UNLEASHING YOUR POTENTIAL FOR INCREASE
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” – John 12:24.
The potential of a grain of wheat to produce and multiply is released when the grain is planted in the earth. You never realize the full potential of a seed until the seed is planted. An “Orange seed” is potentially an “Orange tree capable of having many Orange fruits” but it will never manifest its full potential of becoming an Orange tree and having many fruits until it is planted in the soil and cultivated. Such is the life of an individual! Many people are born with lots of talents, gifts and potentials but potentials that are not released cannot produce fruits.
Some people are so self-absorbed and unable to break out of their small “self-centred life”. God did not create you just so you could live and die for your “self”. God has not endowed you with gifts and resources just for you to hoard them and die with them. Your life is a seed waiting to be planted. And your God-given talents, gifts and resources are also seeds waiting to be planted. Until you are willing to die to your “Self” and live for a cause bigger than “Self” you will never release or realize your full potential for increase.
Someone can be gifted and yet end up with nothing. I have seen some gifted people with no desirable or commensurate results to show for their gifts. A gift that is not committed to useful and productive engagements will eventually become a liability. In the parable of talents (Matthew 25:14-29), we are told of a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants, and gave unto them his goods. Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his ability. It is important to note that none of the servants was given resources that he didn’t have the ability to manage. The one that was given five talents went and traded with his talents and gained five talents. The one that had two talents also traded with his talents and gained two talents; but the one that was given one talent went and hid the talent. After a long time their master returned and rewarded the two servants that traded and made profit with their talents by blessing each of them with more resources and larger sphere of influence. However the one that hid his talent dug up the talent from where he had buried it and returned it to his master. The master called the unprofitable servant “a wicked and slothful servant” and rebuked him for not engaging his talent in profitable ventures. The Master then ordered that the talent be taken from him and given to the one that had ten talents. Thus the one who refused to trade with his talent became poorer whereas the other servants that traded with their talents became richer. The unprofitable servant was a self-absorbed person who had a twisted mindset and negative impression of others around him especially his master. His negative mindset put him in a miserable condition, sabotaged his ability and talent, and rendered him useless to himself and to other people. There are some people today who ought to be frontline sponsors and financiers of the work of the Kingdom but have refused to invest their resources in the work of the Kingdom because of the negative impression they have formed about pastors and the church of God. Some Christians don’t pay their tithe because of ignorance and the negative impression they have formed about their own pastors. We learn from this parable that those who refuse to engage their God-given talents and resources in ventures that are profitable to the Kingdom of God will eventually forfeit their resources to those that will use their resources for the benefit of the Kingdom of God. Until you are faithful with the little you have God will not give you more. And anyone who buries his talent does not qualify for divine promotion or increase. If you keep judging churches and pastors by their weaknesses you will become a discouraged Christian. I can assure you that God knows how to discipline Pastors who abuse God’s resources and I’ll advise you to leave them to God. If you must judge your pastor, then judge him by his efforts and not his weaknesses. When you judge him by his efforts you will be motivated to serve the Lord. Don’t let the opinion you have of churches or pastors hinder you from doing the will of God. A talent buried is a loss to the Kingdom of God. God needs your talent. Get involved today!
