INTRODUCTION:
We want to examine closely how a person can
locate (discover) and fulfill his/her divine mandate. Let us start by looking
at the key words closely.
Locate: to find or
discover.
Divine: ordained by
God from heaven above.
Mandate: “An
authoritative command or instruction.”
One can further state concerning divine
mandate:
It is the reason for a person’s existence. Each
individual has a unique divine mandate.
There are certain blessing attached to the life of each person that will not
unfold until the person begins to fulfill his divine mandate. Only God can
determine what a person divine mandate will be.
A person’s divine mandate on earth can be
likened to a company’s corporate mission/purpose. A scripture in the bible summaries
the divine mandate of our Lord Jesus while on earth:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”(Luke 4:18).
Hence, every person has a divine mandate. A
person who is not living out his/her divine mandate is like a minister without
a portfolio. The fact that you are a worker or a minister in the house of God
does not
mean you have located your divine mandate.
For you to fulfill your divine mandate the
following aspects must be addressed:
1. Location,
2. Vocation,
3. Timing,
4. Office or
Portfolio.
We will use certain biblical personalities to
explain each aspect:
1. LOCATION
This suggests that you must be at the right place. This could include where you
live, work, the church you attend, or even where you are found on a daily
basis.
The bible tells us that Mordecai sat at the king’s gate. “And when the virgins were gathered together
the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate”. (Esther 2:19)
Later on, we learn why. Though he was not a paid security guard of
the king’s staff, by the design of God, it was important that he remained
there:
“Then the king said to Haman, Make haste,
and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to
Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that
thou hast spoken”. (Esther 6:10)
2. VOCATION
This has to do with your training. Paul was trained as a lawyer
because his divine mandate was to expose the intricacies of the law to the
Gentiles and church at large. There is secular vocation and divine vocation.
God will use a person’s secular vocation to prepare one for his/her divine
vocation.
When you allow God to control your secular vocation he will give you an insight
into what you divine vocation will be.
3. TIMING
The next aspect that needs to be considered for a person to locate and operate
in his divine mandate is timing. Every divine mandate has its own time. A time
to start, a duration to last, and a time to end.
“The Spirit
of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and
he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that
were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This
day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:18-20)
Jesus told his audience that on that day the scripture was being fulfilled. In
other words that was the day of the commencement of his ministry. It is not the
day a person starts preaching or is ordained a pastor, (if that is your
calling) that your divine mandate commences. God still has to thoroughly test a
person before He releases His anointing upon the person’s life.
4. OFFICE.
This refers to a person’s divine calling. These include the fivefold ministries
such as the Apostle, Prophet Evangelist Pastor and Teacher as listed out in Ephesians 4:11.
However, despite the foregoing, a person could locate any or all of the above
mentioned and still not fulfill his/her divine mandate. A biblical example is
that of Miriam.
MIRIAM LOCATED HER OFFICE AS A PROPHETESS
“And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand;
and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. (Exodus 15:20)
SHE WAS AT THE RIGHT LOCATION
As the children of Israel came out of the Red Sea she was right
there at the forefront leading the women as the Lord had designated her to do.
SHE HAD THE RIGHT VOCATION AND TRAINING
We read in Exodus 15:20
that she sang, leading the women, which means she was vocal, had a good voice,
was bold, and could speak. She had the gift of oratory and leadership,
prerequisites for her calling.
5. TIMING
Her timing was right; She did not tarry in fulfilling her role to lead the
other women. She knew that she was to take the initiative and she took it
without being prompted by anyone else.
But despite all of this she ended up being a leper. Why?
MIRIAM COULD NOT SEE WHAT GOD WANTED HER TO SEE
A prophet is supposed to see visions and the heart of God. Miriam
was seeing the faults of Moses. Though what she saw was true. It was not her
assignment to point that out!
MIRIAM COULD NOT HEAR WHAT GOD WANTED HER TO HEAR
A prophet is supposed to hear the voice of God. Miriam was
listening to the voice of Satan. the voice of her pride.
HOW TO FULFIL YOUR DIVINE MANDATE
What is the secret of fulfilling your divine mandate—
Wait upon the Lord.
The bible says: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and
not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31)
There are certain questions you need to ask yourself in order to fulfill your
divine mandate. They include:
*Are you where God wants you to be or you where you want to be?
*Are you seeing what God wants you to see what the enemy (or you)
want you to see?
*Are you hearing what God wants you to hear or what the enemy
wants you to hear?
*Are you saying what God wants you to say?
*Are you doing what God wants you to do with your skills and
talents?
*Is Gods work or business the main thing in your life or is it
just a part time vocation for you?
*Are you more interested in the gains of your secular vocation
than fulfilling your divine vocation?
*Are you ready to abandon all like Peter and follow God?
In today's fast-paced secular world we are taught of the need to have our
personal short and long-term plans and goals detailing what we want to be and
how we want to get there. Though such exercises may have their own merits when
held up to the word of God they do not seem to hold water. If you indeed are of
much value to God He desires to do all the planning and goal-setting concerning
your life.Also He is not obliged to tell you the details until He feels like.
Concerning Jeremiah He said:
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out
of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5)
But in verse six Jeremiah replied by saying:
Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold I cannot speak: for I am a child. (Jeremiah 1:6)
This
response indicates that Jeremiah had know idea about God's plan for his life.
he was caught unaware.