This new year, strive to be exceptional

God designed and created each one of us to be exceptional and unique or special in our own way. Thomas Peter puts this very well in two books he has authored titled In search of excellence and A passion for excellence.

I detest and I am not amused by being average; and even consider it as mediocre or failure because it is very close to the bottom. The book of Chronicles records an account of a man who stood out and was singled out by God for special recognition.

"Now Jabez was more honourable than his brothers and his mother called his name Jabez saying, 'because I bore him in pain'. Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain! So God granted him what he requested." (1st Chronicles 4:9-10).

Jabez was exceptional because he had done something significant and was preserved for posterity - today (over 4,000 years) we are talking about him!

He is likened to a Cedar tree in the middle of Cyprus - you cannot miss him. He was more honourable than his brothers. He wanted more and he asked God to do something significant in his life. Many people just 'drift' or 'float' through life with no goals or desires or aim or purpose.

They want to go with the crowd and not stand out. You must have a dream backed by goals for growth and expansion and face head on any challenges that may arise.

Many people are not exceptional because they confuse humility with fear. When you say I cannot do that, this is fear; and I can do it with God's help and blessings, it is humility. God wants you to believe him for things that you have never attempted before.

Many people confuse contentment with laziness. When you are fully satisfied and enjoy today while working on achieving tomorrow's goals you are content. Laziness is not having any dreams or setting goals towards which you work to achieve - it is idleness. Others confuse small thinking with spirituality and say they just want to serve God in their own small way.

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Why not serve God in a big way? Satan is an expert in making us think small. His mother had named him Jabez because she gave birth in pain. He however, prayed to God for great blessings and expansion and he granted him the requests. We learn three things from Jabez in order to stand out or be exceptional.

First, have great ambition. He asked God to bless him and expand or enlarge his territory, vision and dream. While his brothers and friends were satisfied with being average, he prayed for increase and greatness. Great men and women are just ordinary people with great thoughts, ideas, dreams and ambition.

Second, have faith in God. There is no mention of Jabez having special abilities, talents, gifts, education or wealth. Believing God is more important than all these. He was just an ordinary man with extraordinary faith in God.

Evidently, Jabez had some disability or handicap; he caused the mother so much grief at birth that she named him 'painful'. He was probably unwanted or unloved and his name was a constant reminder that his mother regretted his birth. His faith in God, however, was so strong that he trusted him to change his life story.

We have three types of people. The excusers, who make excuses for everything in life including what they choose to do or believe they are capable of doing; the accusers who blame others; and the choosers who choose to believe in God and move forward despite the hang ups, difficulties, labels or problems they may encounter. Jabez was a chooser!

Third, have a prayer life. Jabez made three specific requests for God's blessings: to be exceptional, accomplish his dreams and for enlargement. The Bible says you ask but do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Be specific in your prayers. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Call unto him and he will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know about. His blessings are limitless and he will bless you according to your faith.

Jabez prayed for God's presence - his hand to be with him. Ask for God's presence to be with you in all aspects of your life. When God enlarges your territory, you will face bigger problems and challenges hence the need for his presence to overcome them. He prayed for God's protection over his life. He prayed to be kept away from harm so that he can be free from pain.

The more God elevates you, the more critics you will attract and the more people will be against you. All you need is God's blessings, presence and protection. Exceptional people must have great ambition, faith and prayer life.

Bishop David Muriithi

Founder & Overseer House of Grace International Ministries