Be exceptional: Key lessons from the Biblical Jabez

A man praying. (Courtesy)

God designed and created each one of us to be exceptional and unique or special in our own way. Thomas Peter puts this very well in two books he has authored titled, 'In search of excellence'; and 'A passion for excellence'. Personally, I hate and I am not amused by being average; and even consider it as mediocre or failure because it is very close to the bottom.

The book of Chronicles records an account of a man who stood out and was singled out by God for special recognition. "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers and his mother called his name Jabez saying, because I bore him in pain. And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, oh, that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain! So God granted him what he requested." (1st Chronicles 4:9-10).