Christ had the measure in full but distributed it in parts to all
believers.
For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body
Colossians 2:9 (NLT)
However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to
the generosity of Christ.
Ephesians 4:7 (NLT)
Therefore, you have your part of his measure. Your responsibility is
to use the measure available to you. When every believer does that,
there is fullness; Jesus is actually doing his own part. Therefore, he
decided to flow through you through a particular measure. He gives you
a measure out of his full measure. He took out of his fullness and
distributed it among us.
When you are not effective with yours, you make the whole body of
Christ not to be effective. Therefore, every believer is important. No
believer is irrelevant. No wonder in the parable of the lost sheep,
the Shepherd left the flock to look for the missing one. That one
completes the rest. There is interdependence in their measure.
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one
body. So it is with the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT)
Jesus picked out of his measure to give us and that forms our purpose
on earth.
"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a
man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them
money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold
to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the
last--dividing it in proportion to their abilities--and then left on
his trip.
Matthew 25:14-15 (NLT)
But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to
stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us, and this plan
includes our working there with you.
2 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)
God is the one that gives our respective purpose to us, we do not
choose it. You do not choose the measure of Christ that flows down to
you. Your particular purpose in the purpose of Christ is your measure.
God assigns it according to his intentions and your ability, which he
placed in you while creating you. He knew what he imputed in you. He
will not give you an assignment that your ability cannot accomplish.
The abilities he created you with were done to the specifications of
your purpose. God makes the decisions on purpose.
Believers must be sure the source of the vision they are running with
in life is God. The motivation behind it must be ascertained. The
danger facing this generation is the deception of materials. Visions
are being guided by material gains. It is important you hear God
correctly as regards that direction and journey you are embarking on.
You have to travel on the journey of purpose by your conviction.
The Buried Measure
I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and
here it is.
Matthew 25:25 (NLT)
Measure can be buried and lost eventually. You have to think about
standing before God someday, when your purpose as intended will be
used as a marking scheme to check all you have done. At this your
particular age, what will be your score when compared with God’s
timetable for your life? Many do not even know what their marking
scheme look like, so anything being written seems to be right. We must
identify our measure in him and embrace the part of his assignment
that is ours.
Fear buries measure if allowed. Envy also does same.
You see your neighbor’s assignment and wish for that at the neglect of
yours. You might see yours as inferior and then proceed to bury it.
You attempt to be like the other person. There is no need for envy.
Everybody’s measure is unique. There is no superior assignment neither
is there an inferior one.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches...”
John 15:5a (NLT)
Jesus called us all branches. He did not mention super branches or
mini branches. We are all branches. Yes, some branches are big while
others are small, yet they are all branches. They exist irrespective
of sizes for purposes commensurate to their sizes. Let the big branch
not attempt to be small and let the small branch not attempt to be big
lest they defeat their purposes.
Do not envy other peoples assignment in life. Do not envy other
peoples measure in Christ. Take yours as yours. Our measures vary but
let us stay with that assigned to us.
Laziness can also help you to bury your measure. The servant said he
was afraid but from the perspective of the master, he was lazy.
"But the master replied, `You wicked and lazy servant! You think
I'm a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn't plant and
gathering crops I didn't cultivate? Well, you should at least have
put my money into the bank so I could have some interest.
Matthew 25:26, 27 (NLT)
The least you are expected to do with your measure is to give that
which you have to a banker to leverage on it. A banker leverages on
your resource and multiply it for you. Attach yourself to another with
a similar purpose to bring profit out of it. Discipleship, mentorship
and apprenticeship! That is doing the least, which is better than
nothing. Being under tutelage will give expression to your measure.
However, aim to maximize it by becoming like Christ who owns the
measure.
 |
