Devotionals for the Heart: When your God-given gifts make room for you

When Your Gifts from God Make Room
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“A person’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great people.”

—Proverbs 18:16 (NASB)

The Old Testament book of Daniel summarizes the story of the prophet Daniel. Like an earlier Bible Hero Joseph, Daniel had extraordinary political, social and spiritual influence.

In Daniel 6:3, the Bible describes Daniel’s legendary success. It says, “Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king intended to appoint him over the entire kingdom” (NASB).

This man Daniel was the kind of man who stood out in a crowd. He was not loud and pretentious. He was humble and perhaps a bit introverted. Daniel did not seek fame, fortune or power, but his gifts catapulted him from invisibility to stardom. His collision with destiny was the result of collusion between human excellence and divine placement.

He was not a one hit wonder. Daniel was consistent in his personal integrity and professional performance. His reputation for excellence preceded him. His success was not limited to his professional prowess. He was a good guy. He had an excellent spirit within him. Synonyms for his ethos are extraordinary, exceptional, unparalleled, incomparable and pre-eminent.

How can you quantify this spirit of excellence in your own life, and cultivate it within the lives of family members and those whom you influence at work? Since choral music is a good metaphor for creativity and harmony, my suggestion for quantifying and cultivating an excellent spirit is in the acronym CHORALE.

Here’s a brief breakdown of that acronym:

Character counts in your most private moments. It counts at home and at work. 

Habits and work ethic are important in personal, spiritual and career development.

Organization of one’s life, living and desktop are great evaluative metrics. 

Reliability in the past is an indicator of what kind of performance can be expected.

Attitude is 90% of influence. Optimism builds and empowers. Pessimism corrodes. 

Loyalty and integrity are a two-sided coin.

Enthusiasm ignites ingenuity and the innovation that propels ideas into reality.

Daniel’s excellent spirit reflected the essence of CHORALE. He was the perfect blend of passion, ability and anointing that God needed in that era. Daniel’s excellent spirit was God’s vehicle to project a prophetic vision and persuade a generation of expatriate Hebrews and Babylonians to prepare the way of the Lord.

Launched into fame and power, his humility made him a target. The lesson here is that giftedness will be recognized and valued by most. It will bring you into the company of people who are great and who need you. However, as with Daniel, someone will always be lurking to end the reign of gifted people whose living and being are unassailable. Lies, plots and schemes were employed to bring Daniel down. You may have or might in the future experience some challenges to your spirit of excellence. Be buoyed by the story of Daniel. The people who plotted against him were ultimately unsuccessful. He was imminently and preeminently successful. So, as they say, “Dare to be a Daniel!”

Hone your personal, spiritual and professional attributes. Harmonize your life by cultivating and measuring your CHORALE metrics. When you do so, you will be ready for that moment when providence and preparation collide for you.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, please be with the readers of this brief message. Anoint them for the day. Provide for them the sustenance and opportunities to live maximally and approximate the purpose for which you gave them being. Bless them and their families. Use them to advance Your will in our spheres of influence. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Dare to Be a Daniel” by Zana Hunt. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson is the Director Emeritus of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries for the North American Division. In this role, he was the friend, advocate and gatekeeper for the profession of chaplaincy among Adventist pastors. 

His new mission is to specialize in personal and personnel development coaching. He journeys with and guides clients, personal and corporate, as they define their goals and grow into their full potential.

His pastoral career began in the Allegheny East Conference where he was ordained.

Subsequently, he served in the Potomac Conference at the Sligo and Seabrook churches. His professional dream was to be a chaplain in the United States Navy. He got to live that dream and achieved the rank of Commander before retiring from Naval service in 2015 with 26 years of service.

Chaplain Anderson has earned four graduate degrees: He earned his Master of Divinity Degree was earned at the seminary at Andrews University. He earned a Master’s of Education from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Sacred Theology from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C.

Chaplain Anderson and his wife Debra have been married for 41 years. They have two healthy, saved and well-adjusted adult children who picked good spouses and delivered four grandchildren.

Adventures through traveling, reading, praying, preaching, teaching and writing are the avenues of ministry and self-care that define his now and his destiny.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address: psanderson75@gmail.com.