Discount Nothing

So, I’m minding my business, scrolling on the internet, and here comes Ri Ri across my screen with her blonde 27-piece advertising her new hair care line. My initial response was, “Do we really need another celebrity hair care line?” Then I took a step back and realized that despite what people think about celebrities they play the game, and they play it well! Rihanna created music, got into film, and lingerie/loungewear, and catapulted into billionaire territory when she jumped into the beauty industry. She used her influence and resources to propel her forward. She did what the average person doesn’t…she took inventory of who she was and what she possessed and decided to go for it…ALL!

What does this have to do with anything, you might be thinking…well, I recently listened to a teaching by Dr. Briana Whiteside and she focused on 2 Kings 4 and I noticed some parallels. In this scripture, a widower went to the prophet Elisha and told him that her husband had died leaving her and her sons in debt and she was now facing the possibility of her sons being sold into slavery to atone for the debt. Elisha asked her what she had in her possession, and she said, “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil”. And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.” The widower did what he instructed, and the oil didn’t stop flowing until she had filled

every empty jar to the brim. She then sold the jars, paid her debt, and lived on whatever was left.

So, what does this scripture and Rihanna have in common? What can we learn from them both?

1. Discount nothing. We have everything we need within to change the trajectory of our

lives. Granted, these things are often in seed form, however, if you were to take

inventory of every skill, talent, resource, and gift that you have, you would likely find

that there is something you aren’t capitalizing on. So, I ask, what do you have in your

possession that could be the key to changing your life?

2. Go big. Elisha told the widow to gather as many jars as she could. For some reason,

humans especially Christians tend to play it safe and play it small. Had she not gotten as many as she could, she could have forfeited and/or capped her earning potential. Look at Rihanna, her last album was released in 2016 and that was the beginning of a new chapter for her. She stopped music and moved on to movies, lingerie, makeup, and now hair care. She is a billionaire! If she hasn’t stopped and she’s a billionaire, what’s your excuse? What is preventing you from capitalizing on who God created you to be?

3. Strategize. Seeking guidance from wise counsel allowed the widower to get a strategy to not only get out of debt but to maximize the resources she possessed. We haven’t gotten a Rihanna album in years, but we have gotten an opportunity to see her grow into a mogul. No great feat is accomplished without strategy and in a recent interview she said this recent venture has been four years in the making. Remember, it may take time to execute but a good strategy is imperative for optimal impact.

4. Isolate. Scripture said that the widow and her sons shut the door when they began

pouring the oil into the jars. This can be looked at as removing yourself from the general public when you are moving according to God and limiting who has access to you. This could also signify shutting the door on things that are no longer a part of the current season you are in. Rihanna’s fans have been begging for an album with every launch of every venture she has had in the past nine years and yet she continues to do exactly what she wants. Not allowing others to dictate, plant a seed, or discourage you during transitional seasons is pivotal if you want to stay focused on the plans and strategy you have for yourself. God didn’t call them, he called you, so you don’t need anyone else’s input once you have gotten the word from the one that matters. So, shut the door, get busy, and don’t stop pouring until the task is complete.

What I realized is that I have slept on myself and my gifts for years and if you have been doing the same, I challenge you to move! Let’s not discount our gifts. Let’s dare to go big. Let’s strategize for optimal impact. And isolate until it is time to pop out!