GATEWAY TO YOUR GREATNESS-1 Proverbs 18:16
‘A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men’ (Proverbs 18:16)
Preamble
All through the month of August, the Lord showed us who He created us to be. In other words, He convinced us by His Word in Genesis 1:26-28 that He made each one of us in His image and likeness. Simply put, you are God’s duplicate, higher than every creature, and only next to God Himself.
The next thing after a man has discovered who God created him to be is to discover what God has deposited in him to fulfill his ordained purpose. This new series will help you to discover the rich endowments of God in your life. Many a times, people live without taking cognizance of the rich deposits of God in their lives.
As God’s best creature, you have the gene of greatness in you. You can’t but manifest God’s greatness in and through your life. One key thing God did to prepare you for greatness is that He packaged you with diverse gifts. The manifestation of your greatness in life is directly proportional to the maximum utilization of your God-given gifts. This is what Dr Myles Munroe seems to say when he said ‘What you were designed to be known for is your gift.’
Fundamental Truths about Gifting
Before we examine the text before us, I like to condense some basic truths to whet your appetite. These are:
- You are gifted
When God created you in His image, He bestowed natural gifts on you. Some called these talents or natural endowments. Examples of these natural gifts include writing, drawing, speaking, singing, networking, critical thinking, self-management, art, humor, money managements, intuition, ability to make friends, sales/marketing, visualization, athleticism, playing instruments, making connections, empathy, and people judgment. Every human being is gifted in at least one of the natural gifts.
When you get born again, you are endowed with supernatural gifts. These are generally refer to as gifts of the Spirit. The entire Bible has several examples of the various supernatural gifts God endowed people to function beyond the natural realm. Texts such as Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:10-11 have specific gifts of the Spirit. Every believer in Christ has at least one of them (cf. Ephesians 4:8)
- Your greatness is tied to your gifts
What you will be known for centers around your gifts (both natural and supernatural). No one becomes great outside of his or her gifting. Stop envisaging greatness outside your God-given gifts. A man’s greatness is showcased by his gifts. Your gift is your gateway to greatness. People like Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday and Thomas Edison leveraged on their gifts and became great scientists and inventors. Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiongo, excelled in the literary world.
Remain blessed!