It is true that many individuals who could have been great accomplishers and architects of breakthroughs in their communities die as failures and underachievers and are buried with their unfulfilled destinies. For us not to be part of this, it is necessary that we constantly reflect on the essence of our existence on earth.
God’s purpose for man from the time of creation is to grow, expand, increase, multiply, develop and dominate. This is clearly spelt out in Genesis 1:28 which says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion.” I don’t consider this as a mere counsel, suggestion or request.
I believe it is an instruction, a definite command, which makes it a binding obligation. It behoves us, therefore, to permanently engrave this important mandate on our minds and constantly seek to accomplish it in all the spheres of our lives. Success, growth and expansion are non-negotiable requirements of our daily existence. As such, there must not be room or excuse for failure, defeat, unproductivity, stagnancy or mediocrity.
The beautiful thing about the mandate we have received from God is that adequate provision has been made for us to successfully fulfill it. This is characteristic of God. He never employs without equipping. Even at the time of creation, He ensured that every other thing had been made before he made man.
The message for us is clear. For anyone seriously willing to discover his calling, maximise his potentials, and fulfil his destiny, adequate provision has been made for him to do so. You may be wondering, how does one measure a successful life? A successful life is one that has creditably performed with his talents, abilities and gifts the tasks assigned to him by God. I cannot imagine how many tasks there are to be carried out in this generation. But one thing is sure, there are as many talents as there are tasks to be performed.
Just for a moment, think of what people are doing at any one time. Right now, some pilots are taking thousands of people in aeroplanes from one location to the other. Some surgeons are busy on their patients in the operating theatre. Some of my pharmacist colleagues are in the factory manufacturing medicines.
Also, at this moment, some people are drilling crude oil, while some are designing high-tech equipment and computers. The lesson is that there is an indefinite number of gifts and talents for all men and women created by God. There is a purpose and room for everyone in God’s hatchery of achievers. This realisation is not only meant to spur us into taking a rightful places in God’s programme for the entire human race, but to also make us see the pointlessness of envying or competing with one another.
In John chapter 15:1 & 2, Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch that beareth fruit, he purges that it may bring more fruit.” It makes God happy to see us making good use of the talents He has given to us. It stirs Him to bless us the more, and we find remarkable joy in His seal of approval upon our lives.
I gave somebody one of my books some time ago, and when she met me again, she told me that she gained a lot from that book. I was very happy that my gift was useful to her. I was even happier when she asked for another one. One secret of effective use of your talents and maximising your potential is continuous and never-ending improvement in whatever you do.
Don’t rest on your oars. Realise that whatever you do is for a time. Life itself is short. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy mind, for there is no work, no device, no knowledge, no wisdom in the grave whither thou goest.”
