Strength and Purpose

Your place of calling is far greater in function and honor than a level of promotion outside of your purpose.  By staying in your strengths and purpose, you will find a high degree of fulfillment and success.
Every strength has the potential to be a great example, a great light and hope to others. But, the potential only becomes vital when that strength is a targeted focus of development in your life.
A divided heart produces dismal results. Dividing your purpose between God GIVEN and Man DRIVEN only serves to deplete your effectiveness and deprives the world of your unique gift!
Follow your passion and heart and it will lead you to your strength and purpose.
 I love how Sarah Palin presented this idea..
"The desires and passion of our heart are not by God to frustrate or tease us, but to give us direction!"

Gods Word also reveals a beautiful picture of this in Judges 9:8-13
⁸ The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
⁹ But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
¹⁰ And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
¹¹ But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
¹² Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
¹³ And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
I notice in this passage that the individual purpose was well identified by the olive, fig and vine and , as such, enabled a confidence in remaining firm in the calling given to each!

Choose to evaluate every opportunity presented by the following:
Am I leaving my purpose to step into a "promotion" offered by man?
Am I forsaking the direction my strengths have provided on my journey thus far?
Determine to find your strengths, map your course and stay within the boundaries of your journey and you will far excel any man given promotion!

Good vs Expedient

There will be many things that may catch your eye: good, wholesome and beneficial things. Events and opportunities may be presented to you that are exciting and produce an initial fire in you. However, there will only be a few that truly are expedient for you and will capture your heart.
When something captures your heart it will burn beyond the startup. You will find it always in the perimeters between your conscious and subconscious mind. You dream about it, cry about it and are energized by it. Your strengths and gifts draw you ever closer to the forefront of the  expedient opportunity presented by God. Focus on  what captures your heart, for out of it flow the issues of life. A life designed with an eternal purpose created in you by God from the foundations of the heavens and earth.
A unique purpose intended to shine the light of His glory and extinguish darkness in the lives of those around you.
A purpose that is fueled by the same power that raised Christ from the dead!
Allow God to illuminate your purpose according to the gift of grace given unto you by the effective working of His power in you.  Take pleasure in that which captures your heart  and let YOUR light shine!
(Genesis 1:1-3, 31 / John 1:1-3 ~ Ps 139:13-16 NASB / Jeremiah 29:11/ Proverbs 4:23~ Ephesians 1:18-20)