WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
SEPTEMBER 21, 2025
TOPIC: HOW TO MAKE MAXIMUM IMPACT IN LIFE
BY T. O. BANSO
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is” (Psalm 39:4 new Living Translation).
Everybody has just one life to live on this earth. There is nothing like reincarnation. Hebrews 9:27 says it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. Thus, it is wise to live your life and make a maximum impact.
Regardless of your present age, your time on earth is brief. David said,
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is” (Psalm 39:4 new Living Translation). Your life is fleeing away, too. Therefore, make the most of your time on earth. Live to make maximum impact according to the will of God for you.
To make maximum impact in life, you need the following:
1. Salvation. This is your starting point for a life of maximum impact. You must be born again (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23). It’s impossible to fully live for the purpose for which God created you without being born again. Satan perverts the destinies of those who live their lives apart from the Son of God, Jesus. Accept Him as your Lord and Saviour today.
2. Discipleship. Being born again is not enough; you must become a disciple. Discipleship will cost you something. You must count the cost. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him, as He said in Matthew 16:24. He also said in Luke 14:33, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” ( New International Version). Discipleship offers you the discipline you need to make maximum impact in life, as Jesus did with His disciples (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17; 2:14, 8:34; 10:21; Luke 5:27; 18:22; Matthew 19:21).
A disciple is someone who is receiving or has received the instructions and training of the person he is following. He believes in and follows his teachings. “A disciple of Christ may now be defined as one who believes his doctrine, rests upon his sacrifice, imbibes his spirit, imitates his example, and lives to do his work” (American Tract Society Dictionary). Become a disciple of Jesus.
Discipleship could also mean mentorship. You must be mentored spiritually and professionally. To make maximum impact, you should be mentored by someone who has succeeded in doing what you plan to do or has excelled in an area you dream of making an outstanding success. It is foolish to be competing with someone you should approach to mentor you.
Be discipled, spiritually, and in your profession, career, or business. An untutored person will make needless mistakes in life and perform below his potential. Whose disciple are you?
3. The anointing. You need the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life to make a maximum impact, whether in ministry or any sector of human endeavour. Jesus was anointed, and He made maximum impact.
The Bible says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38 New King James Version). The disciples of Jesus, after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, made a great impact everywhere they went. They turned their world upside down (Acts 17:6b),
The anointing is not for preachers alone. Every child of God needs it, whether you’re a doctor, teacher, software engineer, journalist, lecturer, lawyer, accountant, or whatever. The anointing of the Holy Spirit will make the difference in your life, and you will make a difference.
4. Grace. It has been rightly said that grace is unmerited favour. But grace is also the power of God, which causes a man to do more than his natural ability or what others cannot do. Pray for grace; embrace grace; receive grace. Grace will make you. Paul recognised the role of grace in his ministry – he spoke much about it. He said in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (New King James Version). Don’t labour without grace or outside of grace. Grace will cause your labour to be fruitful. It will compensate for your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
5. Divine purpose. The discovery of divine purpose gives your life the right direction. It helps you to know where and what to invest your life in. In Mark 1:38, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth” (New King James Version). He knew His purpose on the earth, which He fulfilled in just three and a half years of his earthly ministry. Prayerfully discover and pursue the purpose of God for your life. Don’t live a purposeless life.
6. Focus. Do what is needful and not what is convenient. Be focused (1 Kings 20:39-40; Proverbs 27:8; Luke 10:42). Dwight L. Moody has been quoted as saying, “Give me a man who says this one thing I do, and not those fifty things I dabble in.” Don’t be a rolling stone that gathers no moss. A “here and there life” will waste your life. It is a destiny destroyer. Don’t lose focus because of competition and comparison.
7. Diligence. Grace isn’t enough; you need diligence. Paul laboured in grace, as shown earlier in 1 Corinthians 15:10. Don’t receive grace and sit down. Whoever does that will be ridiculed. Be diligent (Romans 12:11a). Lazy people cannot make maximum impact in life (Luke 2:49; Proverbs 12:24; 21:5; 21:25 22:29).
8. Right company. You need the right people in your life and around you. That’s why early in His ministry, Jesus called His disciples. Without the right people in your life, your impact will be limited (Proverbs 27:17; 12:26; 13:20, 22:24-25). Relationships are vital to greatness in life. Keep the right association and work with the right people.
9. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. No fool will make any impact in life, not to talk of making a maximum impact, without these three interrelated but distinct qualities. Fools won’t even desire them (Proverbs 4:7, 21:16, 3:19-20, 24:3-7; Ecclesiastes 10:10, 15; Psalm 104:24). Pursue wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. The Bible teaches how to do this. Study the Bible.
10. Faith and patience. Without faith and patience, you can’t make a maximum impact in life. Hebrews 6:12 says you should not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Either of the two is not enough. You need both.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). There will be challenges, but you must be patient (James 1:4).
11. Judicious use of time. Have respect for time – yours and others’ time. A time waster is a life waster! Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (New Living Translation). There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Don’t waste time.
12. Spiritual warfare: There are spiritual forces that do not want people to make an impact in life or make maximum impact. Spiritual warfare is required to defeat these forces. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God to destroy all spiritual forces working against our maximum impact in life (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
Conclusion: Life is not a bed of roses – even roses have thorns. Pleasure-seekers cannot make maximum impact. But we are here on earth to do the will of God, not for pleasure and entertainment. You must discover His purpose for your life and make maximum impact.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your heart to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, help me to make maximum impact in life. I shall discover my purpose in life and pursue it diligently. Father, deliver me from relationships, wrong focus, and other things that waste people’s lives.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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