WORD OF THE WEEK - QUALIFIER - 5/4/2025

Definition: A qualifier is defined as one that is entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition. It can also refer to a team or person who has won part of a competition and is therefore competing in the next part.
Scriptures:
Proverbs 1:5 – "Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance."
Proverbs 3:5-6 - “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 21:5 – "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty."

Website:  www.wow-newton.com

Website: www.wow-newton.com
Email:  osnewton@wow-newton.com

Transcript

Definition: A qualifier is defined as one that is entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition. It can also refer to a team or person who has won part of a competition and is therefore competing in the next part.

Scriptures:
Proverbs 1:5 – "Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance."
Proverbs 3:5-6 - “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 21:5 – "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty."

THOUGHTI!
When God gave me the word for this week, I immediately began to reflect on the qualifiers—the markers—that have shaped my decisions and defined what success was supposed to look like in my life.
I was taught that in order to be successful, I had to:Finish high school with strong enough grades to qualify for college—because only then could I...
Secure a “good job” with benefits and enough income to support myself. And as a woman, I was expected to...
Attract—and marry—a suitable man who could father and financially support at least two children, a home with a mortgage, and a car all in a respectable community where I was known to be...
Loyal, hard-working, and valued by my employer. I was also expected to share my gifts freely with my church and community, earning the respect (and, let’s be honest; the envy) of my peers.
If I could check all those boxes, I would qualify as a successful contributor to society.
But that was then.
The landscape has shifted—dramatically. The qualifiers I grew up with have been replaced by a new set of standards, shaped by rapid advances in technology and healthcare, the explosion of access to information, and constant changes in global financial security.
Now, success requires different qualifiers:A commitment to lifelong learning—to keep pace with a world that changes daily. High school and college are still gateways, but the paths beyond them are more creative, and require a greater degree of adaptability.
Financial literacy that is no longer tied strictly to employment or homeownership. It’s about self-direction—entrepreneurship, investing, or creating multiple streams of income.
A work-life balance that may or may not include traditional marriage, or children, and where flexibility, mental health, and purpose now play central roles.
A personal brand that’s clear, sustainable, and resilient—capable of supporting ongoing growth, influence, and impact in both community and career.
And here’s the thing...The change in the traditional qualifiers has left our churches and institutions in a state of uncertainty.  The goals for success that used to motivate young people don’t carry the same weight anymore. As those old qualifiers are falling away, many are also losing sight of God’s original design for humanity: faith, family, and fruitfulness.
So, what do we do? How do we bring the truth and the wisdom of God to people whose qualifiers have changed?
We do — what Jesus did. We  meet them where they are—and speak to their needs with answers from the Word of God.
For example:-If the need is to support learning God’s way, teach Romans 12:2 — “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
-If the need is wisdom in developing financial literacy, share Proverbs 21:5 — “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
-If they are struggling to find work-life balance, offer Proverbs 3:5–6 — “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
-If they are trying to define a personal brand, point them to Colossians 3:23 — “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
There is nothing new under the sun.  God has already provided the answers for all qualifiers; past, present or future.
God’s Word?
It’s a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
And Jesus?the Word made flesh, is the way, the truth, and the life.
So, learn the Word.  Use the Word. Live the Word.
The Word of God will restore.It will direct.It will rejuvenate.It will revive.USE IT!!