1 Chronicles 4:9
“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.”
Jabez learned something early in life that everyone has to learn if they want to excel. He learned that life is not fair. As much as society tries to make life fair for everyone, it just isn’t going to happen. The sooner a person comes to this realization, the sooner they can do something with their life. If a person lives their life waiting for others to make life fair for them, they will live their life blaming others for their condition in life. On the other hand, when you come to the realization that life is not fair, you will begin the journey to do what you can with life in spite of the unfairness that it brings. The verse above insinuates three things about Jabez that everyone needs to come to grips with if they want to do something with their life.
First, in spite of what others around you do, you must determine to be more honourable. The verse above insinuates that those around Jabez were less honourable. You must decide that no matter what your surroundings of life may be that you are going to be more honourable. You cannot allow your surroundings to dictate what you are going to do. Just because others may live a less than honourable life doesn’t mean that you should go ahead and live the same way. You need to come to a point in your life when you determine that in spite of what others around you do, you are going to do right and be more honourable.
Second, in spite of what your circumstances are, you are going to be more honourable. The verse above also insinuates that others did things to him, but he was not going to act in the same like manner. You are going to have to determine that in spite of what others do to you, you are going to respond in a more honourable manner. When others talk bad about you behind your back, you must determine to talk good about others. When others mistreat you, and they will, you must determine that you will not allow their mistreatment to determine how you treat others. You have to be more honourable than others. What they do should never determine what you do. Your actions must be dictated by what is right.
Third, in spite of who you are, you must determine to be more honourable. In other words, no matter what shortcomings life has given you, you must determine to overcome them. Though Jabez was born in sorrow, he still asked God to bless him and “enlarge” his coast. In spite of his weaknesses, he understood that he needed God’s hand on his life to overcome them. In spite of whatever shortcomings or weaknesses you perceive you have, don’t let them keep you back from dreaming big. There must be something inside of you that determines no matter what physical weaknesses you may have, you are going to overcome them and do something great for God.
Friend, in spite of whatever may try to hold you back, determine with God’s help that you are going to be more honourable. Don’t let life dictate what you are going to do or become, but yield to God and get His presence to help you to “enlarge” your coast in spite of what is against you. You can let life’s circumstances be your crutch to underachieve, or you can get the mindset that in spite of them you are going to do something for God. My question to you is this, what are you going to do?