“Daily Bread”

On the evening of September 30, 2012, during the evening worship service at GVCC, the Reverend P. G. Mathew preached a sermon entitled “Daily Bread.” Pastor Mathew began by asserting that our daily bread doesn’t fall from heaven. He then asked, “So how am I to have my daily bread?” The scriptural answer is straightforward: work six days and you will have sufficiency.

Pastor Mathew gave five points about how we can work hard and provide for not only our family and friends, but also to be generous to those who are in need. These five points are vital elements that answer Pastor’s question regarding how we are to receive our daily bread.

1. Godliness: This is defined in the word of God, not by man. We must do what the Bible says. Christ commands his people to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).
2. Education: Study hard subjects that the marketplace needs and that will make an impact on society. In today’s Western culture, there is a heavy emphasis on subjects based much on subjectivism and an elevation of man’s application of his own reasoning. These subjects often enable people to graduate with little effort. Regrettably, they do not prepare students to enter the marketplace.
3. Get a Job: If you live in godliness and get a strong education, you will get a sound job and have a successful career that pays well. The average American college student wastes time being absorbed in activities such as video games, online social networking, texting, going to parties, and so on. We need people who are willing to work hard for God’s glory and to look out for the interest of others. Pastor reminded all those who have a career to continue their education and be always improving their skills to make themselves more valuable to their employers.
4. Be Conservative: Pastor exhorts, “Let somebody else consume. Conserve money; don’t throw it away.” God’s will is for us to owe no man anything (including the credit card company). Yet we live in a culture that pours billions of dollars into marketing so that people can be connived into thinking they need whatever is being promoted.
5. Be Generous Toward God: Specifically with money. We cannot out-give God, who did not spare even his own Son, Jesus Christ, but gave him up for us all (Rom. 8:32). We can use our temporal money for eternal purposes. This is a high calling! Be rich in good deeds (1 Tim. 6:17-19; Matt. 25:31-46).

God’s will for us is to work hard and not be lazy. God will help us and strengthen us if we trust in him and pray for grace to work hard and to provide for our families and those who are in need. Pastor concluded, “I worked, and God blessed me. I gave, and God blessed me. Try that. Don’t be lazy. Work very hard. Burn the midnight oil. Study hard.” Through the means of our hard work, God provides our daily bread, and much more than we can ever ask or imagine. Then we will have something to give, and we will bring glory to God.

You can listen to additional sermons from Pastor Mathew here.

This post was contributed by Ara Stephanian.