Imagine a man who works all day as a telemarketer selling publications while dreaming about traveling to communicate with people around the world in different cultures. He wishes to learn about other nations and their customs, as he believes the knowledge will provide awareness and bridge gaps that may otherwise divide people and cause undue hate. He’s had this dream his whole life, but hasn’t put forth an effort to make it a reality.
This dream reveals that the man’s talents include a passion to communicate with a willingness to learn and make a positive difference. His occupation as a telemarketer requires him to use his ability to communicate with a willingness to learn, but does it fulfill the purpose of his talents and dream?
If we do not use our gift according to its intended purpose, our dream and its purpose remains unfulfilled. But if we put forth effort to use our gift according to its purpose, the purpose and our dreams are fulfilled.
Do you know what your *talents are, and are you using them on purpose?
(*ROM 11:29 &12:6-8)
Discovering the purpose for my talents included repercussions when I decided to use them for my own purpose. I was six years old when I learned that I had an ability to sing and write songs—a time when I marveled at the stories my mother told me about Jesus Christ. Back then I spent a lot of time daydreaming about helping children who were less fortunate in circumstances that I learned from watching TV commercials about feeding starving children around the world. It touched me deeply. I remember telling myself how I wanted to sing for God like an angel on earth to help save His children. My dream would not die from that moment on, as dreams never do, however – a tragic turn of events took away what I knew as a structured childhood foundation, when my mother lost her life in alcohol.
I attempted my first escape to live on my own as early as age twelve, which was only the first time, and kept on running until I achieved stable ground as a young adult. Through these challenges I endured unspeakable things that humans sometimes face, but I was fortunate to be saved through my distant faith in God (remember the mustard seed parable?).
A day came when I felt it was time to make good on my childhood promise to God, but in doing so, I made a pivotal decision resulting in a grave mistake. During my planning to record a Spiritual CD to help others in need, I decided to leave the name of Jesus out of my songs. I did this because I believed the songs would reach more people who might otherwise hear His name in the song and turn it off. When I put this thought into action, my life changed drastically. Not only did I omit the name of Jesus from my songs, I began to omit Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit from all aspects of my life. I found myself exposed, without guard and thrust into a plethora of addictions including control, alcohol, co-dependency, body image disorder, anorexia, exercise bulimia and whole host of other emotional issues including several failed, destructive and violent relationships that held me captive for more than a decade.
While this went on, I was somehow able to hide my pain and self-destruction behind a mask of achievement as I excelled in the corporate and secular music world, using my talents void of God’s purpose. At this point I was living as a self-declared agnostic standing at the edge of atheism and the possibility of losing my life to addictions until I met a new friend in December of 2010. He was very kind, respectful and peaceful, which peaked my curiosity. He invited me to attend his church, a place I hadn’t been for many years, but agreed to go. When I entered the Church, I saw a worship leader for the first time in my life. He was singing out praises to God while the congregation shined with God’s glory – as they sang along with him. In a flash I was struck by guilt. Guilt because I realized this is what I said I wanted to do when I was six years old. I told my new friend what had just happened and he replied asking, “so what are you going to do about that”? At that moment I felt as if the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, asking me to come back, telling me that Jesus would take away my addictions, granting me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream, and I agreed. I immediately went back and wrote His name into my songs, and I released a CD titled “Believe” eleven months later. It’s now available digitally all over the world. He also inspired me to write a book about my life and everything that happened up until then and title it, “Unforgotten”, now published worldwide through WestBow Press.
With this came another inspiration, one that I could never imagine on my own. God’s plan for my life to establish The Believe In Christ Foundation, and through it, to use my talents to help His children. The BICF and my lifelong dream is now a reality, because I am using my talents for God’s purpose. Thanks be to God!
~Brandee Nielsen-Smith
BICF 