WHEN TALENTS WINS DIVINE APPLAUSE
It is amazing to see how talents can win divine applause. Kylian Mpappe, the 19 year old French football forward and the winner of The World Cup Best Young Player award is said to have donated 100% of his pay to charity.
Motivated by the victory of France at the just concluded Russia 2018 World Cup, the amazing striker and the PSG star is to donate $203k ($29 per game) and his $305k bonus to charity organizations. I’m so thrilled by this kind gesture and love for people. This act will certainly put smiles on the faces of many indigent people as well as make God glad for his unsearchable gift to mpappe.
Our talents are given to us by God for the purpose of making profits for our benefits as well as for the benefits of humanity and ultimately for the glory of our maker, God. Every man is gifted with one special ability or the other, and as a matter of fact, no man is giftless.
We are all beautifully and wonderfully made with divine abilities and talents to make our sojourn on earth worthwhile and of course help our co-existence. Whether in sports and entertainment, business, the arts, science and technology, religious or secular, whatever special abilities we have been given, God expects goodly results that would make the world a better place.
However, we should be careful not to make our talents a tool in the hand of Satan, for nothing good comes from him. A purposeful and fulfilling talent glorifies God, while a mis-used talent displeases Him and of course offers no benefit to humanity.
Sport is a global entertainment and a potent unifying game that brings many differing minds together irrespective of tribe, color or language. Football is the most watched sport with many talented players displaying their skills for the enjoyment of millions of enthusiasts worldwide. The passion and support for the game is amazing and to many countries represented in the periodic 
, the most coveted trophy is much desirous.
There are many others who have donated to charity and continues to do so but who may not be mentioned in this piece. However, I will mention a few: Christian Ronaldo is said to be on the top list of charitable sports stars. As reported by the Daily Telegraph, “Cristiano Ronaldo tops list of world’s most charitable sports stars. The Real Madrid star beats Serena Williams, John Cena, Neymar, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Hector Bellerin, and Dan Carter to title of world’s most charitable sports star. Likewise, some of our African players who donates to charity include, Kano Nwankwo, Michael Esien, Didier Drogba to mention a few.
Ronaldo was quoted to have said, “My father always taught me that when you help other people, then God will give you double, And that’s what has really happened to me. When I have helped other people who are in need, God has helped me more.” This is simply an acknowledgement that God endowed him with talents not just for his own benefit, but also for the good of others. God is proud of such lives who are not sufficient in themselves but honor Him as their sufficiency.
Let me also mention that many of these players, and even some who may not be in the list of top charity sport stars have often acknowledged God publicly whenever they score goals, or win titles. Lionel Messi in his usual manner of celebrating goals would make the sign of the cross and raise his fingers up to heaven in acknowledgment of God the giver of his amazing talents.
This is also the manner of many Brazilian players: Kaka, Neymar, to mention a few. I remember after a World Cup victory, when Kaka and few other Brazilian players revealed their underwear T-shirt inscribed with, “I belong to Jesus!” I was inspired not because I am a Christian but because God was acknowledged as the giver of good things! I’m sure God was very pleased with such acts.
There are some other players, like Mane and Salam of Liverpool F.C, who would bow to the ground in the Islamic way, in appreciation of God. I was really inspired by the celebration style of the Colombian star, Mina when scored the equalizer against England at the 93rd minute, at Russia 2018. Whist he was been cheered by the spectators, with hand signs he shifted accolades to God by pointing to heaven and gesticulating that people should know the goal was only possible because God made it so. Rather than bask in the euphoria of the moment, he shifted attention to God who is deserving, advising the spectators that it wasn’t him, but God.
You are also talented! You’re not an evolutional freak; you’re divinely and uniquely wired with talents and possibilities. There’s a gifting in you that must be properly used for your benefit, for the good of others and ultimately for the glory of God. There’s nothing you have that has not been given to you by God, and you are accountable to him. Therefore, humble yourself under God’s mighty hand, acknowledge him in all that you do and never assume you know it all! (Proverbs 3:6; I Peter 5:7).
Celebrate your talents; be selfless, serve humanity, worship God! You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
Also read: https://yeswearewinning.com/2018/09/07/the-god-called-messi/#more-4373
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