Last night families and friends gathered around the TV and we watched the Super Bowl. We ate our weight in chips and dips … or for my keto sisters, you consumed cauliflower pretending it was potatoes or pizza. Anyone else a wee bit gassy?

There was a great debate on that halftime show. While some were unimpressed by The Weekend, I was sitting on my couch clapping declaring that was the best halftime show in a decade because that boy actually sang. The commercials … were they good, or were they not? There was one that made me literally laugh out loud, so shout out to Progressive for the “don’t become your parents” commercial featuring the pants … “just pick a length.” Dang that was funny!

Ultimately last night was really about grown men running around in jock straps and helmets chasing a ball. We watch because these are the best in the world at what they do. They have talents others could only wish for. They are world class in their class. They are inspiring future generations and every young boy watching dreams of one day wearing that jersey.

Clearly God gifted those players. He formed and strengthened their bodies to do things the rest of us can’t do. But sister, I’m here to remind you this morning that the same God who gifted those football players to be world class, has gifted you to be world class at something too.

What are you world class at? There’s something within you that’s among the best of the best. Something inspiring and motivating to the rest of the world. What is it? Have you discovered what is special about you?

You go down the list of the obvious:

Fast runner … nope.
High jumper … nope.
Best dancer … girl, in your dreams.
Best singer… uhhhhhh, no.
Most creative?
Best smile?
Most photogenic?
Miss Congeniality?

What is this a beauty pageant and we’re all fighting over the crown. Stop fighting honey, we all get a crown. Jesus promised us the crown of life if we are faithful.

But really, what is special about you? If God created you to be world class at something, don’t you want to know what it is?

Psalm 139: 13-16
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.

Sister, you are marvelously made. What a creation you are. Maybe it’s been a while since you looked at yourself in the mirror with adoration and said “Thank you, High God for making me so marvelously!” Oh what, you’ve been busy tearing yourself down and picking yourself apart? Honey, that’s a work of the enemy. Don’t let him twist your perspective on the masterpiece you are.

You’ve got that something special in you. Something that makes you different. What is it … and are you using it?

Y’all I’m going to be real honest with you. You listen to me talk every morning and trust me to bring you something inspiring and motivating to start your day, but I’m just an ordinary girl who discovered her little bit of “world class.” You know what I’m world class at? I’m world class at being a morning person.

Really, that’s it. I’m a freaking super star at waking up in a good mood and thinking clearly. Come to a retreat with me and you’ll see, I wake up farting rainbows y’all. Now, that can be really annoying if you haven’t had your coffee yet … but I’ve discovered it’s my world class gifting by the Almighty. The gift simply had to be harnessed and channeled into something productive. And booyah, here I am talking to you through your phone or computer right now helping you embrace your morning and see each new day as the gift it is.

Oh girl, I wonder what you could do with your gift? What world class talent is there inside of you just waiting for a stage of opportunity?

Stage of opportunity … oh that sounds exciting doesn’t it? Where’s my stage. I’m ready!

Here’s the thing about stages of opportunity … they never look like opportunity, they just look like work. They look like potential failure. They look little and insignificant. If all you’re seeking is your big shot at doing something great, you’re probably going to miss it because great only comes after being bad at something long enough to get good at it. Then great comes about 10 years after that.

You may be a world class encourager. Or you could be a world class listener. A world class hugger … I know one of those people. Dang I would line up to get one of her hugs.

Or how about a world class mama of a 13 year old. Now that’s some impressive talent! I wasn’t world class at that.

Don’t dismiss yourself from the deposit God has made within you. He put something world class in you. Let your life journey be about discovering it, harnessing it, and sharing it. It may not be sexy and sparkly, but it doesn’t have to be. Again, I’m just really good at waking up and being happy and God said “girl, if you’ll use what I gave you, then we can do great things together.”

If you will use what God gave you, the two of you can do great things together. But, it won’t start great. It will start messy. It will start as a seed that looks nothing like what it could one day grow to become.

Start asking God what you’re good at. Seek what he has given you. It may not be some supernatural strength, it may be a quiet peace in the storm. What if that’s your world class gifting … you are peace in the storm. You’re strong and steady when chaos ensues. Don’t miss the fact that your peace coming into someone else’s storm may just save their life. Sounds to me a whole lot like what Jesus did on that stormy sea when the boat was about to sink. And here you’ve been dismissing that within yourself. You were created to be a life saver, but you don’t see it. You’re just someone who stays calm and doesn’t freak out … but in the hands of God that’s world class!

Lord, show us what you have given us, then guide us in using it for your glory.

This isn’t a competition of my world class versus your world class. This is a collaboration of us using what God has given us to make this world better. My world needs what you have. And your world needs a little of my early morning farting rainbows. And God says, “yes, this is exactly what I wanted!” Use it all.

There’s a little bit of world class within you. Start using it. Be bad at it long enough to get good at it. Keep getting better at it, and greatness will come about 10 years later. And one day you’ll look back and you will see purpose. Oh wow, that’s how it happens!