Bloom Where Planted

Another Mentor's Manna from Pastor Craig...

Prov 18:16

16 A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.

Your gifts will make room for you and bring you before great men. The door of access in the Kingdom is faith towards God and serving towards men. Let me use David as an example. David was anointed as a teenager (13) but didn’t step into the throne till he was thirty. After he was anointed he went back to the sheepfold. He was already anointed but he still wasn’t in his position.

• God asked me one day as I was having a gripe session, “Can you be anointed for a big thing and still do a small thing well?” He challenged me to not focus on the opportunities that I didn’t have but to focus on the opportunities I did have. Doors of promotion are always tied to a problem. The world pays top dollars to those that solve problems. Promotion and favor comes to those who solve a problem. You are anointed to solve problems and every problem you solve leads to a bigger opportunity. Know your gift and find a problem no matter how small and solve it.
• This causes you to become necessary to those you serve because you take problems off their plate. Joseph interpreted dreams; in fact his problems began when he shared his dream with those closest to him. Often times those closest to you will initially misrepresent and misunderstand your dream. They are blinded to the greatness in you. He later gets thrown in a pit and then goes to prison. When he gets there the word tells us that he saw that the butler and the baker were sad. Here is a promotion key; he focused on the pain and the problems of those around him instead of his own. He ignored his pain and asked them why they were sad. Secondly, they told him their pain was connected to a dream they did not understand. Most people in life allow their pain to hide their dream. Joseph ignored his pain and focused on becoming a dream releaser, unlocking the dreams of those around him. He spoke to the dreams of those around him.
• Remember Joseph started by telling everyone his dream, possibly trying to make it happen. Later he focuses on asking others, “What is your dream?” And every time he did he was promoted to another level. Why? Your dreams are connected to your ability to serve someone else’s dream.

David was already a “Giant Killer” but he had to get through a process (you will go through it in various times and season in life). He started because Saul had a problem, he was vexed by demons. Saul’s servants told him, there is a skillful player and began to list his attributes (resume). David had developed himself and was well rounded; he learned to do many things well. They then called for David and he started by solving a problem. As you look over David’s life you will find that every promotion was tied to a problem that he was anointed to solve.

Let me end by sharing how this has played out in my life. When I first joined the Church that Bishop Tony and Kathy pastored in Clewiston I had already proven myself faithful in ministry. I had been an Associate Pastor, and also had in years past led various ministries at New Harvest. I ended up serving for two years doing whatever I could find to do, from cleaning the sanctuary to working in Children’s Ministry. I first went through a time of frustration knowing that I was anointed to do big things. I would go home after church and cry out of brokenness because I felt that no one saw what was in me. There were times I wanted to leave, quit, but through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and Tara my wife, I persevered. I remember seeking counsel with another man of God, who told me every time the doors are open be there ready to serve. He said, “If you know you are supposed to be on staff, begin serving as they serve without a position, and without a paycheck, serve with the expectation and committment of someone on staff”.

I began to serve Bishop Tony and Kathy as if I was on staff. After a consistent time of serving faithfully, I began to grow in skills, anointing, and confidence. I no longer needed a title or a paycheck, I knew who I was. God began to promote me and I’m still being blessed out of that time today.

You are not in a bad place; you are in a good place. You are in the right place, everything you have been through has been to bring you to this point. Promotion does not come from man it comes from God. He knows the greatness that is in you, He put it there. Start now by:

1) Access what is in your heart and is in your hand. (Passion, desires, gifts and talents). (What are you passionate about? What would you do if, every job had the same salary?)

2) Know your identity. (If you don’t know who you are, you will let people limit you.) If my daughter came home from school and said, someone said that I was a loser, I would tell her, that is not who you are, I know who you are. God knows who you are. When you know who you are you won’t let people talk you out of what is yours.

3) Access the place. It is where God plants you, the place of assignment that will unlock what is inside of you. There is a place that is designed to pull the unseen potential out of the seed.

4) Access the Opportunities – Bishop Tony and Kathy are the most anointed, powerful couple I have ever been around. By serving their dream, God gave me my own. You can’t lose serving them. I feel the Lord is raising your lid to increase your capacity! The size of your capacity is determined by the size of the greatness over you.

5) Serve! Serve! Serve! As you serve unto the Lord, your gift will enlarge your opportunities. God will then bring you into a season where you are not tolerated but celebrated.