As a performance coach, I have
met many people who are oblivious of their gifts and what they represent in their
lives. Disastrous as this is, it does not exactly stop us from engaging in any
activity. For this reason we are able to either by emulating an influential
person or following the latest trend, join a profession of our choice although
it is not supported by our natural gift. It is a common thing to be influenced
into a vocation by someone you look up to but the result is that we never
really reach our full potential even though we work very hard.
The modeling idea too often proposed by new age thinkers
and coaches can be a real problem as we then discard the idea that each one of
us was created for a specific purpose for the glory of God. This is the mother
of all errors because not to walk in the will of God is the very definition of
disobedience. While modeling itself as a concept is not wrong, like everything else
it can be applied wrongly.
The question of what one must
do or the capacity in which one must serve God is an important one. In the
church we know by scripture that the leadership is equipped with five main
gifts areas although there are many others. It is based on this that we have
Pastors, Apostles, Teachers, Evangelist and Prophets. Each one of these have
special gifting that enables them to play specific roles in the body of Christ.
Paul illustrates this very well in I Corinthians 12. The early discussion of
Spiritual gifts is quickly followed by an expose on the human body and the roles
played by its many parts. Each part of course is built in a special way for a
specific purpose. This order can be traced to the root of creation itself. (Please
read the article: God’s order)
Clearly every engagement must be rooted in a natural gift
as a base. This is what makes effortless for others what others struggle to do.
So that the creator in his infinite wisdom endows every one with a gift or
special capability with which we are to serve. For the workman to accomplish
the task, he needs the right tool. Because each one of us is a part in a larger
body with a gift with which we must play a role for the larger body to function
well.
I have heard many people claiming that they did not do well
in a certain subject in school because of how it was taught to them. My
question will always be simple: were there other people in the same class who
did well under the same teacher and the same conditions? The answer is always resounding
YES.
It is interesting to note that academia recognizes this view
very well. Among the many theorist of performance Abraham Maslow stands tall with
his theory on self-actualization. In the many articles he will re-echo what has
already been established in scripture thousands of years before him:
“Self-actualization
is the intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism, or more accurately,
of what the organism is”. (Psychological Review, 1949)
In other words to be the best you can be, you have to be
what you already are. You are a musician before you become a musician.
“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.” (Motivation and Personality, 1954.)
He is clearly in agreement
that a person will be born with a gift of some sort and that to be his/her
best, it is important to function from that gift. The gifts are pointers to how
to serve within Gods will. Anything short of this must be seen as disobedience
of the highest order. It is disloyalty to the larger body that must depend on
you as an organ created to perform a specific function. Similar to how your
body depends on your liver.
Every entity like the church
has a purpose for existence and this purpose can only be reached when its members
play the various roles they are assigned. Their performance in their roles
determines the overall performance of the entity they are a part of just as the
performance of your liver will determine the state of the whole body. This
could be a family or a business etc. Your existence originated with God and
must stay with him if it is to be what he made it to be. His gifts are the
pointers that should give an idea of what you are naturally capable of. Whiles
this is not the only deciding factor to ensuring the maximization of your
existence, it is a matter of great importance to be considered if your
intention is to give your best in your current occupation and larger life. God
demands high performance of you regardless of what you are doing.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy
might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave,
whither thou goest. Ecclesiastics 9:10
You are invited to the next session of H O P E M A N
Exhortations call 0268 388 60 for details.
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