God provides, through the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts available to Christians that give them advantages in the workplace and everywhere else. Scripture states that everything starts with FAITH in God.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Matthew 17:20 “He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Many in the world are denying there is a God. This means that God is not pleased with many and the chaos in the world, at the present time, is a result. However, to believers, He rewards those who “earnestly” seek Him. So we need to know what earnestly seeking Him means if we wish to live a successful life.

When I was coaching in high school, if I had ten athletes that believed they could all play professional basketball in the NBA and they practiced most every day of the year in preparation, I believe we would never have lost a game. It would all start with faith and confidence that their goal was a possibility and they would do everything they could to reach that goal. Do Christians earnestly seek God? If not, have you ever wondered why God’s promises didn’t seem to bless you?

Radical Muslims teach their young children to hate Jews and be willing to sacrifice their lives if they must, to do their killing. Christian parents and grandparents we need to teach our young children that each one of them was created by God with a specific purpose. The only way they will find that purpose is if they have faith in God, seek wisdom and pray for a discerning spirit. Things will happen in their lives that will prepare them for that specific thing they were created to do.

I continually prayed that God would use me. I had different jobs, some problems and a normal life. However, each job prepared me for what I finally realized what God’s purpose was. As I look back, I can see how God moved me in many directions until I was where I was supposed to be, to do what I believe God wanted me to do. I believe everyone was created with a purpose. Most ignore God and do not choose to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. I never knew what my purpose was until I was in my 60’s. My advice is: Pray that God will give you His purpose and allow the Holy Spirit to give you the guidance we all need to fulfill that purpose. The greatest achievement in my life was discovering my purpose and realizing how many things God had done in my life to help me do it.

I had an aunt that was a prayer warrior and earnestly sought God. Her purpose was to raise two boys and help raise me. Two became Christian ministers and their families have raised Christians and more ministers. I believe this lady’s purpose was to see that hundreds were saved, through other’s ministry, because of her Christian leadership and prayers. She was created to witness and assist others in leading hundreds to salvation. She had tremendous faith, wisdom and a discerning spirit. She never finished high school yet, most every generation since, are college attenders or graduates.

God promises to provide wisdom to an earnestly seeking believer and that provides common sense. You would think that everyone, to some degree, has common sense. Those with common sense should know that more is accomplished by being friendly, pleasant, sociable, courteous and adaptable. One must know how to handle difficult problems when they happen. We must have common sense to understand how to motivate other people and one’s self. Common sense realizes the importance of building sound and lasting working relationships and friendships. This is a promise that God offers if you have faith and live according to His ways.

Scripture and common sense should tell a believer that hard work is important and that when we work, God is watching and we are to work to please Him. There is just too many who seem to believe that the world owes them a living. We are measured by the amount of work and the quality that we accomplish. You do not become a professional athlete without tremendous amounts of physical preparation. I believe faith and wisdom, that produces common sense, gave me an advantage. Pray for wisdom!

Proverbs 8:10–14 “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; have insight, I have power.”

If you are able to discern between those who are team players and those who are only concerned about themselves it can help you build a business or a career. Some individuals can hinder or build the morale of an organization. Some people seem to have human relation smarts and some do not. We hired hundreds of people based on what we believed were their potential. It is a real advantage if you can determine whether they are fulfilling the potential you believe they had. Many do not realize the effect a bad employee has on other employees. Almost everything we do has an effect on others good or bad. If a person has a good attitude it affects the productivity of others. Everyone’s productivity must be measured. Pray for a discerning spirit to make correct judgments.

Keep in mind, the Holy Spirit gives the gift of faith. Faith provides confidence and the willingness to take risks. So many people fear making decisions or trying new things. If a believer has a God-given faith, they believe that they could move mountains. It is so important to have the confidence and a positive mental attitude. Success comes when one can take a project and believe that they can do whatever it takes to get it done right. Too often, people are unwilling to take the responsibility without detailed instructions. Faith and confidence provides creativity. You do not find too many founders of companies unwilling to take risks. In fact, in most cases this is the difference between those who are successful and those who are not.

I Corinthians 13:2 “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”