One of the things you
are solely responsible for is the development of your gifts, talents and
skills. You must take charge of the development of these areas of your life.
The skill may have been given by God, or you may have acquired it, but the
growth, maturity and increase of the gift and ability is your responsibility.
Today, I want to write
about ways we can whet the edge, what we must do to sharpen the skill and to
ensure that the ax head (ability, skills, talents and gifts) do not become
blunt. If you must stay ahead of the pack, then you must keep the following
principles close to your heart:
1.
STAY INFORMED:
Information is the bedrock of the society we live in; you must seek to know.
Get all the information you can get concerning your area of interest. Don’t
ever get to a point, where you begin to think that you know all you need to
know about a thing. There are always things to learn. Paul said in 1
Corinthians 8:2, ‘Those
who think they know something really don't know as they ought to know’ (GNB).
There is a guy in my office who works in the
video editing department, I remember five years ago when an uneventful happening
necessitated his move into that department, he knew nothing about video
editing, but his craving for excellence led him to purchase many video tutorials,
and he spent endless hours on the internet surfing for information to make him
better. Today he stands tall amongst his peers, and he has bettered those he
met in the field.
Truly knowledge puffs up, but you can’t allow
yourself to be puffed up to your damnation. You are made for eminently bigger
things. Stay informed! Attend conferences, read books, watch seminar and
tutorial videos, buy audio messages. Do all you can to be informed! Don’t let
ignorance kill you.
Break the addiction to television programs
and series that consume too much time, and get back the habit of reading for
the sake of personal growth. Subscribe to major news magazines in order to stay
current and be able to interpret your work in the context of contemporary
society.
We live in a world of loads of information,
yet too little or no benefit. The problem may be because we do not seek any
specific information. Next time you hold your tablet, smart phones and gadgets,
make sure you are searching and surfing for things that will benefit and
further improve you. Solomon, that old sage and prophet said, ‘Get
wisdom, get understanding…’ Proverb 4:5.
STAY FRESH:
Stay on the edge; don’t ever get to a point
of contentment, for contentment is the true bane of greatness. You must
therefore be on the lookout for fresh ideas, new ways and methods of doing
things. A man is limited who believes there are no new methods to doing the
things he does. Don’t have a close mind, stay open and be receptive to new
ideas.
Do not be a yesterday’s man, you are made for
today, you are made for something bigger than what you have achieved. Paul said, ‘My friends, I don't feel that I have already arrived. But I forget
what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead.’ (CEV, Philippians 3:13). This was a great achiever speaking, you never rest on your oars, you
keep on keeping on. Remember, those who do the things that count never stop to
count them.
If you will sharpen your edge, then you must stay
fresh. You must be a man hungry for more; someone who is on to something
greater. Renowned brands in the world like Milo, KFC, Apple, HP etc. always
seek to reinvent their product, they don’t stay content with their present output
level and efficiency; they seek for more. You need to challenge yourself; you
need to ensure you give more. Stay fresh, always, always reinvent yourself.
“If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he apply more strength; but wisdom is profitable to give success.”
Eccelestiates 10:10(Darby Bible Translation)
Fisayo Adeniyi
Pursuing Purpose...
Twitter: @fisayospeaks
Facebook: Fisayo.Adeniyi
Whatsapp: +234-805-8432-300
fisayoadeniyi@gmail.com
