Everyone is a product of a seed sown either by such person or by others. Life is a gift. In life, every gift is for a purpose; we are not endowed for frivolities; whatever we are or will be and had been is divinely purposed. When God gives talents, beauty, life, opportunity, position and grace; they are for the good of ‘us’ rather than ‘me.’ This means, it is for the overall good of all — their original orient were never for ‘self or ego,’ but for the general good of mankind. God is a service-driven being.

The creation of Adam was ‘to tend the garden.’ It was for God’s purpose and service; whatever God permits in someone’s life is for the good of humanity and the blessedness of His glory. God gives us opportunities, endows us with talents, gifts and spiritual blessings; these opportunities, talents, gifts, and spiritual blessings, as it were, are most often temporal, earthly and for a season.

Whatsoever you are now, and whatsoever you have now is never forever. Without controversy, nothing lasts forever. What we do with the opportunities we have, the rights and privileges life bestows upon us at the time is what counts.

Today, life may have permitted us under God to lead; be alive, be influential, have affluence, command respect, be in charge of certain territories, be held in high esteem; it is, therefore, expected that we do good and be good to all. What we have now; may not be there the next minutes. A lost time, opportunity, talent, privilege may never be redeemed.

What To Do With What God Has Given To You?
Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram: “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you. 2: And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing. 3: And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

God called Abram out; promised to give him a land, blessed him, made his name great, blessed those who blessed him and cursed those who cursed him just for the singular reason of blessing others through him and making all the families of the earth blessed by Abram. When Jesus was anointed with Holy Ghost and power it was for him to go about doing good and healing all manner of diseases and casting out demons. No man can claim to be truly blessed who has not become a blessing to those around.

Acknowledge This!
God is the source and author of all things: “ I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time,” (Eccl. 9:11).
The words and prayers of Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:1-10 (KJV) reads: “And Hannah prayed, and said, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2: There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 3: Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4: The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5: They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. 6: The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7: The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them. 9; He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10: The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Therefore:
• Don’t be proud of what you have or who you are – 2 Kings 4:3; 1 Sam. 2:3
• The full can be made empty overnight – 1 Sam. 2:5; 2 Kgs. 4:1
• Everything we do with God’s provision and blessing is weighed – 1 Sam. 2:3
• Those who stumble can be guided with strength – 1 Sam. 2:4
Hold on! Are you stumbling again and again?
Do you fail often and repeatedly?
Do you see everything you touch to die or depreciate?
Are you considered a failure? Don’t be discouraged! Never give up yet! There is hope.
The Lord, God, Almighty through Jesus Christ, can help you. The power of God through grace can raise and lift anyone – 1 Sam. 2:7-8.
Job 9:10 reads: “God does great things which cannot be fathomed and miracles which cannot be counted.”
The story of the widow of the indebted late prophet in 1 Kings 4:1-7 has much to teach us. A certain prophet died leaving his wife and sons with heavy debt. The creditors came to take her sons away from her as bondservants and she ran to the man of God. Her visit to the servant of God shed a whole lot of lights to our discussion.

When she was asked of what she had, she said: “Just a little oil.” How do you judge what you have? 2 Kings 4:2-6, Job 8:7.

Hear God speak to you! Never look down on whatever you have. The widow answered: “except a pot of oil.” Whatsoever God blesses you with— be it a little gift that has never been celebrated or anything don’t ever look down on it— that which you think is nothing can pull you out of debt; it has the unseen ability that can turn everything around for good. Never neglect what you have because the insignificant can be significantly rewarding if you believe.

Elijah said to her, “go and borrow vessels;” sometimes connecting with others can improve our status and make our nothing to become something. Therefore, never look down on people you come across in life.

Prophet Elijah said to her, “when you have come with the vessels, enter you house with your sons and shut the door,” most times our problem is that we fail to develop what you have secretly before seeking public applause. The man of God said to her: “Shut the door behind you.” Many people need to shut the door behind them to be able to come out of certain life challenges. It could be that they need to shut the door of their mouth; it could also be that they need to shut the door of their nudeness; some people are too exposed. Could it be that God is saying that there are doors you need to shut behind you? It may be the door of excess socialisation, uncontrollable inordinate habits and many more. Ask yourself; what door do I need to shut behind me? What kind of people do I need to shut out of my life? Hear this! Everybody is not needed in your life. Learn to work inside before seeking public approval.

As you have the opportunity ‘learn to pour out.’ Pour into vessels, pour out those talents and gifts into human vessels, great men rise by lifting others. S-t-o-p! Hiding away your gifts and blessings, thereby, creating hurdles in the way of those who would have benefited from it is not only detrimental to them, but to you as well.

Ask Yourself
How do you handle assignments and opportunities?
How do you sow into people?
What do you pour out into people?
Remember whatever you pour out, today, will certainly have a comeback tomorrow.

Those who often hold back, most times, don’t move forward.
What you need to know about possession:
• They are investment – a contribution given either by others or nature.
• Possession could be acquired or inherited
• Possession could be visible or invisible, open, revealed or hidden, or even concealed.
• Possession could be what you own or what owns you
Finally Ask Yourself
Do I get what I have now by self-effort?
Am I truly the smartest among my peers?
Are all I have smartly inherited or naturally given; did I get them by personnel efforts?
What made me smart? Could it be the support of others?
Do I legally or illegally acquire all I have?
Is my current position as result of pulling others down? Is it due my good or bad acts?
Is it by making others better or bitter?
Are all what I have acquired helping the society or killing it?
Are they moving the people forward or setting people backward?
Am I where I am by pulling others down or by lifting them?
Does all I have acquired have value, and can they be valued?
Conclusively, let us lay aside every weight that makes us self-centered and rebelliously selfish and pursue that which makes for progress and good of the others and the society.
• Venerable Stephen Wolemonwu is the Rector Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State (08035413812)