Stop sleeping on your talent!

It's 2021, and even though the #newyearnewme and #newyearresolutions vibes have gone down (because it's March already and people are already slacking, as usual🥴), there is still that inherent desire to be better this year. The deep longing to be successful is still inside of you. You wanna get it out? Keep reading!

First of all, to have a great year, you must start your year with God! Draw your plans for the year with God. Seek a vision from God for your year. Once you receive a vision from God for what He wants to achieve through you in the year, set goals, SMART goals, to help you achieve that vision. Draw plans, set up systems, build habits aligned to your plans and goals. Let your plans and habits align with God's vision for your life for that year. Just like Habakkuk 2.2-3 says 'And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry'. Keep the vision from God and run with it.

God has endowed every single person on this planet with gifts, talents, potentials; drops of uniqueness inside each person to make them great to the glory of His name. A common mistake most Christians make is being lazy. We like to believe or think that God is supposed to work out the miracles and magic for us while all we do is eat. We rather pray that God 'leads' someone to bless us with our needs, than praying for strength and grace to step out and get what we want or need! God endowed us with these gifts and talents to put them to good use, not to sleep on them. He provides the opportunities and platforms we need to work on them, He blesses our efforts and the works of our hands. But if we don't work on them, there is nothing for God to bless. God is not abandoning you or allowing you to be poor 'for a purpose'. You are where you are right now because you are sleeping on your talents, and it is high time you woke up!

Matthew 25.14-30 tells of the parable of the talents, about a master who was traveling and gave his three servants talents, each according to his abilities. He expected them to be wise enough to put the talents to good use. On the day of reckoning, when he came back from his journey, he called his servants to give reports on what they did with their talents. there were rewards for the faithful servants who put their talents to good use and punishments for the servant who was lazy and didn't do anything profitable with what he received. What is God asking us to do with our talents? God requires us to use our God-given abilities, the talents, gifts, and potentials He endowed us with to reach out to those who do not know Him (the unbelievers) and bless them, giving Him credit for these gifts.

It is not God's will for us to stay lazy and idle, doing nothing with all that He bestowed on us. God does not encourage laziness and negligence, neither is He a supporter of irresponsibility. God did not make His grace and favor available for us to become lazy and idle. It is God's will that we get to work! We should work with and work on all that He has bestowed upon us. The favor and grace of God upon us does not deny the place of work, the work we have to do by developing our talents. God's favor does not mean the absence of work or labor. It only means we won't stress to excel.

If you are still wondering why your year is turning out like your previous years; unproductive, closed doors, and no breakthroughs; if you are still wondering whether it is your pastor's fault that you haven't made in life yet, think no more. What are you good at? What are you passionate about? What handcraft or mental craft are you skilled at? What problems can your strengths solve? (I don't mean physical strengths of flexed muscles). What can you offer as a product or a service to people and how can you monetize your offer. Ask yourself these questions, find the answers, begin to work on them, and watch doors open for your sake.

God has 'not blessed you' yet probably because there is nothing to bless or increase. Remember, 0 x 0= 0. You want a blessing from God, start working on what He has already given you. God cannot give you breakthroughs and miracles you don't have the character to maintain. He is a God of principles who honors His word more than His name!