Do You Have What it Takes?

How many times have you heard the phrase, “Do you have what it takes?” Let’s get more specific…how many times have you been personally challenged with that questioning phrase? Or, let’s get even more graphic…how many times have you been accusingly confronted that you DON’T have what it takes?! Phew, that’s only happened to me a couple of times in my life, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Rather discouraging and depressing, actually!

Yet, when a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ by “believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved….” (Acts 16:31) and then makes Jesus the Lord of his/her life by setting aside the things of this world to follow Christ…denying himself and taking up his cross daily (Luke 9:23), then he/she becomes indwelt with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9).  

We All Have a Testimony

At that moment of justification, and through our sanctification, God gives us a testimony to share with others. We don’t have to become a theologian or deepen our philosophical views to simply speak about what Jesus has done in our lives. 

In 1 John 5:10a, the Apostle John tells us, “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself;” and the Apostle Paul expands that in his letter to the Thessalonicans with, “For the work of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we do not need to say anything.” (1 Thess. 1:8) 

The bottom line, we are equipped through the power of the Holy Spirit to live out the call of God on our lives, and that is the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). We ALL can tell others about what we’ve seen God do in our lives and in the lives of others. WE DO HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!!

What is Your Life Message?

I appreciate what Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, has to say about this in his devotional, “Live Your Calling.” 

“God has put a life message within you.  When you became a believer, you also became God’s messenger. God wants to speak to the world through you.”

You may think you don’t have anything to share, but that’s the Devil trying to keep you silent. You have a storehouse of experiences that God wants to use to bring others into his family.

Here’s one thing that will help you prepare to share: Write down the major life lessons you’ve learned. We should be grateful Solomon did this because it gave us the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which are filled with practical lessons on living. Imagine how much needless frustration could be avoided if we learned from each other’s life lessons.

Here are a few questions to jog your memory and get you started. What has God taught you: 

• From failure? (Psalm 51) 

• From a lack of money? (Philippians 4:11-13) 

• From pain or sorrow or depression? (2 Corinthians 1:4-10) 

• Through waiting? (Psalm 40) 

• Through illness? (Psalm 119:71) 

• From disappointment? (Genesis 50:20) 

• What have you learned from your family, your church, your relationships, your small group, and your critics?” 

Hmmm, what has God taught me? I’ve had many experiences with plenty of opportunities to learn much, but have I truly learned what He wanted to teach me? Can I translate my experiences to learning? Can I articulate those in the most compelling and winsome way?

God Equips You to Do What it Takes

If you’re like me, the answer to my questions comes from simply doing the work. Putting pen to paper or typing on the keyboard while reflecting on what God has done. He truly HAS done great things, and HE has equipped me to DO WHAT IT TAKES! If I find myself doubting, remember Pastor Warren’s warning that this is Satan trying to keep us quiet.  

So, whether you’re in the midst of a job search or feeling unfulfilled, we can all feel confident and equipped to fulfill our primary calling with the Great Commission.  We can answer the question, "Do you have what it takes?” with a resounding YES, I DO!! Taking that step will lead you to the next one, and the next one, and the one after that. Just keep following and doing what He tells us to do!

Blessings!

Dave

Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career Board Chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.

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