Function Under Your Unction

A fish lives and thrives in the water. A fish cannot live and thrive when it is out of water. In fact, when a fish is out of water, it will be greatly restricted. And the worst is: the fish will not live long. Within a short time, it will die.

Similarly, man lives and thrives on land. Man cannot live and thrive when he chooses to live in the water. Any attempt to stay long in the water can spell disaster to man. A man who tries to stay under water for too long will drown. This is because man is not created to live and thrive under water.

Locate Your Habitat

All the nutrients you must absorb in order to function optimally are in your habitat. The oxygen you need for your survival and sustenance can only be found in your natural habitat. There is a great lesson to learn from this analogy of animals’ natural habitat: God created you to function under the unction that he poured on you.

If you try to function under the unction that is not meant for you, you may never excel in life. Some domineering parents will want their son/daughter to become a doctor, engineer, lawyer or an accountant. Fine! It’s good that you have good intentions for your children. It’s good that you guide them on the path to success.

But one truth you must not lose sight of is that while you can guide your children on what they are capable of becoming, you cannot really dictate to them what they should become. If you do, you will be leading them to the dungeon of mediocrity.

This is one mistake some parents make. A parent who is a doctor or engineer may want his son/daughter to take after him. But if the profession is not the son’s/daughter’s greatest strength and ability, he/she may find it difficult to cope with his studies and practice. Like a fish taken out of water, they may not be able to function optimally.

Knowing Your Unction

David was an “anointed” musician. While a shepherd boy tending his father’s sheep, he was always playing the harp. He was also a valiant boy. While tending his father’s flock, he had killed a lion and a bear.

But in spite of his strength and valour, he was not really known. What brought him to limelight was his great ability in playing the harp. At a time when a talented musician was needed, it was David that was recommended. He was not initially recommended for his bravery, he was recommended for his ability to play the harp.

You may be multi-talented. You may have the ability to do several things well, but it is one or a few of these abilities that will launch you to limelight. It is therefore advisable that you concentrate on doing what you know best to do.

People will know you for several things you can do very well. There were many things David did not know how to do. He didn’t concentrate on those. He concentrated on those he was gifted to do.

THIS IS THE SECRET OF ALL GREAT MEN: THEY FUNCTION UNDER THEIR UNCTION. David was not only a brave man; he was also an “anointed” harp player. In fact, it was his music talent that brought him from the bush to the palace.

The problem with us is that we strive to major in our minor. Instead of majoring in our major, we major in our minor. When we see others excelling under their unction, we try to copy them without sitting down to figure out whether we have the unction to function there. A fish does not strive to function outside its natural habitat. It effortlessly functions under its own natural habitat.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN LIFE IS TO FUNCTION UNDER YOUR UNCTION. IT IS OUR FAILURE TO FUNCTION UNDER OUR UNCTION THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR MEDIOCRE PERFORMANCE. THERE IS NO WAY YOU FUNCTION UNDER YOUR UNCTION THAT YOU WILL NOT EXCEL.

We may admire and learn from those who are excelling under their own unction, but we don’t have to copy them or try to be like them. A fish does not strive to be like an elephant nor does an elephant strive to be like a fish.

Just as a fish cannot strive on land, so also an elephant cannot strive on water. Sure, an elephant can swim, but it cannot remain in the water as long as the fish does. They have their separate natural habitats and each function under its own habitat.

This analogy teaches us lessons about greatness in life. YOU DON’T BECOME GREAT BY STRIVING TO BE LIKE OTHERS. YOU BECOME GREAT BY LOCATING YOUR UNCTION AND FUNCTIONING UNDER IT. The truth is: there is divine unction on every person. And it is under our divine unction that God expects us to function. When we function under our respective unction, we will be living in our natural habitat. It is when we live in our natural habitat that we will be fulfilled.

How to Locate Your Unction

It’s not difficult for a fish to locate its natural habitat nor is it difficult for an elephant to locate its own natural habitat. But unfortunately for us humans, who are the most intelligent and the crown of God’s creation, we find it difficult to locate the habitat for our greatness. But this ought not to be so. We are creatures of massive intellect.

Passion is a Pointer

David was a passionate instrumentalist. He played harp with passion. He played harp so well that he was described as a “cunning player on an harp.” Even when he became the king of Israel, he still sang a lot and encouraged people to sing praises to God with musical instruments.

Passion can be a pointer to the place of your unction. Now, let me give an illustration: buy a live fish and put it in an empty container for about five minutes. Watch how it suffocates for lack of oxygen. But after the five minutes has lapsed, pour clean, sparkling water into the container that you put the fish. Watch how excited and lively it becomes.

The same thing applies to us. We are most dispassionate and perform below ebb when we try to function under other people’s unction, but we become very passionate when we function under our unction.

What are those things you are passionate about? What are those things you love doing so much that even if no one pays you to do them, you are happy doing them? What are those things you can keep doing day in, day out or year in, year out? What are those things you are doing that people are praising you about? Take up your pen and start jotting them down.

After that, read all that you have written and select one or a few of those that you are most passionate about and which you find very easy to do. Both passion and excellence go together. You are most likely going to excel in those things you are passionate about.

Don’t be carried away by other people’s unction. RESPECT GOD’S UNCTION ON YOU AND SEEK TO FUNCTION UNDER IT. EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN LIFE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FAME AND FORTUNE WILL COME TO YOU IF YOU CHOOSE TO FUNCTION UNDER GOD’S UNCTION ON YOU.

It is ridiculous they way some people strive to achieve success, fame and fortune without giving thought to the need to function under their unction. You don’t become great by copying or striving to be like others. YOU BECOME GREAT BY FUNCTIONING UNDER YOUR UNCTION. IT IS THOSE THINGS YOU ARE MOST GIFTED TO DO THAT YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON. IT IS THOSE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW BEST TO DO THAT WILL EARN YOU FAME AND FORTUNE.

If you are a secondary school student wishing to study medicine or law in the university, you need to first sit down and consider your unction – what you understand very well or what you can do very easily. If your results show that you always score low marks in science subjects, but score very high in Arts/Social Science subjects, you may find it difficult if you choose to study Medicine. But if you choose to study Law, you will find it easier than Medicine.

There are exceptions of course. There are instances where students may be exceptionally good in virtually all the subjects. To such students, it is advisable that they study a course that they are most passionate about. You can only excel in a field that you are most passionate about.

Dear reader, there is a unique divine unction on you. There is no one that is not endowed with unlimited potentialities. With these potentialities, you can achieve any goal you set for yourself. These potentialities are the unction God expects you to function under. But you see, you cannot function under all the unction. You can only select the one or the few that you feel you are most richly endowed with.

Like the fish, you cannot thrive under other people’s habitat; you can only thrive under your own habitat. Your unction is your habitat. This is where you will have all the material, financial and spiritual resources you need to be successful and fulfilled.

Seek to function under your unction today. Forget about other people’s unction and concentrate on God’s divine unction on you. Everything you want in life is tied to God’s unction on you. Begin to function under your unction now and you will be victorious now and always. Till I come your way soon, go and live victoriously!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “BUT YE HAVE AN UNCTION FROM THE HOLY ONE, AND YE KNOW ALL THINGS.” – I John 2:20