YOUR GIFT WILL BRING YOU BEFORE KINGS

Use your advantage! Stop trying to be everybody but yourself. Don’t throw away your IT FACTOR just to become an impostor.

Social media has us in awe of everybody and everything except ourselves and our own lives. We have belittled what God has placed in us, and magnified what is in others. The enemy has us right where he wants us to be when we stop seeing ourselves the way that God sees us. We find ourselves lost, and weary from struggling to maintain a false identity. The truth is we are fearfully and wonderfully made. There is nothing for us to seek outside of ourselves but everything for us to be. Isn’t it beautiful to know that even Christ resides within our hearts. We are complete. Everything we need has been placed inside us. Look around, authenticity stops people dead in their tracks. It’s magnetic. Being all of whom God made you to be is exciting! Living by the Creator’s design.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” ~ Psalm 139 : 13 - 14

It’s easy to complain about not getting ahead in life because we are outsiders to circles of privilege and influence in our society. I’m not saying this isn’t a hindering factor, but rather that we should place our focus where our greatest impact can be. God has given each of us favor. We each have a unique advantage when it comes to certain things. What are you a natural at? Don’t ignore the talents that God has blessed you with. When we choose to work within our area of gifting, the heavy lifting becomes easier. What’s the alternative? Working very hard to make the slightest progress outside of our talents. We are designed to flourish. To grow and thrive in our unique way. This is why God has given us specific gifts.

“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” ~ Proverbs 18 : 16

A guitar was not made to produce the sound of a flute. Although with great manipulation and mastery it may come close to producing a sound like a flute; that’s not it’s best and highest use. What are you trying to do that requires great manipulation? Mastery is necessary, but great manipulation is a waste of sweat. These areas in our lives are easy to identify because of what it takes to bear fruit. We don’t have to bang our heads against the wall to make progress. We must train our muscles to make faster progress. Success leaves clues. Sometimes we have to fall out of love with a dream we had of who we were and fall in love with the purpose of God with our lives. Micheal Jordan is arguably the best basketball player of all time, but his dream of being a baseball league player was a short-lived fail. We are not meant to be great at everything, but we are required to make the most of what God has given us.

“...From everyone to whom much is given, of him much shall be required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more.” ~ Luke 12 : 48

The parable of the bags of gold in Matthew 25 : 14 - 30 speaks of a man who goes on a journey and entrusts to his servants bags of gold according to each of their abilities. Isn’t it interesting that they were all given bags of gold? No one was given something of lesser or more value. They all held something precious. The only difference was how much, which the bible says depended on their ability to handle what had been placed in their responsibility. The servants who had been entrusted with five and two bags of gold respectively doubled their holdings. The bible says as soon as they were given their bags, these two “went out at once”, they immediately put the money to work. They didn’t sit around thinking about it, they put what they had been given to work. This is the state of immediacy that God expects us to have with the gifts we have been entrusted with. Stop thinking about what to do and putting it off for next week or next year. Do it now! Grow your gift. It is meant for doubling. When the master returned his reply to the two was “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master’s happiness.” As believers we pray that God would grant us increase and we want to be faithful - this is it - when we make the most of what we have (that’s the definition of being faithful), God will provide the increase. It’s all happening in accordance with our ability. As we grow our ability, we prepare ourselves to be entrusted with more. Growing our abilities takes time, dedication, and persistence.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ~ Micheal Jordan

The cost of not making use of what God has given us is too great. The servant who is entrusted with one bag and does nothing with it is referred to as a “wicked and lazy servant.” The one bag of gold is taken away from him and given to the one who turned five bags into ten. On account of the actions of this servant, Jesus states “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Is it any wonder why some people just seem to gain more and more? They are multiplying their God given abilities. But why didn’t this servant do anything with his bag of gold? It appears that he didn’t trust that such value could be given to him, therefore he hid the gold so he could return it to the master. Do you trust that you are capable of being trusted with great value? The servant was afraid and thought it best to store the gold and just give it back to the master. Does it sound familiar? The number one reason people live below their potential is fear. Fear of failure, fear of what others will say and think, fear that we’re not good enough or talented enough…It's all deception!

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” ~ 2 Timothy 1 : 7

We serve a loving Father who has placed value in us for us to multiply for His glory. He has given us gifts according to our abilities so we need not fear that we don’t have what it takes. The gift has been prescribed correctly. We can do it! When fear starts rising up in us, let’s declare the Word of the Lord. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10: 17). Take your advantage and run with it. Operate from the knowledge and understanding that it is within your control to multiply your ability in that area. The greatness you desire is up to you. Prove yourself faithful in little, and God will expand your territory. When we align our actions and beliefs with the Word of God, we activate the power that is already in us. We have peace, a sound mind, and radiate love. Isn’t that the true expression of authenticity?

How are you working to multiply what God has given you?

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