It's not by mistake that you are reading this post today. You were birthed into the earth for a reason. Who God created you to be is not by happenstance. Have you ever asked God what talents, gifts and skills He put on the inside of you? Yes, I am discussing this with you again. This is a friendly reminder just in case you did not ask God about your talents, gifts and skills a few blog posts ago.

If you haven't, it's not too late to ask. You can ask Him today!

Now I want you to take yourself back to a time where you felt defeated, deflated and just plain down and God spoke to you in that moment.

I remember when I was challenged with a particular assignment in undergraduate school and I went to my professor's office hours for help. The paper I wrote was not up to par with the professor's standards. Therefore I rewrote the paper and it still was not good enough. Oh how frustrating! Since I put in the effort and sought help from the professor, she demonstrated grace by giving me a passing grade. Sounds good right, but wait...This grade came with a price that took a jab at my confidence in writing for a few years to come. Let me tell you why.

The professor asked me where I was from and the school district. After sharing my responses she states "oh that's why your writing is the way it is." My thoughts "huh" because I am from a big city and the educational system is not equitable; my writing took a hit. As a result I was not prepared to write for college.

After that brief encounter I was embarrassed and did not want to write another paper again in fear that another professor would ask more questions and share their criticisms more than being solution oriented. As I continued my undergraduate degree the writing center on campus became one of my most valuable resources. I knew all the writing center tutors. I began to fine tune my writing skills, learn new tips and tricks so I could be the best writer.

Now what would have happened if I allowed that comment to deflated me and oppress me. I would not be writing this post today.

All things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

God used that experience and a few others to mold me into the writer He called me to be.

Now if someone would have approached me shortly after I was told I couldn't write; Do you think I would have started a blog then? Or even believed what they were saying to me? Maybe not, because I could not see what God put within me at the time.

Again, ask God what He put in you. Once you get your answer, believe it! Then ask how should you proceed with using that gift, talent or skill.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below. We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Bianca Cotton is the Founder of Behind the Confident Smile, a lover of Christ, wife, and mom who enjoys dealing hope to women all over the world.

Look Beyond Your Challenges