Be Careful For The Gifts God Has Placed In You
None of us has come to this earth by accident. Not a single soul has been created by God to simply float from one place to the other waiting on life to simply happen. NEVER!
With Him - THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES. So where does that leave you?
You can find your place in God by doing something I realize I did without realizing what I was doing...
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE APTITUDES YOU HAVE NATURALLY IN YOUR LIFE?
One day I had empty pockets. I would have done anything to have a few bucks, no doubt... and God bless the poor man who had a job for me to who no idea what he was getting himself into!! An elderly gentlemen approaches this 14 year old young man and showed me around his beatiful landscaping. I have never seen such beauty with leaves in all my life. I have no idea how someone can have such a green thumb! - unfortunately this guy was fixing to find out how altogether thumbless I was!
He takes me to a line of bushes and asks if I would please trim them for him. "Do you think you can handle that?", he asked. I thought to myself, "It can't be that difficult it's a few little trees." ... "Sure! I can do it for you..." He handed me the trimmers and went n the house.
I had fun!! I whipped, I wacked... this was easier than I thought!! I cleaned up everything real nice...figuring if barbers get tips shouldn't tree barbers get tipped also? O yeah... I was gonna make me some money!
My new boss steps out onto the front porch with a crisp fifty dollar bill in his hand and a smile on his face. "That looks great!", he said, "Good job!". I grabbed the $50.00 bill, spewed a "Thanks!" and off I went. I was now in the landscaping business - it wouldn't be long and folks would be calling on me to do more fine work!
Until the next day when I got up... I walked outside and looked across the street at the neighbors bushes to awe once again at my artistry. They were dead. Dried up. Drooping. Slouching. Brown. YOU GET THE POINT!! I have never prayed for temporary blindness as I did for my neighbor that day... it wouldn't be a few hours and that $50.00 would be back in his hand for sure!!!
THE LESSON: If you are called to be a painter do not try to be a pilot. You may end up with the nicest painted plane around, but you won't have any paying passengers!!
Naturally I am a leader. I love Spanish culture and language. I love music. I am creative. These things are the heart of my life. God placed these things in me - and He wants me to be confident in the gifts he has given me.
What are your natural abilities and gifts? Have you ever thought about God purposely placing those gifts in you for his kingdom? Do you think that these things are an accident? What an incredible thing to believe with your heart that God has given these talents to you, hand-picked by him, for you to develop them and use them for his glory. He is depending on you!
HOW CAN JAYSON PAGAN MAXIMIZE HIS GIFTS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD??
1. BE HONEST WITH MYSELF
Sometimes taking those tests on "What is your gift?" doesn't go over so well. Why?...The church culture and people around us choose to shine the spotlight on certain gifts. I have caught myself highlighing gifts and abilities on those test that, quite frankly, are things I WISH I had, but are not things God has placed within me naturally. There is nothing wrong with desiring to develop other areas of your life, but I must begin my development by being a great steward with the natural abilities God has given me.
I really like sports...but everyone who knows me knows within the first dabble in a sports conversation that I couldn't name three football players of the NFL during the last 30 years!! It is not my natural inclination.
You need to accept your proclivities. You will find out certainly that the greatest and most peaceful place for you will be functioning within your gifts and natural abilities. These are God given. Others can be developed later - but be honest now about what your's currently are.
No se enfoque en las abilidades que, de veras, no tiene usted. Si usted trate de ser un piloto cuando usted debe de ser artista - saldrá con el avión más bien pintado del mundo pero sin pasajeros. ¡Sea Artista! No hay mejor lugar en este mundo para usted que el lugar donde se encuentra funcionando y serviendo en el reino de Dios con los dones naturales que Él le ha dado.
2. FOCUS ONLY ON THOSE ABILITIES WHICH GOD HAS GIVEN YOU
You need to write down what your natural abilities are and choose a life of growth. FOCUS!
There will be those in your life who will look at you and think you are a better carpenter than you are a leader. There are those who will determine you are best at hospitality than you are at speaking. THEY ARE NOT YOU. Know yourself - be confident. You cannot focus if you are not confident that you are aiming at the right target. Go for the gold!!
KEEP YOUR FOCUS.
3. DEVELOP A PLAN FOR GROWTH
I remember when I first started learning Spanish. I knew I had an aptitude for the language. I remember telling myself I would study an hour every day and would read 20 new words in the dictionary every day.
Not everyone will go after Spanish with such passion; however, if you know it is a gift of God in your life - you owe it to the kingdom to run after it with all of your heart, whatever your gift is.
IF YOU DON'T PLAN TO GROW... YOU WILL NOT GROW. 18 Years later, and I am still studying every day, reading, listening, growing... and I am mastering this language more every day.
If you are going to double, triple, and better yourself - your heart must be set on getting and being better. The wonderful thing is that if God has placed this gift in you, YOU WILL LOVE THE PROCESS. It's not like learning Geometry when you love history... it's like learning history when you love history. It is exciting, challenging, and it is God's will.
MAKE PLANS. Make a schedule. Make a growth plan. Buy books about your gift. Listen to audio books and teachings, seminars and look up every verse in the Bible that surrounds your gift and apply them in your best ability to your life. Pray about your gift. and WATCH THE GROWTH BEGIN TO HAPPEN!
I am amazed at the musical talent in our church. I live next door to the church. At times I will be outside and hear the piano playing and someone who is not even in the church band is inside on the keyboard. I will go over to pray at times and several different people will be on the keyboard playing. It is wonderful to see the people who I used to see focussing on practicing at the church when no one knew about it start showing up as fill-ins and regulars in the church services. IF YOU DON'T PURPOSELY GROW YOURSELF, YOU WILL NOT GROW.
4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WITH THE SAME GIFTS.
One of the greatest decisions I ever made was surrounding myself with leaders. My pastor is a great leader. I have about 6 others in my life with which I surround myself weekly. I stay in contact with them. They help to grow, they question me, keep me accountable, check my prayer life, push leadership down my throat, challenge me in leadership, and help me to grow. I love the round-table principle. A life of mentors, both above your abilities and below your abilities is a MUST.
If you don't surround yourself with people with your gifts, you will only learn and enrich yourself and not be able to gain from anyone else. You will not grow or become mature in this way.
Find someone who can teach you how to use your gifts...and find someone with lesser maturity in the same gift that you can pour yourself into.
5. FIND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN FUNCTION IN THE GIFTS AND CALLING OF GOD
What use is a lightbulb in plain daylight? What value does a hammer have if it sits in a drawer, unused. What difference can a great composer make when he has no orchestra or sheet music? FIND A PLACE WHERE YOUR LIFE CAN COME TO LIFE FOR GOD AND HIS KINGDOM!
If you are an administrator and organizer - find a place that needs organization and offer to give yourself away. Find a pastor that needs help. If you are a musician, find a place where you can serve God and others in leading in worship.
DO NOT WAIT TO BE CALLED ON. How many have lost out...and ended up feeling empty in the kingdom of God because they waited for someone to call on them. FIND A PLACE TO USE YOUR GIFTS !!
You don't just need knowledge, you need ACTION. If you have a gift you need to know three things TODAY...
1) Where can I use my gift at the current level of giftedness? ... Find that place TODAY!
2) When will I be using my gift? ... Make those plans TODAY!
3) Who do I need to tell about my gift? ... Tell those people TODAY!
THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN A BURIED TALENT.
LAUNCH OUT TODAY AND BECOME WHAT GOD HAS DECLARED YOU TO BE BY GIFTING YOU WITH HIS CHOSEN TALENTS!
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About Me-
- Jayson Pagan
- Salina, Kansas, United States
- Being raised in a home void of leadership, leading people does not come natural for me. After creating much havoc and chaos, it is my endeavor to share with others the lessons that I have learned along the way. I am a bilingual minister with the UPCI and have spent time pastoring, evangelizing, and have functioned for the last 8 years as the Administrator of a wonderful and growing Church in Southern Illinois. I have also been at the helm of successfully growing a small construction company to become a multi-million dollar industry. Space does not permit all the lessons learned!