For God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him.

In April, a random book hit the bookshelves in the U.S. titled, “The Cuckoo’s Calling”.  Since its’ publishing date and through this last week it had sold a whopping 500 copies. The author Robert Galbraith had received some good reviews but the sales were like most first novels, weak and uninspiring.  With only 500 copies or so sold, there wasn’t much opportunity for social buzz to get it going.  So, like most other books, the author wouldn’t recoup his advance and the book would be out of print before it got started and Mr. Galbraith would be able to call himself a published author and get on with his next novel, or back to his day job.  That is until this past weekend when the world found out that Robert Galbraith was actually someone named J.K. Rowling. Since that discovery, “The Cuckoo’s Calling” has run through it’s print run, the publisher is scrambling to meet demand, and I predict in a few weeks time Robert Galbraith will be a New York Times best-selling author, if not a #1 spot holder.  Lest we think that there isn’t power in personality?  This is a great reminder that we need to use all we have when launching new products or services. We so want to idealistically think that the great idea we have will take off on its’ own, but in truth to make it through the clutter, it does not hurt to have personality behind it to give it the power to get off the launch pad.  This is why considering partnerships, strategic alliances, or even letting others take the spotlight in the promotion or branding may be the better way to success.

I shy away from promoting myself or thinking that my personality/brand makes a difference for God and the expansion of the Kingdom.  I feel like it is having too much pride. But, each time I hear about or meet someone who’s personality and brand proceed them, only to find out later that they are believers, I think, “How wonderful it would be if more people knew of their faith and what an example they could be.”  Remember the Sunday School song verse: “Hide it under a bushel basket? NO!…I’m gonna let it shine!”  In Philippians, we are told that God works in and through us and He gives us power to bring Him pleasure and glory.  It well could be that part of that power is our personality, our brand, our presence, that we are supposed to be bringing into the world to be the example of His power.  The question we have to ask ourselves is this;  “Are we leaving God’s message in an unknown state for those around us or are we putting our full personality behind Him to bring His love into the mainstream of our lives for others to see lived out and through us”?

Reference: Philippians 2:13 (New Living Translation)