“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)
You are an original: God’s masterpiece, handcrafted by God; created for a purpose. You are instilled with God-given giftings and abilities to offer this world in order to make a difference and to point people to Christ. It is no coincidence that you are the only one with your distinct set of fingerprints… Because God has designed you to make your specific and unique mark on this world for His honor and glory.
In the Christian race, it is really important to stay in our own lane and focus on the goal that is in front of us. Philippians 3:14 says, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Others run along side of us, and we should root each other on and support each other…But, it is vital that we not get distracted and look to the right or to the left by focusing on a key word that the enemy loves to use to bring discouragement and get us off track. What is that key word, you may ask?
Comparison…
Comparison can cause dissatisfaction, frustration, and jealousy. It tries to rob us off our God-ordained destinies by saying things like… “If only I looked like that, If only I had that personality…If only I could sing like that…If only I…You fill-in-the blank.” That’s why we should prayerfully avoid it and ask the Lord to help us be content with who He made us to be. When we truly appreciate and know that our Heavenly Father doesn’t make mistakes, we can, instead, invest our time wisely and seek Him on how to develop further the abilities He’s given us.
Don’t bury your talents:
The enemy would want nothing more than to have us waste the giftings we’ve been given. There is a powerful parable in the Bible found in Matthew 25. Three servants received “talents” from their master, and two of them actually utilized and furthered what they had been given. The response from “the master” was one that we all want to hear at the end of our lives from the LORD: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
One servant; however, decided that instead of investing the money wisely, he would hide it in the ground. The master’s reaction in this instance was quite different: “You wicked slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.”
Because no action had been taken, the master ordered that the other talents be distributed to the one who had acquired the most because that servant had used wisely what had been given. There are several major takeaways from this parable, but in this particular scenario, we can learn that what God has implanted in us should not be buried in our hearts or remain stationary. Fear is one way that these giftings remain buried. It is a vicious companion of comparison and says things like: “What if I try this and fail?… What will people think? What if someone else could do this better?”…
All of these statements attach themselves to comparison and try to stop us from making a difference with what God has put in our hearts. How about turning those questions around and combating the negative thoughts by saying: “With God’s help, I can succeed. God can use this to help reach people. God has me alive on this earth for a purpose, and I can reach others that someone else can’t.”
Embrace Your God-given Abilities:
“For we are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10. To fully develop our potential, we must seek Him first with all our hearts and ask Him to reveal and develop His dreams for us. Jeremiah 29:11-3 says, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all of your heart.’” As the Lord reveals His purposes for our lives, we need to be faithful and step out in faith. When God opens doors, be fearless and walk forward in obedience.
Encourage Others in Their Callings:
“There are different kind of service, but the same LORD. There are different kinds of workings, but in all of them and in everyone, it is the same God at work.” (1 Corinthians 12:5-6). Life would be boring if we all had the same abilities and the same personalities. When looking at creation, you can see the creative nature of God, and it is the same with us. It is a powerful and beautiful dynamic when many diverse individuals around this world come together to both help and to benefit one another, all for God’s glory.
The body of Christ is better and stronger when we spend our time supporting and praying for one another, instead of competing with each other through comparison. Even if someone else has the same talent as you, that does not lessen the gifting God has placed inside of your heart. You bring your own unique spin that can make a big difference.
Closing Thoughts:
In closing, value the person God made you to be, embrace the giftings He has given you, and encourage others in their callings. You are an original, destined for a purpose. Refuse to focus on comparison, and instead seek the Lord on what He wants you to do for His kingdom. Cheer others on and be excited for their success. And, “fan the flame” both inside of you and inside fellow believers, that will further ignite the spark that can set this world ablaze with the love of God.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
