UTILIZING YOUR TALENTS

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, “Occupy till I come.” … And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.  And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him - Luke 19:12-26.

INTRODUCTION

Depending on the translation of the Bible you have, you are likely to find that several choices of words are used by various Bible translations. For King James Version Luke 19:13 is rendered, “Occupy till I come.” For New American Standard Bible we read, “Do business with this until I come back.” Another translation says, “Trade, get yourself busy until I return from my trip abroad.”

Whatever translation you have and the ways it is written in you Bible, one thing is evident – God has made an investment in your life. He has given you a gift. He has given you a valuable material to work with.

Whether we are putting these gifts to work and how we are putting them to work are all different issues. God expects us to utilize what He has given us to work for Him.

From our reading of Luke 19:12-22, we see that some people utilized their deposits well but some did not. In fact, one person “hoarded” (stashed away his gift in a handkerchief, v.20). What does it mean to hoard or keep one’s gift in a handkerchief?  Lack of utilization.

But despite the one who failed to utilize his talent, other recipients gave good accounts of their stewardships and were adequately rewarded by the Master. Gifts are given to be used, not to be stored away or be used for selfish reasons other than what it was originally meant for. When you invest your deposits, they multiply; they bear fruits and you will be adequately compensated as those who put theirs to good use were (Luke 19:15-18).

WHAT IS TALENT?

The Greek word for Talents is “Talanta.” It refers to creative natural ability or aptitude…a special ability. Examples include the gift or talent for art, music, sports, dramatic arts, leadership, teaching, speaking, cooking, etcetera. Every talent has two sides. It is said that every virtue has a vice, or defect. In the same vein, every gift and talent has a "dark side," a defect, or its temptation. It can be used positively or negatively.

Using popular local musicians as examples: Imagine the kinds of glorious and godly influences the duo of Flavour and Phyno-Phyino could wield for God’s Kingdom if they are using their talents positively.    

TALENTS ARE TO BE EXERCISED

Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in II Timothy 1:6-7 and encouraged him to, "…to fan into flame the gift of God…." (NIV). "To fan into flame" is like poking among the ashes in a fire-pit to find a glowing ember so you can reignite the morning fire. It Is as if St. Paul speaks to us through Timothy, "I’m reminding you to stir up the ashes off the God-given gifts and talents that already are within you. You have within you a spirit of power, not of cowardice or timidity."

We must understand that our talents are what defines our destinies. Each person who comes into this world is endowed with certain gifts. These gifts determine your place and location in life. To lose your talent is to lose your identity. Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed:

Every person must have a concern for self, and feel a responsibility to discover one’s mission in life. God has given each normal person a capacity to achieve some end. True, some are endowed with more talent than others, but God has left none of us without talent. Potential powers of creativity are within us, and we have a duty to work assiduously to discover these power.  

GOD, YOU AND YOUR TALENTS

Who you are is a gift from God, but what you become out of who you are is your gift back to God.

We can never repay God for the gift of His Grace but using our talents and abilities to His glory are one of the small ways we tell him how much we appreciate what He has done in our lives.

God wants your life to count for Him. God wants to use you in the service of His Kingdom. You do not have to be an evangelist with a university degree to be used by God. God desires to use everyone who is in is Kingdom no matter what and who they are.

Our lives revolve around God’s purpose. It should be the epicenter of our individual and collective existence. When my life does not yield fruits towards expansion of God’s Project on earth, I am considered a “waste” of colossal magnitude to Him.

The greatest gift anyone can give to Lord is self (II Corinthians 8:1-5). It is only when you have given yourself to the Lord can anything you give be appreciated. You and I are resources that the Lord has deposited in is Kingdom to be used. When we make ourselves available, He will use us greatly (II Timothy 2:19-22).

You may not have an overt talent such as public speaking ability. Your ability could be covert. However, you may be doing God’s Service the greatest good only when you deploy your gifts to use. Some of those who impacted God’s Work greatly accomplished that by doing simple jobs such as saying to a prospect, “Come and see.” . That was Philip’s talent or ministry (John 1:44-46).

In his book, The Purpose Driven Life (p. 230), Rick Warren observed, 

“...there are no insignificant ministries in the church. Some are visible, some are behind the scenes, but all are valuable. Small or hidden ministries often make the biggest difference.”

God has given you unique abilities, talents, and gifts. This bundle of talents is the thing God has given you that makes you who you are and sets you apart from other people. God gave you talents to benefit others, not yourself. God also gave other people talents that benefit you.

We are all a part of the body of Christ, and each part matters. There are no insignificant people or insignificant gifts in the family of God. You are shaped to serve God, and He is testing you to see how you are going to use the talents he gave you.

They may be great or small in your eyes, but they matter to God. When God made you, He made an investment in you, and expects a return on that investment. Are you using what He has given you for the benefit of His Kingdom?

When God gives you a talent, He expects you to use it. It is like a muscle. If you use it, it will grow. If you don’t, you’ll lose it. If you have a talent but are afraid to use it, or if you get lazy and don’t use it, you are going to lose it. Like the parable of the ten talents in Luke 19, if you don’t use what God has given you, he will take it away and give it to someone else who will.

VARIETIES OF GIFTS, VARIETIES OF USAGES

Hebrews 11, the Hebrews Hall of Faith shows that God can use anybody in any calling to accomplish His Will:

• 11:3 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” Abel the shepherd.
• 11:6 “By faith Noah” - a carpenter and ark builder.
• 11:8 “By faith Abraham” - a business man.
• 11:11 “Through faith also Sarah” - a homemaker.
• 11:23 “By faith Moses” - a politician, a political leader.
• 11:30 “Joshua” - a general.
• 11:31 “By faith the harlot Rahab” - a former harlot.
• 11:32 Gideon, Barack, Samson, and Jepthah - were judges.
• 11:32 David, a king, and Samuel, a prophet.

YOUR TALENT IS BETTER UTILIZED THROUGH SERVICE

Give God and His Church your time. Make yourself available for Church activities such as Worship, Bible Study, Prayer Meetings, Singing Practice, Evangelism, Visitation, etcetera and you will be utilizing your talents.

It is only through service that we can utilize our talents for expansion of God’s Kingdom. Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord and he said, “Here am I send me?” (Isaiah 6:8). No time is well utilized and invested than that which we spend in God’s Presence and in doing God’s Will.

A young man gave Jesus his lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes (John 6:8-13). Peter gave the Lord his boat to preach with (Luke 5:1-11). Midwives cast their votes for the growth of nation of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 1:15-22). In each of these, people gave their talents and treasures and made them available to the Lord towards the growth of His work in lives and communities of men; each person received greater dividend than they had invested.

When we labour for the Lord, He in turn labours for us. When we cultivate in His Vineyard, He in turn cultivates in our respective vineyards. You cannot out-give God. Give Him your talents and treasures. Ensure that you have a Kingdom-Investment Mentality (KIM).

Take active parts in whatever your Congregation is doing. Volunteer to take up assignments during Worship services even when you feel shy and inadequate inside of you. Learn to fan your gifts into flame (II Tim. 1:6-7). Learn to do things. We only learn to do by doing. The more you practice, the more you perfect and horn your skills in those directions.

Acquired skills and expertise can be used to serve others and glorify God as well. Public speaking, facilitation skills, writing, and expertise in computers, graphic arts, or audio/video technology can all have a place serving within the Body of Christ.

Sometimes people use their natural talents or acquired skills in concert with their spiritual gifts. Someone may have a tremendous musical talent. The person can use this musical talent by singing songs that glorify God.

TALENTS ARE TO BE UTILIZED IN OUR LITTLE SMALL CORNERS

We need to consider how we are using the talents that the Lord has given us. It matters little to the Lord what occupation we have. He does not call all of us to have a big effect on huge numbers of people or to profoundly change the quality of this world. All He asks us is to shine our little lights wherever we are. The Lord does not measure our success by the tremendous impacts we have made by our willingness to be used by Him. Our faithfulness in the application of our talents is what matters to Him. When we do our best, He will do the rest.   

To take all that you are and all that you’ve got and use it to make much of God—there’s nothing greater you can do with your life. There’s no higher purpose than to take your time, your treasure and your talents and use them to glorify God.

When you live for the glory of God, you’re doing what you were created to do. And you become who you were created to be. Whoever you are, wherever you’ve come from, your reason for existence on planet earth is the same. You have been created for the glory of God - to take all that you are and all that you have and use it to magnify God.

“How do we best utilize the resources God has given us to have an impact for God’s purposes?”

Unwrap Your Talent, Unwrap Yourself!

Now, what this means is that you, first, must unwrap the gift God’s given you.

Did you notice what Peter assumes in this verse? “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another” (4:10). He assumes each and every Christian has received a gift, a talent, from God.

The problem with many Christians is that many of us have never unwrapped the gift God has given us. He has given it to us, we have received them, but they are still in their various wrappings. They are nicely wrapped and impressively looking, but they are yet to be opened. So, they remain unused and are, therefore, are of no value to us and to God. Worst of all, because most of us have never opened the gift, the Giver Himself remains unappreciated and un-thanked. How could you praise Him for a gift, the contents of which are still to you a mystery?    

Some of us might be thinking, “How do I unwrap my gift?” Here are a few specific suggestions:

1.   Familiarize yourself with your God-given talents.

2.   Try to identify what you like doing most

3.   Ask others how they are spiritually helped by what you do. Ask those who know you well to share with you how you have spiritually strengthened them, and what they think is your talent. This could be your close friend or a trusted person at church. While you may have trouble understanding what your own talents may be, you may find that your talents are much clearer to those around you and who have been impacted by them.

4.   Participate in Church activities. This will provide a great opportunity for you to discover more about your talents. These are platforms where you can learn how to develop and then deploy those talents for God’s glory.   

Don’t Waste Your Gift—Use It Well 

Some Christians squander their talents. How do we squander or waste God’s gifts? Certainly, the first is by failing to unwrap the gift God’s given you, as we’ve already pointed out. But a second way we squander God’s gift to us is by failing to fan your gift into flame.

This was Timothy’s problem, a problem the apostle Paul had to address head-on, not to embarrass Timothy, but to help him realize how high the stakes were. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul recounts how richly blessed Timothy’s been with a godly heritage of faith. He then gets to his main point: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God” (II Timothy 1:6). Evidently, Timothy was a bit timid; fear had gotten the better of him and was now hindering him from using his gift. That why Paul says what he says to him: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (II Timothy 1:7). In a word, Paul was simply saying to Timothy: use it, don’t sit on it. In fact, don’t just use it on occasion, as need arises or you feel particularly inspired; work constantly and tirelessly at using it. In other words, don’t waste your gift; use it well.

CONCLUSION

What will matter most in eternity is how we individually are able to impact God’s Kingdom using the instrumentality of what we have been endowed with.

When we stand before God, will He say to us, “Well done faithful servant” or will He say, “You wicked servant”? What He will say to us is determined by how we utilized our talents towards the expansion of His Kingdom on planet earth.   

WELCOME TO INSPIRATIONS INTERNATIONAL!

At INSPIRATIONS INTERNATIONAL! Our goal is to:

• INSPIRE your Inspirations.
•  MOTIVATE your Motivations.
•  Encourage you to DOUBT your Doubts and to have FAITH in your Faith.

 To achieve these, we encourage you to:

• Inspire yourself.
• Inspire others.
• Listen to your inner voice and do good.
• Make the world a better place by being better than your best because a better world begins with “Me.
• Overcome your fear by taking the first step.
• Realize that no one can do for you what you can do for yourself.
•  Up the ante of your social relevance by becoming emotionally intelligent.
• Create emotional bank accounts and endeavour to lodge in huge deposits. The good you do today will come back tomorrow to reward or to haunt you.
• Factor in the fact that actions of today are either CREDITS or DEBITS. Therefore, do not destroy tomorrow by your actions of today. Rather, build your tomorrow by your actions of today.
•  Recharge your destiny by developing your self-confidence.
•  Develop the philosophy that allows you to realize that people matter.
• Realize that today is the bridge between yesterday and tomorrow.
• If you would not remember yesterday, endeavour not to forget tomorrow.
• A better world begins with me. The time to build that better world of my dream is, TODAY.
  ____________________________
  Hilary Johnson Chukwuma Chukwurah is the President, INSPIRATIONS INTERNATIONAL!
  E-mail:inspiringinspiratorsinternational@gmail.com
  or hilaryjohnsonc@gmail.com.
   
  

WELCOME TO INSPIRATIONS INTERNATIONAL!

At INSPIRATIONS INTERNATIONAL! Our goal is to:

•  INSPIRE your Inspirations.
•  MOTIVATE your Motivations.
• Encourage you to DOUBT your Doubts and to have FAITH in your Faith.

To achieve these, we encourage you to:

• Inspire yourself.
• Inspire others.
• Listen to your inner voice and do good.
• Make the world a better place by being better than your best because a better world begins with “Me.”
• Overcome your fear by taking the first step.
• Realize that no one can do for you what you can do for yourself.
• Up the ante of your social relevance by becoming emotionally intelligent.
• Create emotional bank accounts and endeavour to lodge in huge deposits. The good you do today will come back tomorrow to reward or to haunt you.
•  Factor in the fact that actions of today are either CREDITS or DEBITS. Therefore, do not destroy tomorrow by your actions of today. Rather, build your tomorrow by your actions of today.
• Recharge your destiny by developing your self-confidence.
• Develop the philosophy that allows you to realize that people matter.
• Realize that today is the bridge between yesterday and tomorrow.
• If you would not remember yesterday, endeavour not to forget tomorrow.
• A better world begins with me. The time to build that better world of my dream is, TODAY.

 God Bless YOU

____________________________

Hilary Johnson Chukwuma Chukwurah is the President, INSPIRATIONS INTERNATIONAL!

E-mail: inspiringinspiratorsinternational@gmail.com or hilaryjohnsonc@gmail.com.

 

YOUR FUTURE IS IN YOUR PICTURE

By

Hilary Johnson Chukwuma Chukwurah

It was Bishop David Oyedepo who said, “You cannot feature in a future that you cannot picture.” Without sounding ambiguous, I affirm with every sense of seriousness that your future is in your picture. Therefore, obtain a picture and live! You cannot have a future without a corresponding picture to guide your journey. 

 William James, One of America’s foremost Psychologists wrote, “There is a law in Psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.”

I would like to commence this presentation by asking simple but salient questions – questions that I am convinced would jolt us out of our reverie; questions that are meant to spur us to greatness and awaken the giants in each of us. I dare ask - do you want to move from:

§  Zero to Hero?

§  Grass to Grace?

§  Upgrade from nobody to Somebody?

§  Transit from failure to Success?

§  Graduate from poverty to Prosperity?

If these questions speak to your heart’s desires, then, you must change your thinking. Your desire must be strong. You must have the spirit of No Retreat, No Surrender.

What I want to share with you goes by different nomenclatures: Shakti Gawain calls it, Creative Visualization. Dr. Maxwell Maltz calls it, Psychocybernetics. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale calls it, Possibility Thinking. I call it, Your Future is in Your Picture!

To establish and justify the fact that I will not be talking mere psychology, I want us to look at some Bible passages:

 At Ephesians 3:20 God’s Word says you can exceed your expectations – “Now unto Him who is able to do EXCEEDINGLY and ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ASK or THINK, according to the POWER that WORKS in us….”  

Psalms 81:10 says, “I am the LORD Thy God who brought you out of the land of Egypt: OPEN WIDE YOUR MOUTH and I will fill it.”

IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE MENTAL PICTURES IN OUR LIVES

A Chinese proverb says that a picture is worth a thousand words. Obtain a picture and live.  The picture you have determines the future you possess. While some people have appropriate pictures of themselves, others do not. At Jeremiah 1:11-12, God confronted Jeremiah and asked, “… Jeremiah, what seest thou?” Jeremiah replied, “I see a rod of an almond tree.” The LORD said to him, “Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” The picture you have determines what God will bring to bear upon your life.

Jesus encountered a man who was blind. Realizing that the man’s life was filled with restrictions, He took him aside to restore his sight. At Mark 8:22-25 we read, 

And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw anything. He looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

First, the man did not see as he ought to see. He saw men as trees. Jesus knew that he was not seeing clearly. He did what He did and the man’s sight was fully restored. He began to see clearly. I dare to ask you:

§ What do you see?

§ Who do you see?

WHAT you see is as important as WHO you see. Fact remains that the you, you see is the you, you will be. Twelve men were sent to spy out God’s Promised Land to Hebrews enroute Canaan. Two men came back with the appropriate picture but ten came back with wrong pictures in their minds. Their report said it all, “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:33).

Do you see a giant or a grasshopper? Do you see an achiever or a failure? Do you see a person on a world stage or a person relegated to the background? Do you see a job creator (employer) or a job seeker? What you see is what and who you finally become. …we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

IMAGINATION: KEY TO PICTURING YOUR FUTURE

To create a future you so desperately desire, imagination must be your strong ally. William James made a significant statement that I consider critical:

There is a law in Psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.

The formation of this “picture in your mind” is nothing other than the use of imagination. Imagination enables you to create mental pictures. When these pictures are fully developed, an imagineer begins to piece the images on his/her mind together, a kind of putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Every great invention or innovation followed this process. There is nothing mystic about it.

Dale Calvert, a networker employed this method of picturing one’s future in one’s picture to achieve success in his networking business. In their book, Dream Achievers: 50 Powerful Stories of People Just Like You Who Became Leaders in Networking Marketing, Anthony and Erik Masi quoted Mr. Calvert as saying,

When I started my business, I lived in a little 600 square-foot house. To inspire myself, I would drive my beat-up Chevette over to a really nice community where there were huge houses on a lake. I took pictures of these gorgeous homes in their beautiful settings. I’ll then put them all around my house and visualize one day that I would live there too. Nine years later we bought a home there! And right now, I’ m building a 15, 000 square-foot home on a 100-acre piece of land.        

BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING A MENTAL PICTURE

In his book, Success Secrets of Self-made Millionaires, Brian Tracy advocated the employment of Back-From-The-Future thinking. According to him, this is a powerful technique that is practiced by high-performing men and women which can have an amazing effect on your mind and on your creative abilities. He suggested that individuals should create visions for themselves for the long-term future. The clearer your visions are, the more you are likely to be driven by them and to achieve them. “When you create a mental picture of where you are going in life, you become more positive, more motivated and more determined to make it a reality. You trigger your natural creativity and come with idea after idea to help you make your visions come true…. Perhaps, the greatest discovery in human history is that you become what you think most of the time.” He wrote.

MAXIMIZE YOUR IMAGINATIVE CAPACITY

The word, “Imagination” comes from the root words, Image and Imaging. To “imagine” means to see through the mind’s eyes. To imagine, therefore, entails seeing in your mind the formation or existence of a thing. It conveys to us the understanding of the process of allowing a given phenomena take shape. This picture that takes shape in a creative mind is what finally becomes a product or service in the real world. It is pertinent to state that imaginative people are creative people.

To some people, their imagineering capabilities have been so developed that imagineering has become their second nature. Great minds like Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, etcetera were like that. In modern times, imaginative people are scattered all over the globe and can be found in various research centers, Research and Development departments of small, medium and large corporations. The interesting thing is that these are also found in various homes, schools and offices. One of the characteristics of imaginative people is that they see farther than their peers, see worth in worthless things and potentials in seemingly inconsequential objects.

Imagining how birds fly was what provided the idea-seed for Wright Brothers to think of a flying machine that could move people from place to place. This was at a time when common belief had it that whatever went up must surely come down. However, imagination and determination proved to be two great allies in the desire of these two brothers who worked hard to invent airplane.

The science of telepathy was what gave birth in the imagination of Graham Bell who imagined the possibility of inventing a device that could enable people to communicate with one another. Today, we have telephone in various designs and capabilities. O'Callaghan (1999:1) writing on Imagineering: The art or science of using imagination to intuitively make practical applications from knowledge observed:

 Imagination and intuition are the foundations of all improvements and advancements made by humankind. If someone had not imagined it was possible for man to fly, no one would have attempted to fly.  If no one had intuitively reasoned a propeller shaped like an airfoil could be used to power aircraft, no one would have attempted it. Imagination or intuition is the basis for all advancements and new designs.  The design of all prototypes is based solely on intuition.  The designer intuitively reasons or imagines the design and designs changes that result in the working prototype.  Only after testing does the design cease to be intuitive or imaginative, instead becoming scientific fact.  Until then it only existed in the designer's mind or imagination. Imagination is the process by which the human intellect travels beyond the limitations of his or her senses; imagination opens doors to an abstract world that is governed by the same rules as the physical world. The science of Imagineering is based on intuitively applying the laws of the physical world to an abstract imaginary world in an orderly and consistent manner to make predictions.  These processes give scientific credibility to imagination and intuitive reasoning.

MOSES: EXAMPLE OF FUTURE IN YOUR PICTURE

Moses' life is a study of faith in action. He demonstrated the Can-Do Spirit of an average person. He showed that human beings have the capacity to dare any odd and to come out victorious. There is power that inhabits every one of us. You can, if you think you can. Moses was a man who understood that the picture you form in your mind goes a long way in determining the future you will have, if only your faith can take a long look.

MOSES: VISION OF BECOMING PRINCE, JUDGE AND DELIVERER

Moses' life is an inspiration. Exodus 2:11-15 tells us. At Exodus 2:14, Moses was asked, “Who made you a Prince or a Judge over us?”

Why and how? Was he accusing Moses for accusation sake or was Moses guilty of trying to be a “Prince and Judge” over them? Moses actually envisioned himself as a Prince and Judge or Deliverer over the Hebrews in Egypt.

A careful study of the Hebrews in Egypt in the days, “When the Pharaoh who knew not Joseph” came to power (Exodus 1:8) and all the diplomatic games he had played in slashing down the Hebrews' population, including the circumstances that surrounded the birth of Moses, all revealed that the Hebrews' daily lives in that era in Egypt were that of “Sighing and groaning” (Exodus 2:23-24). At a point in the lives of Hebrews in Egypt, despondency set in as a result of their “Cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9).

Moses, at 40 years had observed the humiliations, exploitations and other numerous human right violations perpetrated against his people by the powers that were. Simply stated - the Hebrews were dehumanized. Over the years, Moses' people's pathetic state and tales had brought mist into the man's eyes. He had pondered over and over what should be done. One day, however, an idea dropped into his mind as Acts 7:23 tells us, “As he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind….” Mark the phrase, “...entered his mind.” Just before his fortieth birthday, an idea came into his mind; a vision flashed on the screen of his mind, immediately, he took hold of it, not letting go his grip on it.

What was Moses’ vision, his idea? To Deliver and Judge his people; to give them respite! To borrow Dr. Schuler's terms: when Moses had “Nested,” “Invested,” and “Crested” his ideas, he swung into action. Led by his vision as a Redeemer/Deliverer, he came upon an Egyptian pummeling a Hebrew, slew him and buried his corpse. That was an act of a redeemer and deliverer. Encouraged by his success, he ventured into the work of a Judge when he saw two Hebrews as they fought each other. In trying to mediate between them, he was told off by the offending party. Realizing that his act of redemption of a Hebrew, which eventually led to the death of an Egyptian had become an open secret; aware also that Egyptians would view the death of a fellow Egyptian who died for a 'worthless' Hebrews as treasonable, Moses ran away from Egypt and went into seclusion in Median.  

Succinctly stated, Moses saw the plight of his people and despite his royal upbringing longed to share in their lives (Hebrews 11:24-26). With a long-term view of an end to their sufferings, he saw the Hebrews as a people without a leader, sat down with his education and special training and mapped out strategies towards accomplishing his vision. His faith had a long look.

To reach his goal and accomplish his mission of delivering his people, he first envisaged himself as a Prince, a Hebrew Prince, Judge and Deliverer. As a Deliverer, he killed an Egyptian who was trying to kill a Hebrew. As a Judge, he went to mediate between two fighting Hebrews.

Although, those he had tried to salvage rejected him, yet, he kept the rope and after another forty years, his vision came through. Acts 7:32-36 tells us that his vision as a Judge and Deliverer over his people clicked. Moses had held tenaciously to his visions.

Desires of tough-minded optimists die-hard. Dare to dream. Hold on to the line, be tough skinned and don't give in to doubt, frustrations and discouragement. At Acts 7:32-36, Stephen, the first Christian martyr while he recapitulated on God's scheme of things for the nation of Israel and for the rest of mankind as it concerns human salvation strategically posited Moses and told how Moses' visions of becoming a Prince, Judge and Deliverer came to fulfillment:

But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him; but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, “Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?” But the one who was injuring his neighbour; pushed him away, saying, “WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?” And at this remark Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Median, where he became the father of two sons. And after forty years had passed, an Angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burring thorn bush. And when Moses saw it, he began to marvel at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.” And Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. But the Lord said to him, “Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place you are standing is holy ground. I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them. Come now, and I will send you to Egypt.” This Moses whom they disowned, saying, “WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?” is one whom God sent to be both a RULER AND DELIVERER with the help of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

“Dreams do come through and true!” I thought I heard you say. Yes, dreams do come through and true. I want you to remember that for Moses it all started with a tiny seed-vision when it “entered into his mind.” I am convinced that when Moses muted that idea to some of his friends and close relatives, they must have laughed at him. Some may have tried to sow seeds of doubt and discouragement in him. Some may have made certain pessimistic comments about the visions he had expressed. Obviously, there were criticisms and other negative comments by those who seem to be ‘rationale.’ You may have come across these kinds of people who would take you through the drills of “reason” with all the facts that it is not possible; that it can't be done.

Read this: when Wrights' Brothers were working on their “Flying machine” idea, a somewhat skeptical editorial which appeared in New York Times of May 25, 1908 observed, “Flying machines, one and all, have quickly illustrated the adage of our youth, 'What goes up must come down.' ” Today, the skeptics have been proved wrong while  Wright Brothers have been proved right. When Graham Bell went to a bank to obtain loan to finance the production of his telephone machine, the irate bank manager drove him away because his idea was not only impracticable but weird as well. You and I are witnesses to the doggedness, can-do spirit and workability of the very ideas that were repudiated by the “experts” because, today, not only are machines flying and men could speak to each other from one end of the earth to the other, but also the fact that the world has been revolutionalized and made better by these two inventions. The world would not have been what it is today if these inventors had given in to the tauntings and skepticisms of those around them. Someone had rightly observed:

Beware of those who stand aloof and greet every venture with reproof; the world would stop if things were run by men who say, “It can't be done!”

Don't kill that dream; execute it! Be assured that any dream that would bring glory and praise to God; cause the expansion of God's Kingdom in the hearts and communities of men and ultimately bring blessings upon mankind is a seed of good from God. Writing to Philippian Christians in Philippians 1:6 and 2:13, Apostle Paul under inspiration wrote,

Of this I am convinced, that He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion… for it is God who is at work within you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Dare to create that picture and God will see to it that it becomes your future. Let your faith a telescopic view. I do not know the vision you have of yourself. Do yourself this favor: whatever may be the circumstance of your present, hold on to the rope. Someday, somewhere and somehow it will click. At Habakkuk 2:3, God's Word has this to say:

For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.

MY CHARGE

I charge you to see the hero/heroin in you.

I charge you to see beyond the restrictions of your present.

I charge you to see beyond the limitations of your environment.

I charge you to see beyond your parental background.

I charge you to see beyond your personal limitations.

I charge you to have faith in your faith and to doubt your doubt.

CONCLUSION

Your future is in your pictures. At Revelations 3:18, Jesus challenged, “I counsel thee to … anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” May God enable you to see what and who you ought to see for the glorious future that He had ordained for you in Jesus’ name!

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Hilary Johnson Chukwuma Chukwurah is the President, INSPIRATIONS INTERNATIONAL!