Envision 3 glasses sitting on a table. The first glass contains water, the second wine, and third olive oil. Which one is most useful? In order to answer that question you would need to know what you are planning to do. You would need to know what goal you are trying to accomplish. There is nothing inherently wrong with either glass or its contents. Only the purpose you are trying to fulfill will determine which glass to choose. If you were about to cook a meal, the oil would be most useful. If you have just run a mile, the water would probably be most appealing. Purpose defines value.
Believe it or not, at one point I was struggling with my purpose and feelings of not being used to the fullness of my potential. One of my mentors gave me some sage advice in that moment. He said, “Look out the window.” There was a firehouse across the street. He said, “Right now that firehouse and the firefighters inside of it are useless to me. However, if this building were on fire right now nothing would be more useful than those firefighters and their ability to fight fires.” What you have inside of you and the gifts and skills you have been developing for most of your life are valuable to the right person, company, ministry or organization at the right time. Your job is to prepare and position yourself so that when what’s inside of you is needed you are ready to fulfill the assignment.
One mistake many people make is to fall into a state of complacency, often due to feelings of being overlooked, underutilized, or stuck. Take a moment after reading this post and write down two to three gifts or talents that you have that are currently not being fully used. Then write down two to three organizations, locations, or vocations where those gifts and talents would be most necessary. Then pray for direction on how to best enter those fields of influence.
You are necessary. You and I alike were created to be the answer to some problem, somewhere. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Just like God prepared beforehand, so should we. We need to stop worrying about how we aren’t being used or how it seems that we aren’t advancing and rather continue our preparation. Just as purpose defines value, preparation perfects purpose. We can only control what we can control. We have to trust that when the purpose inside of you is sought out, God will position you to take advantage of the opportunity.
Jesus told a parable of ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and prepared to meet him and five were foolish and did not prepare their lamps. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut” (Matt. 25:6-10).
Don’t get caught waiting and have the door of opportunity shut in your face. Prepare as though your opportunity is coming tomorrow. Whether you are the wine, the oil, or the water, at some point your name will be called. When that happens, it will be too late for preparation – you have to be ready. It is too late to prepare for the moment when you are in the moment.
Recently, I had an organization contact me with a hurried request for a case (100) of my books. They knew where to go when they had a need because I published the book and made them aware of it last year. What if I had delayed writing it? What if I had allowed the frustration of the writing process to prevent me from completing the book? What if I never made my wine, oil, or water available to the world?