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What do you have?
by Bolaji O.Timothy What do you have We all often look beyond the nearest in search for solutions to the problems that tend to mess with us the most. The immediate is not often in the least of options we may consider while browsing for possible way out of challenges we find ourselves; we have the tendencies to look abroad while the God above is neglected, but that is where lasting help shall come from. A late prophet's wife ran with confusion to Elisha one day and narrated her ordeals; her two sons were to be taken for the debt incurred by her deceased husband. She in her agony ran and asked for help to save the lives and future of her two sons from the creditors- 2 king 4:1 The world is full of creditors and an average person is a debtor. You are possibly indebted to some things, dream and purpose. Some situations in life have actually customised some people as bond men and women to their problems. Problems and difficulties seeking for solutions are creditors that threaten the peace of majority, irrespective of the belief. These problems are classified into many categories : there are spiritual, financial, marital and emotional problems. The woman talked about her deceased husband, who was a righteous prophet" however was indebted to some creditors! The man owed and the debt's consequences were brought over into the future of his children. We became debtor by past generation's ignorance and mistakes and likewise we can as well put ourselves into problems. Solution to problems by our gifts' obligation and purpose and reasons for living are debt that we all must one way or the other pay. The society is indebted to solutions of many problems and likewise creating many. God does not look into other peoples' lives to activate the process of miracle, He always commence with us. There is something you have to do, a place to go, a step to take, someone to meet. You have to co-operate with God's methods of operation. He is not going to waste His words and power. There are lots of pots of oil in your life, you may not have money neither are you from a rich family. You may presently lack the basic needs but the means to your ends are all in your life. Your life, your health, your gift, talents, abilities, love, trust and other opportunities are means on which God can orchestrate your miracle there is a miracle in your hand, what do you have! The nature of your pot of oil does not matter. The present value does not either. You can always increase their values. You can make lots of good out of any crude asset. The quantity of what you have does not matter as far as God is ready to begin with you and what you have. Don't disturb with the sales and the market when necessary, He will make advertisement by His spoken words. Don't allow any delay to frustrate your dream and vision. Don't be scared by magnitude of your dreams and present problem, just recognise your pot of oil and bring it out unto God from their hidden places in you. Go borrow God's instructions of faith are full of actions and these are one after the other. When the pot of oil was recognised in her house, the prophet said "go borrow the vessels abroad of all thy neighbours even empty vessels borrow not a few 2kin 4:3 once previous instruction is missed, the subsequent is already a failure. If you are ignorant of what you have, your potential will lack direction " go and borrow vessels". There are three separate instructions packed in this step. Go borrow vessels from all neighbours abroad They must be empty vessels Borrow not a few The man of God did not ask her to borrow money, even though that was what she needed to pay her husband debt and rescue her children from the creditor. If, God had to let her do that, her debt will increase but God love dealing with our problem from the root! The wealth to pay your debt in life is in your pot of oil; your success and victory in life have their packages in your potential. Our miracles cannot be in isolation of others, you need others. However, know what you need from neighbour in the process, what you must do and what God's responsibilities are. What are these vessels that you must borrow from your neighbours having discovered your pot of oil: gifts, talents, visions and potentials etc? You have to borrow so many vessels and they may be peculiar to your situations. Some will need to borrow one or more of these vessels: Vessels of goals, Vessels of knowledge, Vessels of counsel, Vessels of information, Vessel of materials, Vessel of Physical Strength. Vessels of goals Vessels of goals are borrowed achievement from your close neighbour of future. Your goals are not yet accomplished but it is a means of faith to convey your dreams and vision. The size of your vessels of goals determines the multiplication of your visions. That is why it is always advised by the wise writers that goals are a necessity in any successful anticipation. You should set a very high goal, borrow vessels not few. Borrow vessels of goals from your future. Your goals must be flexible. Your goals must be completely free from some one's pot of oil influence, it must be empty and your oil must fill it! Vessel of knowledge One of the vessels that will accommodate the reliable multiplication of your potential is knowledge. The Bible says that ignorance causes death. You are not born with knowledge enough to succeed, but you have the potential to succeed. The basic discovery in life starts with who you are and what you should be, but how to become this, is in the space of time. The answer to this question of how, is knowledge. How do you borrow vessels of vessel of knowledge from neighbours far and abroad? There is need to borrow spiritual, career, marital, financial, ministerial knowledge e.t.c. Just increase knowledge in all endeavors. It pays to be versatile in relevant knowledge in life. There are books, tapes learning aids or meeting people to borrow from their knowledge. Vessels of information' You have to learn to borrow relevant information that probably will assist you in stirring your goals, improving your pot of oil, increasing your wisdom, and acquiring knowledge. How did the widow knew that the prophet was passing through that place? She was alert. How the widow did knew who had a vessel among his neighbour, He sought and got the information somehow. She must have inquired; she did ask, knocked their doors and seek diligently. She did need to do research. The immediate information may not be needed knowledge, but can give unto her the direction of entrance and means to obtaining knowledge. To know where to acquire knowledge and who can get you knowledge requires information. You must break the cyst of shyness and timidity; take step to obtain all the relevant to paying your debts in life. Learn to ask question, it is a very means to learning. Get information and acquire knowledge very fast in life. Ask God; ask men, ask your neighbour, friends, and colleague relevant questions. There are some time we shall need the materials and physical strength, you may not have enough to compensate these at that time. And some men and women will give you those help. Get counsels In the multitude of counsellor people dwell in safety. The woman ran to the prophet and told him situation of things. Godly counsel from God's servant may be necessary, do not be pushed forward hastily by your zeal. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. Pro. 20:5 some people's experience can be necessary in your recent anticipation. You can climb safely through some people's wisdom. It makes your journey easier and faster. For by wise counsel, thou shall make thy war in the multitude of counsellor there is safety Pro. 24:6. Vessel of wisdom To pursue goals, obtain necessary information, acquire relevant knowledge and approach right counselor and to use them appropriately requires wisdom. Wisdom cannot be found elsewhere most especially sound wisdom. It is from the Lord. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. To rightly interpret and applied acquire knowledge and counsel; it will require wisdom wit " I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty invention pro: 8: 12 dwell with God to learn wised borrows vessel from God and his people. For you to be able to borrow vessels of knowledge, information and counsel as much as the prophet said your sense of humor must be great. You must posses' good human relation to keep right relationship and connections strong. There must be good communication networks. You do not just get on people's way and start asking if you had not greeted them. That is bad an impression you have made about yourself. You meet people in terrible situation and you just think the best you have to ask is what you want without any sympathy for their situations. You are making a wrong impression about yourself; well you may be right if you are really selfish. You need courtesy; respect concern and manners if you must request for peoples' valuables for your own use. Do not portrait yourself as an armed robber. You need something from some people; they must be willing to give you, even if it is with a price. Any knowledge, information, counsel and wisdom you get from anybody anywhere at any time is not relevant until it is applicable, that is why it is a borrow vessel. You only need a frame, you build it a flesh. Your situations is unique and you cannot afford to copy anybody. Nature of these vessels. - The vessels must be empty, do not borrow other people's gifts, talents and abilities with their vessels only the vessels. - The vessels should be what you can give back to the owners or it should be easily replaceable. It is not your permanent luggage. They are means and not an end. So be ready to counsel, inform and teach people knowledge acquired from God, people and any body. - The vessels must be the one designed to keep the type of oil you have. It should be the vessel that cannot leak the oil or reduce the quality. - The vessels must be much, borrow not a few, be versatile. Come thou in. After you must have gathered vessels from neighbours the next thing is come in and fill in your oil into the borrow vessels. The best place it can be one indoor. It is an indoor affair. " And when thou art come in, thou shallot shut the door upon the and upon thy sons, and shallot pair out into all those vessels and thou shallot set aside that which is full" II king 4: 4. The process of filling your borrowed vessels with your oil of potentials is called development of skill. When the vessel of relevant counsel knowledge, information and wisdom are carefully filled with your abilities and flowing of your gifts, you are increasing your skill. What you have in God's hand have ability of multiplicity into several inexhaustible volumes. These will be determined by the number of vessels you have been able to gather. You are likely the possible limitation of yourself. Your gift and ability will only extend to the length of your wisdom, knowledge, counsel and information you have been able to acquire. Either Practice or prayers, the best time to multiply your potential and gift is always in the quiet places. It is always very difficult for lousy people to develop exceptional skill. The prescribed place appropriate to allow increase in your skills, polish your talent, abilities and gifts have been in the quite place. "Come thou in, thou shut the door" speaks of the discipline that must be the garment of your purpose. You have a business to fulfill. You cannot waste your time and expect your potential to automatically increase. There is a conscious effort of prayer, and consistent proactive pivoted by your sense of focus, Discipline, determination and organization. Your skill in the use of your gifts, abilities and talent cannot and will not develop in the disturbing area of the street, come thou in and shut the door against yourself. Often time we may wonder why did Jesus went very early in the morning and some other times went into secretly places where anointing and potential are increased. Every great man in life always has a great moment of mediation and prayers where they conceive ideas, visions and solutions. These developed wonders become hot cake thereafter. While in the secret place of prayer, mediation and practice, the ability to follow procedures, rules and regulation with proper planning and organization give strength to your skill. So she went from him and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her and she poured out and it came to pass when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, bring me yet a vessel and he said unto her there is not a vessel more and the oil stayed. The filling of the vessel were one after the other; learning in life is one after the other. Application of knowledge, adoption of counsel and fulfillment of your goals are one after the other. It is not advisable to ignore the recent thing you should learn or do and run unto the next. Hastiness will not speed your progress but rather, it distorts your success stands, learns how to learn one thing after the other. The arrangement you give to your learning matters. Determine the way your skill will be presented in the market of life. There is a place for organized skill they often stand you out in most contested competition. This indoor preparation accommodate careful planning, following procedure. One vessel must be filled and set aside in a project, here is procedure. In any building project, it requires first the blue print, the builder, the budgeting and building materials, layout foundation e.t.c . In planting of seed there are stages, clearing of land, cultivation of land, planting, weeding and harvesting; one step before another. It is successes' principle to learn to do things according to procedure as far as it does not negate the instruction of faith. Note to make it in life. you do not require large group of people to make it life. the woman had her two sons in partnership with her and they got the job done, you c an imagine. Go sell the oil When she finished with filling the vessel with the oil, she met the man of God for the next instruction " Then she came and told the man of God and he said go sell the oil and pay they debt and live thou on the children of the rest" II king 4: go and sell the oil. The means to paying your debt in life is not through vessel you borrowed but multiplied oil. There is no reward in your gift until it is useful. That is why there are many poor gifted individual. You will be rewarded because of the skills with which you use your gifts to meet others people needs. Sell the oil. Your personal developed marketing mix may not be very important once you have carried the instructions out however it also good to know the marketing principles without the manipulation and deception in it. You are better chanced because your product will have multiplying factors of God. . It is then it becomes that a man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men Pro. 18:16 This stage is very important that her reluctance at this stage will automatically confirm her miserable. when actions are taken in the instruction of faith, it moves you in the direction of God, they cannot fail God's provision. God's favours follow his instruction and that is the promoter and advertiser agent of God. When you follow God, your gift becomes God's products, he will package it so well that the price men will place on it will be reasonable enough to keep you fulfilling in your dream. Pay your debt This is last instruction in which most people are today grossly violating. God's visitation will not but open doors of provision and opportunity for his people but the man of God stressed this "pay your debt" (first) and live on the rest. The provision of God will always meet any pending present and subsequent needs in your life however pay your debt first. This is the principle of spending the resources that God get multiplies from our gifts, potential, talents and abilities. Most people and believer's are leaving this world a debtor and they go into the grave a debtor. . There are problem in your generation which God has increased your resources to solve but because you have re-order this instruction to "" live on all" and if possible pay your debt, you have their solution unachievable because of your greed. But of every resources God has endowed you with, it is pay your debt first. Your debt to God and humanity, pay first and live on the rest. Live on the rest If there is any problem the Christian of today is having it is how to spend money. At this junction many are seriously failing but I guess we should consider this verse closely and place our spending on the microscopic of it " Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever thing are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever and if there be any praise think on these things. Bolaji Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |