“For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]” (Romans 11:29 AMPC)

Each one of us is created uniquely by the Lord our God, the Awesome Creator.  No two people are alike, not even identical twins.  No two people have the same irises or fingerprints.   There is always a special distinct mark that only you have or I have.  There is a specificity of the gifts and callings that He pronounced over every created being and for us to fulfill it, we need to discover the seed of greatness that He has deposited in us. 

We may be in the journey yet of unearthing the gift in us, chillax and be of good cheer for He Who started a good work in our lives is faithful to fulfill it to a flourishing finish.  All we need to do is keep on seeking Him, for in the seeking, there is a finding of who we are in Christ and who He made us to be when we posture ourselves in His presence.  

Since each one of us is in a class by itself,  we do not compete.  We complement.  We do not compare.  Instead, let us be inspired by those around us.  We all have a part to play in a specific game with a specific lane to run.   We all have a voice to contribute and a sound to play in His divine orchestra.  When our hearts beat in rhythm as His, we produce a heavenly beautiful music.

We never try to walk in someone else’s shoes or else we will trample and fall.  We never try to copy what someone else is doing for we will never find fulfillment in it.  Walk in the anointing that God has called each one of us to walk … as a professor, a scientist, a driver, a tennis player, a homemaker, a pilot, an artist, a janitor, a doctor, a lawyer, a saleslady, an astronaut or what have you.

If you look at David before he went to fight against Goliath, he asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?  Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (Samuel 17:26)  Even in such a young age, the confidence he had was remarkable that those who heard him told Saul about how courageous he was. And so, Saul sent for him. 

Samuel 17 …

³² David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

³³ Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”  Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

David’s testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness made him fearless.  He experientially knew his covenant with God Who consistently fought the battle with him and for him.  You see, our history with God always gives room for us to tell our story and fuels us to fight upcoming challenges knowing that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  If He did it before, surely  He will do it again.

³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

See how Saul dressed David with his own personal weapon?  But David knew that he would not be able to effectively defeat Goliath with someone else’s armor.  He had to go with what he has and what he is used to. He had to walk and fight with his apportioned element.

This is why I so love this story because it emphasizes how we are to walk in our own gifts and callings.  There is a defined specific purpose for each one of us. 

Four decades ago, I discovered and realized that I could compose songs when I’m either extremely happy or immensely in despair.  It went on for a while and then I stopped because I couldn’t see where my music was going and how it can be of use.

Ten years later, I became a believer.  One day, I sat down in front of my piano and the moment my hands hit the keys, a new song suddenly came out and was done in five minutes, with lyrics and melody.  Surprised?  Oh yes, I was awesomely surprised!  This time, my composed songs were all about the Lord and my relationship with Him.  It went on and on for a year or two.  Thankfully I was able to record them on tapes and cds. 

At first I was very hesitant to share them with friends and relatives, but later on, I just went ahead and gave away 100 cassette tapes.  Now, you know which era this was 🙂  But then again, I knew I was not ready for it as I still had that fear of my music being rejected and unapproved.  My self-consciousness got the better of me than having the confidence to bless others by my songs.  For the nth time, I stopped again.

Too often we’re trying to get our worth out of how good our songs, our paintings, our books, our poems or whatever we are doing or creating are.  We consciously wonder if others think we’re good and talented enough, and to meet their expectations, we lose our focus and the joy of doing what are doing and are called to do.  We think of how we can outdo someone else who is on the same game as we are.  We live in a proving mode to impress the world around us. 

For another couple of decades, nothing, not one song came out of me.  I felt stuck, rusted and doubted if I can do it again.

In the meantime, I strongly sensed a tugging in my heart, the Lord leading me to go and enroll in a Bible School.  So I did.  I finished four years of studies and yes, I’m about to graduate this September 2023.  Hallelujah!!!  In this journey of being mentored and meditating the Word of God, I came to have a revelation of my heavenly identity in Christ. In Him I move and live and have my being.  In Him, I am complete.  In Him, I am approved, accepted and loved.  In Him, I am treasured, favored and well thought of.  I finally found my value from the right place, as a daughter of the Most High God, seated in Christ in the heavenly realms. Whatever I do, I do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and not for the applause of men.

Instead of trying to get people to validate me, I spend my energy in giving value to those around me because He has filled me with Himself to overflow.  I became comfortable with the thought of who God made me to be, a song writer, called to bless others.  I no longer vie for the approval of men, but desire to press on to compose more songs that will give the hearers their heavenly assessment.  Just as this blog is created for specific people who can relate what I share, it would be the same with my songs. 

You see, even in food, each one of us has a taste preference.   In the clothes we wear, our fondness of a particular style varies.  In the movies we watch, our inclination towards a certain theme differs. 

As God’s masterpiece, made in His image, He knows what He is doing in us and through us.  He knows who will be ministered to through our lives as His living epistles and it is He Who will equip and position us.  He is the Potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8).   He knows how to mold us and use us that will give Him all the glory, honor and praise. 

A couple of years ago, in the midst of pandemic, I had the desire to buy a new keyboard, an upgrade from my old ones.  All my other gadgets were outdated so they’ve just been parked in one corner.  At that point in time I said to myself, “I will just continue to praise and worship You for You are worthy of it all, Lord!”   I never thought of composing another song.  I just wanted to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords.  But, God is not done with me yet.   When I thought I had forgotten the how to’s of making one, He hasn’t.  Truly, when the Potter puts the clay on the wheel and begins to spin it, He never takes His hands off.  We may think He did, but in truth, He hasn’t.  He patiently takes His time until it begins to take shape of something He desires of us.  We may be a work in progress, but He sees us differently.  He sees something beautiful and valuable.

Surprisingly, as God always is the God of wonders, someone called me up and she said she listened to one of the famous musicians of our country. She heard how that fellow started and where he is now with such remarkable accomplishments. Then, she told me to canvass all the needed pieces of equipment to rebuild my home studio again. When it’s His will, it surely is His bill. Oh how the Lord daily loads us with benefits. Who can stop what He has planned for us? His Word says, our gifts and callings are irrevocable (Romans 11:29) and He is marvelous in His ways to make them come to fruition.

Now, I’m in the process of completing my home studio.  Glory to God!  I may not know yet what He has in store for me, but all I know is that I’m back on track. 

In its time, God will make all things beautiful. He’ll shape us into someone He ever desired us to be and there is nothing and no one can stop Him.

What gift have you discovered in yourself? Know that He has a divine purpose for it. In His Kingdom where He rules and reigns, no one is insignificant. Everywhere we look, our deeds complement someone else’s. We may fight a good fight of faith to be who He called us to be because the enemy hates us to be securd and satisfied when we perfectly fit where we are, but His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect for our weakness.

We are the body of Christ and everyone He chose, called and responded to Him plays an integral part of what He is doing.  No man is an island.  Even our physical bodies are created with parts with specific functions.  An ear is for meant for hearing and not for seeing.  

The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Look at the fields, they are white for harvest. May we be the sons and daughters of the Most High God who choose to serve and make a difference in other people’s lives by the gifts and callings that He infused us with before the foundation of time. If God can use a donkey, He surely can use you and I as we give our all to Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are the church that He is building and no amount of opposition can prevail.  His Kingdom’s invasion is His will for all of us to experience the victory that Jesus won for us.  Heaven on earth is what He desires and He will do this with us, in us and through us.  He desires that this world we’re living in will be filled with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the sea.

I remembered what Dr Myles Munroe wrote in his book: “The wealthiest place in the world is not the gold mines of South America or the oil fields of Iraq or Iran. They are not the diamond mines of South Africa or the banks of the world. The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted.  In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.”

People may have various reasons why they were not able to tap into God’s seed of greatness in them.  But, now, you and I know that a divine purpose-driven, Spirit-led  life is what fully satisfies us.  It is not in our own strength, but it is He Who is effectually at work in us, energizing us and creating in us the power and desire both to will and to work for His good pleasure, satisfaction and delight (Philippians 2:13 AMPC).

Don’t be discouraged if your gift and calling is unclear yet right at this very moment.  Be undaunted and be fully persuaded that God created you with a special purpose.  As you continue to seek Him, to incline your ears and yield your heart to His leading, it will unfold before your very eyes step by step, right in line with the way you are wired.

“WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, I, THE LORD, WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.” (Isaiah 60:22)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for making known to us Your will by the power of Your revealed Word. We ask You, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, to open our eyes to see, to open our ears to hear and to open our hearts to receive what You will be speaking to us about our gifts and callings, that we may walk in them. Thank You, Jesus, that by the power of Your finished work, we are graced to discover the specificity of our gifting, not by our might nor by our power, but by the Spirit of God. It is by Your resurrection power within us in the Presence of the Holy Spirit that will empower and enable us to walk our divine purpose to be blessed, to bless others and to ultimately bless and glorify You with the way we live our lives. We give you all the honor and praise. Amen!