I recently released my first book online titled “I got just One-Talent, Really? That’s more than enough”.
The book has been downloaded by many persons and I’ve received some very inspiring responses and many more are still coming. You can download yours here http://sendspace.com/file/dh5me8. The penultimate version of the book would be released soon and afterwards the Ultimate Version.
I thought to share a very unique experience with everyone today. The truth is:
I ALMOST MADE THE MISTAKE OF THE ONE-TALENT MAN.
What do I mean?
The Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) in Ibarapa-East was barely surviving when I arrived to begin my service year. After attending for a while I was appointed as the Co-ordinator popularly called “Papa”. It is a great task and different from the positions I previously occupied while in the University. I led the fellowship in the University, but here I am leading in a Local Government area. That was great and awesome. I see it as an opportunity to grow.
So what really happened?
On the 31st of December, 2014, New Year’s Eve, I received a call from a friend in Ibadan who happened to be a Corper I met while I resided in the Ibadan North Family house. He called to inform me that he was appointed as the Ibadan North Zonal Papa. I was surprised because while I resided in the family house I met others whom I felt would have been appointed as the Zonal Co-ordinator then. I also informed him about my appointment as the Sub-Zonal Co-ordinator in Ibarapa-East. We congratulated one another and he ended the call.
Suddenly, I began to sense an emotion of inadequacy, a sense of little worth. I couldn’t understand, like a roller coaster my thoughts began to toe a certain line, along the line I interrupted my own thinking and I realised that I had already been on the path to making the same mistake the One-Talent man made.
Why the feeling?
The structure of the NCCF is in four major parts. It starts with the Sub-Zonal level (Local Governments), Zonal level (a combination of different local governments in the same area) the State level and the National Level. My appointment is at the Local Government level. My Corper friend was appointed at the Zonal level. In my thought I began to see practically what that one talent man must have been thinking before he made the final decision to bury the talent he was given.
I began to feel bad that I wasn’t able to function at the Zonal level, I felt little in my own eyes seeing that a friend of mine was appointed at to a level higher than mine. In fact I felt that perhaps if I had stayed in the Family house in Ibadan I could have emerged as the “Papa” there. These were thoughts of envy, mixed with low sense of worth, lack of understanding of what I had been given here in Ibarapa.
The Spirit of God on my inside began to immediately release some divine thoughts into my heart. He took me back to that scripture, He reminded me thus:
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
-Matthew 25:15
The Holy Spirit particularly stressed the part that spoke about his several ability, the word ‘several’ there means own. In other words responsibilities are awarded to us according to our ordained divine capacity.
No one ever loads containers from the Port into a Mercedes Benz, it would be completely out of place to do so. Why? The ability of a Mercedes Benz car is insufficient to lift a container, besides a car wasn’t designed to carry such a weight, if done, it would probably collapse under such heavy weight. Trailers carry containers. In like manner, God lades us individually according to our OWN ability. My own ability as at now can carry the responsibility of a Sub-Zonal leader even as God has given to me.
As my ability increases in service to God and Humanity greater tasks would be entrusted to me to carry out. After those inspiring words, I immediately began to Pray in the Spirit and rebuke those thoughts of envy and Inadequacy, I prayed out that mind-set and in the end I was renewed. I’m back in Ibarapa-East now and I’m happy and full of joy as I carry out my responsibilities alongside other members of the Executive.
“Do not despise the days of your little beginnings. He who fails to appreciate the little he is entrusted has no business handling greater things.”
As I write these lines at now, I’m determined to MAXIMISE, REFINE myself and to INSPIRE others as I carry out my responsibilities. I guess I took the road less travelled by and that is the Road of CONTENTMENT.
I’m glad I didn’t fall into the same trap the One-Talent man fell into.