Build on your strengths

‘Who makes you different from anyone else?’
1 Corinthians 4:7 NIV

Your success isn’t found in your similarity to others, but in your difference. Instead of comparing yourself with somebody else and competing with them, try to discover your point of God-given difference, for that’s where you will excel. Singer Pearl Bailey said, ‘There are two kinds of talent, man-made and God-given talent. With man-made talent you have to work very hard. With God-given talent, you just touch it up once in a while.’ Paul writes, ‘God has…given each of us different gifts’ (Romans 12:6 CEV). Would you rather fight to develop skills where you have a small natural gift, or run with the talent God has given you to find out where it takes you? Dreams don’t come true because you do something well every once in a while. They’re fulfilled because you perform with excellence day after day. And that happens only if you work within an area of strength. You can’t be like the high school home-run hitter who received an invitation to spring training from a major league baseball team. After the first week, he emailed home to say, ‘Leading all batters. These pitchers aren’t so tough.’ The second week he boasted, ‘Hitting .500. Looks like I’ll be starting in the infield.’ The third week he wrote, ‘They’re starting to throw curveballs today. Will be home tomorrow.’ You can’t achieve success without consistency, and you can’t achieve consistency working outside your God-given strengths. It will take all the talent you have to achieve your God-given dream. Following that talent will give you the best chance to be consistently good at what you do. So the word for today is – build on your strengths.

Bible in a Year: Exodus 1-3, Matthew 14:1-21

Credit: The Word For Today