The guy who practices for one hour would have practiced for 76 days or two months collectively, while the one who practiced 4 hours a day, would have practiced 304 days or almost a year collectively. The gap in skill will be more pronounced as time passes and most of us haven’t even committed 5 minutes a day to critical life structures, strategies, and systems in our lives, while we pray and ask GOD to do, what we refuse to do. 

Lastly, Jesus taught financial stewardship and suggested that we should invest our money for return. 14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. (Matthew 25:14-19) Believers should be budgeting, saving, and investing money in assets that yield a return on investment. We should not be squandering our money on liabilities then praying to GOD to “bless us” financially. There are too many vehicles to invest in for the saints to be languishing in and accepting poverty as a choice when the scriptures are so full of exhortations for us to increase and have dominion. I pray that this article has been inspirational and educational and a spark to your new year’s goals. Feel free to reach out to get more help with your personal upgrade for 2023.

Thanks, Apostle David A. Rodgers, New Vision of Faith Ministries- Chicago 

EMAIL: ADR@dominionvisionglobal.com