BUILDING A NICHE

We ought to publish THE REALITIES OF THE TRUE LIGHT this season, but there’s a change of plan, and we apologise for that. This season, we’re led to share on BUILDING A NICHE. We pray you’ll be blessed and enlightened in Jesus’ name. Amen.
So what does it mean to build a niche?
To build a niche is to set a name for oneself. And a name is an identity, a reputation; what people know you for.
To build or carve a niche is not to set boundaries for yourself. But the niche which you build will make people to set boundaries for you.
To set boundaries is to segregate yourself from people, and you can’t make an impact on your generation.
But to build a niche, is to be identified and be known for something. Thus, people set boundaries for you on the things you cannot be identified for.
For instance, you can’t go to the ophthalmologist when you have a tooth problem; though both the ophthalmologist and the dentist work in the hospital, but because of the tooth problem, you set boundaries for the ophthalmologist.

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is more desirable than great riches;

 to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

A good name, the Bible says, is better than riches. And a good name is earned by godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity.
 Build a niche that your generation will know you for. So that when your name is being mentioned, you will be recognised by the sort of niche you’ve built.
For instance, when you hear of Ben Carson, what will come to your mind is not just ‘doctor’, but ‘neurosurgeon’. Though you’ve not seen him, but because of the niche he had built for himself over the years.

To build a niche is a lifetime process, but to destroy a niche can happen in just a second. That’s why you must not build your niche on the foundation of pretence and hypocrisy. The best way to build a niche is to do what is right even when no one sees you.
Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence…” (Phil. 2:12).
There should be much building up in the absence of people, because what you do in the secret will determine who you will become in the future.
When Jesus was giving a sermon on the mount, he taught about how one can identify a true or false prophet by their fruit. Then he went on to give a parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matt. 7:15-20, 24-27).
If you build your niche on pretence and hypocrisy, you’re like the foolish builder building on the sand. But time will tell too, when you begin to yield fruits or the wind blows. The Bible says, “… the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment.” (Job 20:5).

Matthew 16:13-16

[13] When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

 [14] They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

 [15] “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

 [16] Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

The outside world know Jesus as one of the prophets, and his disciples know him as the Son of the living God.
Whom do the world know you for? Just as how I am called Samuel at home, the outside world know me too as Samuel. It was an abomination to call someone a son of God, so they call Jesus a prophet. But his disciple agreed to the fact that he is the son of God.

It is one thing to build a niche, it is another thing to maintain it. Both the building and the maintenance is a lifetime process. You may start up a niche on a land of integrity, but once you fail to maintain that integrity, you destroy that niche and you will be tagged with the hypocrites that started on a land of pretence.
To build and maintain a niche, is like a mountaineer, climbing up a mountain, as he gets higher, he becomes more careful. So also, as you build and maintain a niche, a community that know you, will someday become a nation. And you have to be more careful, because these people have set boundaries for you and trusted wholly on you that you cannot do otherwise. And that is why it is very important to build your niche on Jesus, the chief cornerstone. Be identified with him by yielding to the Spirit of God. Building a niche without him will one day fail, just like the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-20.
 Seven days from now, a lot of individuals will write New Year resolutions and begin to build a niche on it. But if Christ is not involved, your resolutions and your niche will fail with time.
Christ was born to redeem us to the Father by the Spirit of God and as we are in the season of Christmas; also preparing for the New Year, let us yield ourselves to the Spirit of God for guidance and help in building a niche that our generation will know us for.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE!