What is that thing in your Hand? (Got Work...Do It!)

Use the gifts you have inside of You!

More recently in social media spaces there is an increasing number of dialogue on gifts and an array of displays of many people, showcasing their talent, advertising their businesses and sharing their hobbies. It is quite inspirational to see how even a simple child can start a humanity project that is near and dear to their heart and or a youth less than ten years old ups and start his own bow-tie company.That sort of thing is quite inspirational to know that even a child can lead us and show us that we must be about something, doing something, living, sharing and using our gifts to make some sort of contribution and difference in the world.

I thought about why we exist in the earth. I thought about God giving each one of us unique talents and gifts that we can unselfishly share and give back to others. What we have in us is not just for us, it is to serve those who are around us and humanity at large. 

Alexander Graham Bell, contribution to the field of telecommunication was not just to serve himself but to serve the world...what would we be without the telephone?  What would we do without his initial work and  of the others who came after him, and have mastered and transformed that gift to mobile and virtual devices. His gift made room for him, and continues to serve the world even today.

Many of us are apart of schools, churches and other community organizations. 

We are apart of these because we may share common interests in what the organization is doing and or has to offer. I often wonder, how can you be apart of something and be content to not do anything?How does one just sit back quietly and exist? All your talents, your gifts, your voice, wrapped up inside of you and yet you rarely make an appearance or use it to help transform the world that you live in. Yes, we can often make excuses of the how's and the why's or how we don't feel led to do a thing, or serve on this board or alongside an individual but as the day passes, and clock ticks away, your gift is slowly dying inside of you. Use the gifts you have inside of you.

My maternal Grandmother, used to say, "if you don't use it you will lose it." 

Gifts and talents are to be used. The very thing God placed in you is to be exercised regularly, not in selfish or self seeking ways but in ways that are connected to your very purpose of existing. You don't sit down on your gifts!

I learnt this a few years back when I suffered a tremendous blow of hurt from serving in a local church and I wanted to never walk the church halls again. I stayed home a few Sundays and the Lord convicted me and it prompted me to start visiting again and after giving up my position in the church, I went back and sat down. After about two Sundays the Lord led me to know that he never called me to sit on the sidelines but to work deep in the trenches and that there was work that he had me to do. To tell you the truth, I felt uncomfortable sitting because I loved serving and giving of myself in service unto the Lord. I rarely miss Sundays because my purpose is connected to building and serving the kingdom of God. I don't know what it is to sit home on a Sunday and I think I don't ever want to put myself in that position again, where I am not utilizing my gifts and talents for God's Glory. I learned to not sit down on my gifts and abilities.There is too much work out there for us to do and God has no hands or feet but ours...I hear this quote often in religious circles, but it is the truth.

I don't know what you are called to do but I am sure you are gifted to do something in this life God has blessed you with. If you are called to serve, serve faithfully in whatever capacity, feeding those who are in need, praying for those who are sick, singing in the choir, leading as a Sunday School teacher and greeting and ushering by using your personality to make people feel welcome and apart of something. Use your gifts and talents on your job to propel your organization forward and contribute to its overall success. Everywhere you go let your gifts shine brightly so that you can say that I lived a full and rewarding life that made a difference.

Those of you who are just merely existing and not doing enough or nothing at all, I wonder if you are feeling fulfilled by being apart of the status quo. Perhaps, I could share a story that changed my perspective on life with you. It is the story about Moses and his many excuses of why he could not do a certain thing that God wanted him to do. You see Moses was a Hebrew who was spared while he was infant from impending death, because of the wisdom of his mother. He grew up as Prince of Egypt and had the best training that anyone can have but Moses got in trouble one day and committed murder and fled into the wilderness for a long while. Many years later, Moses had an encounter with God near a burning bush and as he was there, God gave Moses a mandate to return to Egypt and go to Pharaoh and speak these words, "Let My People Go!"  Moses after all these years and perhaps being comfortable with his simple life said I cannot go, I cannot speak, what could I say? God asked Moses, this simple question, "what is that what you have in your hand?" And Moses said a rod! God demonstrated what Moses could do with that very insignificant thing that was present. Although, he gave God every excuse in the book, God had already given Moses everything he needed for his task. Do you think that his upbringing was going to be wasted or his training as a royal in Pharaoh's Palace? NO! What God did for Moses is to use his talents, his gifts, his inadequacies and put his stamp of glory upon it.

My paternal grandfather told me a while back, he said, "child, I don't want to lay down and rest my life away, I want to work out; I would keep on working until the  Lord calls me home." Do you know my grandfather did just that...worked out! On December 31, 2008, I believed he preached his final message, a few weeks later the following year he passed away. My Grampy was true to his word, he did just what he said he would.. he worked out and gave God all the best of him. He is up in heaven around the throne hoping and believing the rest of us will do the same.

There is a gift in each and everyone of us, even if it seems rather small or insignificant. You could use the very thing that is in your hand to do great work. All you have to do is start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.

And to those of you who know your gifting and is simply just sitting around while life passes you by, what would your story or legacy be at the end of your life. Did you work your best work? 

Got Work...Do It!

Unveiled to Be Transformed

-Keisha