Use your Gifts, Get Rich

The fact that we were all put on the earth for a reason is an amazing reality.

We all in varying degree's individually contribute something to the human race, but if we'll contend to operate in our individual calling in life we'll certainly contribute substantially more than if we seek to fulfill someone else's plans for our lives.

In the Bible, Jesus tells a powerful parable about a man who had three servants and went away on a long journey. The man left the three servants individual talents and requested they go trade with them and on his return he would receive back what was his with interest. The man went away and the individual servants went about their business. Upon the man's return he gathered in his servants for an accounting and the first two came up trumps, the first who was given 10 talents had produced another 10 talents and gave them to the master. The second servant had 5, and likewise he had produced 5 more so his master was likewise pleased, but last and in this case least, the third servant had been only given one talent and he had decided to bury his talent. And if you read the account in scripture yourself, you'll see that the master, who is a representation of God, was not at all pleased with that servant. The parable explained is a picture of the fact that God gives to us all as his creation individual talents, gifts and resources, and their will come a day of accounting. The pivotal verse which sums up the philosophy of the teaching in this parable are the cryptic words; "To him who ‘has’ more will be given, but to him who does not ‘have’, even what he has will be taken from him." Now I don't know about you but for me at first glance that sounded terribly cruel, till I meditated on what was actually happening here and saw that having and not having is actually a state of mind.

When we look at many of the great rag to riches stories that are out there we realize that some people who begin with apparent lack refuse to allow their external circumstances to limit them, they allow their internal fortitude and a dream to drive them, and these people realize that 'nobody has nothing.' Where ever it is your starting from, however dyer your situation may appear I encourage you with all my heart fight to use it to contribute to the human race, use it to better your position, use it be fruitful and multiply to subdue the earth. We live in a world of abundance. God has designed it so.

I realized when I took a trip to Nigeria, (my wife's home land) that, the privilege I have coming from a country of affluence and opportunity. Many people would gladly trade places with me to have, the opportunities and possibilities I have available to me. I realized I do them a disservice every day that goes by that I squander the opportunities I have before me on procrastination, or fear of failure or laziness.

In order for things to change we must change, only we can live our lives, the reason I believe God wants his people prosperous is because as un-prosperous people all we do is focus on ourselves. 'How am I going to pay the bills?' 'How will I feed my kids?' etc. but when our needs are taken care of, were genuinely in a position to help others.

I like the sentiment expressed in Wallace D. Wattles books if you haven't yet read them I encourage you, their available from my website, they will change your life. He quotes the verse where Jesus say's 'If I am lifted up I'll draw all men unto me. ‘And he explains our trouble is we've been lifting up the wrong Jesus, a Jesus who encourages poverty and lack. As William Barclay say's in his book ‘The Plain Man Looks at the Beatitudes’, breaking down the verse ' blessed are the poor in spirit.' He explains we know, Jesus is not saying blessed are the poor, because there is nothing blessed about being poor. And this is a reality; the Bible says God delights in the prosperity of his servant, not in their poverty. Our poverty is simply the pain, which like the pain we feel when our hand is too close to the fire drives us in the opposite direction. Our poverty sends alarm bells to tell us something’s wrong and should inspire us to seek the knowledge, council and strategy we need to radically make a difference in our lives. When God brought his people out of Egypt, (a picture of us coming out of the world) they wondered for forty years in the wilderness, God insured there was enough miraculously for their provision, but when they came to the promised land it was a time of toil, battling and work. As we stand on the brink of our Canaan land, we testify God has looked after us and kept us this far, but the wilderness is not a place of opulence and blessing. Opulence and blessing will come as a reward for taking our shovel in one hand and our sword in the other and building and battling, seeking first Gods kingdom and his righteousness, Knowing all these things will be added unto us ; (