What he puts in you
I attended a church service in the US during my preCOVID days. The preacher is gifted and is one of the best communicators I have ever heard. I remembered him saying: “God would not expect to get out from you what He did not put in you.”
I like the play on words. It rhymed, and it’s like this preacher was rapping. And then he explained. He says, “You may want to be a rock star singer, and you can have all the passion in the world to want to make that happen. But if God did not give you a voice, then do not even ambition to have a CD. It won’t work.” I laughed my head off, and I would never forget what he says.
Young people are very impressionable and, like me in my youth, gullible as well. They tell me they want to be like me. Inspiring people through public speaking the way I have inspired them. My reply has remained consistent all these years. I said, “Finish your studies. Pursue a career. Be excellent and build a name for yourself. Then let your expertise be the platform where you can now share it with others and thus, enter the arena of public speaking.” I gave them a word of caution. You may have listened to a speaker. But do not mistake a whim for divine inspiration, for you need to have the gift to speak and communicate. Understand where you are gifted at and pursue that course. This reminds me of a fascinating story I retrieved from my files courtesy of the actsweb.org entitled “The Ripple Effect.” Let me share the material with you:
Brett Blair reports how Henry P. Crowell contracted tuberculosis when a boy and couldn’t go to school. After hearing a sermon by Dwight L. Moody, young Crowell prayed, “I can’t be a preacher, but I can be a good businessman. God, if you will let me make money, I will use it in your service.”
Under the doctor’s advice, Crowell worked outdoors for seven years and regained his health. He then bought the little run-down Quaker Mill at Ravanna, Ohio. Within 10 years, Quaker Oats was a household word to millions. Henry P. Crowell faithfully gave 60 to 70 percent of his income to God’s causes, having advanced from an initial 10 percent.
One of Crowell’s support recipients was the Moody Bible Institute – the school that D. L. Moody founded in Chicago. God used Dwight L. Moody to encourage and motivate young Henry, which then led to the institute being blessed by the faithful financial support that Henry gave.
Crowell was not gifted to be a preacher, but he certainly was gifted to be a business person and has blessed many with his giftings and generosity.1
Some of the young lads who wanted to be speakers shifted to other professions and did very well. Some of them are still pursuing a dream; they have not been called to enter, and they are not fruitful.
As I posted on my FB page one time, I said, “There are a lot of talks these days about “Knowing Your Why.” Knowing one’s purpose is extremely important. We have to consider our “SOUL” purpose. Maybe our purpose is not to be the top guy in the organization but to help the top guy succeed. Perhaps our purpose in life is not to be served but to serve? Not to be so competitive and to be number one but to help others succeed? We need to know why and what we are called to do.
One day I was asked by a friend why I entered the radio broadcasting and the speaking business. I said, “one day I discovered that God had gifted me with a face good enough for radio and public speaking.” And she turned away and left me laughing on my own. God would not pull out from me what He has not put in me.
(Connect with Francis Kong at www.facebook.com/franciskong2. Or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 dzZFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch,’ the classical music station.)