BECOME THAT GIFT TO SOMEONE

As we celebrate Christmas we are reminded of the greatest gift of all. The gift of salvation. That is the reason for the season. Jesus, the Son of God left all of His glory in heaven, and came down to earth and suffered and died for the sake of lost humanity. Thank God for His incredible gift.

Notice that to become that gift, Jesus did two things. First, He left His glory zone, His Father's throne in glory. He stepped out of eternity into our world where He came and lived among us. He identified with us taking upon Himself the form of man. For us to become a gift to others, for our lives to become a blessing to others, for us to add value to others, we must identify with them. We must leave our "thrones in glory", our pride, our arrogance, our "holier than thou attitude", and come down, identifying ourselves with those that we are helping. Those that we are leading and those that we are teaching.


Secondly, He left His comfort zone. He risked His life for us dying for us on the cross. Easter is really why we celebrate this season. He was born to die for us. We fear to die, leaving our comfort zones. We fear to risk, we fear adventure not realizing this is what we were really made for. We forget that we have to take a risk to reap a reward.

This year, I again left my comfort zone, I took a risk, to become a gift to many others as I use the gift that God has given to me. My wife and I realized that, like a ship, we are safe sitting in the harbor, but that's not what ships are built for. Sure there are risks, rogue waves, hurricanes, etc, but if they never set sail, they will never reach their destination. So we launched Two ship solutions and plunged into the deep sea and since then we have been walking on water. We have been able to touch many lives and see many marriages healed and restored. To God be the glory.

We can't wait for what next year holds for us as we continue coming alongside you our beloved readers in helping you and inspiring you to become, yes, that gift to someone if not some people. Thank you for supporting us and for faithfully gleaning from my blog. I believe your lives will never be the same again.

Have a merry Christmas and Fruitful 2012.

WHY WE DON’T USE OUR GIFTS?

Last week we talked about the importance of us using the gifts that have been graciously given to us. We saw how one young man in the eighteenth century by the name William Wilberforce used his oratory gifts to bring an end to slave trade in Britain and thus changed the world.

One of the greatest things God has enabled me to do over the past several years as a Pastor and Coach is to help people discover and develop their gifting. In the recent past I have seen two ladies move into their gifting and are now almost ready to launch their maiden albums in music. I have seen others discover their gifting in the financial sector helping thousands invest their monies wisely. But there are still many who are sitting on their gifts and yet “whole of creation is waiting for the sons and daughters of God to be made manifest.”

Why is it that many are still sitting on their time bombs? There are several reasons why. First as I shared last week, we in the Leadership, especially Church Leadership have failed our people because we have not helped them discover their gifting. And for those who have discovered theirs we are neither helping them nor creating the right environment where these gifts can be deployed.

“He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.’  -Ephesians 4:11-13 (Msg Bible)

Secondly, in comparing ourselves with each other we have despised our gifting or thought that it was so good to serve at a particular place even when God was calling us to a greater ministry using our gifts and talents. We thus end up trying to be something we are not because we have not learnt to look deep down inside ourselves and appreciate what we have got. We instead end up burying it in the ground and not doing business with it.

Far too often we have created a few superstars in the pulpit and made people think that that is how it should be. So the only way we think we can serve God is if we are in the fivefold ministry or some of the very visible ministries in Church. Had William Wilberforce opted to become a preacher rather than a human rights activist, for that is really what he was, could he have made that much impact in the world’s history? If the church that produced the movie “Fireproof” and now “Courageous” hadn’t recognized the gift of film production among its membership, could we have had such great movies?

Thirdly like the servant who buried his gift, we fear to do business with what we have. We are gripped with one of the greatest fears, fear of failure. We fear that we might fail not realizing that failure is very much a part of success. William Wilberforce failed to convince the British parliament for several years before he finally got their approval to banish slave trade. He didn’t let his failure stop him. 

What is it that God has given you? Get out there and try it out. In fact it is as you go that you will come to realize what it is that you’ve got. And that is what it will take to change the world and your world.

ARE YOU USING YOUR GIFT?

Yesterday in the service I attended we were being encouraged to discover our gifts, develop them and distribute them for the overall good of the body. The work of the five-fold ministry, contrary to what many think, is really to prepare believers for works of service. That means you and I as believers, are the ones to do the works of service not just the Pastors, Evangelists or Apostles.

Each of us finds our meaning, our purpose, and function as a part of Christ’s body. Each of us has been given a certain grace, a gift that is to help the whole. A leader’s role is to be a broker of gifts, talents, and resources. Every leader is a manager whose goal should be to maximize everyone’s gift. Every believer is a steward of the abilities he or she has been given. What are you doing with your gift? We have been given a gift so that we can give it to others as a ministry to them.

How the power of using your gift can greatly impact the world is best demonstrated in the movie Amazing Grace. This movie based on the true story of William Wilberforce, this movie shows his courageous quest to end the British slave trade amidst intense opposition from members of parliament in Britain. His is s story of how one man’s passion and perseverance changed the world.

What makes this story even more interesting is the fact that young William initially wanted to become a preacher. But his passion for social justice was driving him crazy especially when he heard and read about the evils of slave trade. Inspired by his Pastor and Mentor John Newton, himself a reformed slave ship captain who penned the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace”, William finally makes the decision to join politics instead of the pulpit, and fight for this just cause. And fight he did to the very end until he convinced several MPs to vote against the slave trade bill thus bringing to an end this vice.

William Wilberforce discovered his oratory gift, developed it and used it to bring to an end one of the worst evils in the human history. And God used him mightily not from the pulpit, but in parliament to change the world. It doesn’t matter what gift you have, God can use you as He used William to change the world through politics, sports, business, the entertainment industry wherever you find to use your gifts and talents in.

“So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…” – Romans 12:5, 6(Msg Bible)

IT’S A WORTHY INVESTMENT

There has been a lot of talk concerning investing your hard earned money. Many Kenyans are now moving from merely saving some money for a rainy day to investing their monies for their retirement. Gone are the days that we only invested by saving in our cooperative saccos and in buying land or mortgages. Now with more information people are investing in the stock market, in real estate and in some off shore trading.

For more on this you can talk to the experts. I don’t purport to be one though I would greatly encourage you to invest not just save your money. One of my greatest passions is investing in people. We are to invest our resources and human beings, people, are a far greater resource than money. Last Saturday, my wife and I were greatly honored by a group of people that we have invested our lives in for the past several years.

We have seen these people grow from literally nothing to something. We have seen them grow from rags to riches, we have seen them grow from a people in debt to a people who are now lending others, from a people who were almost killing each other in their marriages to a people who are now working together as a team in their marriage; from a people who were hiding like Saul behind their “baggage” to some of the greatest leaders in the Church; from people who were almost giving up hope in life to a people who are now motivating others and giving them hope; from a people who walked for 17 kms to church because they couldn’t  afford bus fare to a people who are now driving a SUV.

That has been our greatest investment and I can tell you the rewards are great. Sitting there looking at all these great men and women who are now impacting the lives of many others, made us feel like proud parents. It gave us a sense of accomplishment, a sense of fulfillment and significance. For us this was worth it all not to mention the many words of praise that they had for us. Sharing how much we had impacted and imparted their lives made us feel so humbled yet so honored.

All that coupled with the many wonderful gifts they showered us with together with our children just crowned our year. To us indeed, Christmas came early and from the bottom of our hearts we want to appreciate our “cell”, we love you guys and thank God for the privilege He gave us in investing into your lives. Who do you think we are going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it’s not you? You are our pride and joy. What a legacy we have left behind. 

These words from the scriptures came alive one more time to us during our time together with these leaders this past weekend, 

“God is not unjust He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and do continue to help them.” –Hebrews 6:10.

Who or in what are you investing your life in?

FRUSTRATION CAN BE YOUR FRIEND

Frustrations have been cited for the reason many have quit they jobs, changed their teams or even sort marital counseling. Frustrations have been viewed by many to be something very negative and bad yet what many do not understand is that frustrations can be something good.

According to Wikipedia, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition related to anger and disappointment. It arises from perceived resistance to the fulfillment of individual will. The greater the obstruction, and the greater the will, the more frustration is likely to be. Frustrations may arise from internal conflicts such as challenges in fulfilling personal goals and desires or may be caused by external forces such as a blocked road or a difficult task.

Frustration can be considered a problem-response behavior. We can chose to either respond or react when frustrated. In reacting one may react with anger and attack or behave irrationally causing more damage not only to others but to self. On the other hand one may chose to respond with rational problem-solving methods to overcome the barrier. Remember that it is not what happens to you but rather what happens in you that matters in life.

In a negative way, the frustrated individual may perceive the source of frustration to be outside of their control and thus the frustration will continue to build leading eventually to further problematic behavior e.g. violence or even depression. On the positive side, this frustration will build until a level that is too great for the individual to contend with, and thus produce action directed at solving the inherent problem.

Many successful people have handled frustration in the positive way. When they have let their frustration produce action directed at solving the inherent problem they have become famous. Isaac Newton was frustrated to some extend by the fact that the apple from the tree fell down instead of going up and thus discovered the law of gravity. There are those like Martin Luther who were frustrated by the religious regiment of their time and thus began reading the bible for himself and viola came the revival that would forever change the history of the church. Paul at one point was frustrated too by this demon that was in the girl who kept following him and his team that he ended up casting it out.

Someone has said that money will come to you as a result of solving people’s problems. Most of these problems start as frustrations in our own lives and then when we respond rather than react to that frustration, they begin to do something that will solve that problem. 

In his book The Road Less Traveled, Scott Peck states that “We can learn from the struggles (frustrations) when we discover that it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure”.  No wonder James in his letter in the Bible states:

“When various trials and tribulations crowd into your life, don’t treat them as intruders but welcome them as friends!” (James 1:2, Philips translation)

So welcome frustration as your friend.

THE POWER OF DESPERATION

The word Desperate, means to be filled with despair and ready to do anything, regardless of danger, tried when all else has failed. The word has been viewed many times as being very negative, but it also has a positive side to it.

Desperation is what drives people to do certain things whether good or bad. When some ladies get desperate, realize that their age is going over the hill they will do anything including allowing themselves to become pregnant to get the man commit to them in marriage. A man will settle for any job even if it is giving him peanuts to survive and at least say he is doing something or working somewhere. Desperation is what will make someone pilferage money from his work place to pay for his ailing Mother’s hospitalization. They say desperate times call for desperate measures.

But desperation can also make one get to their destiny, accomplish a major goal or make the necessary change that is so vital for their growth. In the Bible we read of a woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years- a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before. She was desperate, she was hungry for a miracle and so when she saw Jesus passing by, she thought to herself, “if only I could touch the hem of His garment I would be made whole”. With that she moved into action and got her healing.

Now what many of us don’t understand is that for this woman, being, one a woman, and two with her condition, she was considered unclean and was not supposed to touch any man.  For her this was a major risk because if caught she was to be stoned to death. That’s why when Jesus asked “who touched me” she was so scared. Her desperation drove her to the point of daring, risking death, ready to do anything even that which was prohibited by law in order to get what she so badly wanted, her healing.

It’s not what you want but how badly you want it that matters. How hungry are you for success? More than a dream, more than a desire you need to get desperate. Desperation is more powerful than your dream and desire. If desire is the fuel to your dreams, desperation is the wheels that put you to action. Like the Caltex advertisement used to ask, “What drives you?”

“Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is”. – Vince Lombardi