"A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” — Proverbs 18:16
The world teaches us to seek platforms, applause, and validation — but Scripture reminds us that it is our gift, our value, that makes room for us.
Just because someone overlooks your worth doesn’t mean you are worthless. A misdelivered package doesn’t lose value; it’s simply at the wrong address. The problem is not your content — it may just be your positioning.
So when people don’t clap, when doors don’t open, or when rooms feel uncomfortable — don’t shrink. Reposition. The absence of applause doesn’t equate to the absence of value. Some rooms were never built to carry the weight of your calling.
Potential is powerful — but it is not enough. You can be a treasure chest full of divine gifting, but if you never open up, grow, and sharpen what’s inside, you will remain untouched and unfulfilled.
To the gifted and growing — especially professionals — let me speak truth to you:
You cannot afford to sit idle, waiting to be “discovered.”
You must invest in your skills, develop your voice, and solve real problems in your field and generation.
Because value is not only what you possess — it is what you apply with precision and purpose.
When you grow, everything around you begins to shift.
You no longer knock on doors.
Doors begin to open, because now you’re walking with keys.
Visibility isn’t the goal.
Usefulness is.
Let your presence become a solution, not just a silhouette.
Let your life speak strategy, not just hope.
And yes, self-love plays a part — but not the shallow kind that ends at affirmations and pampering.
True self-love is having the courage to say:
“I need to level up.”
It’s discipline.
It’s clarity.
It’s refusing to let job titles or rejection letters define the value that God has already embedded in you.
So if the door didn’t open, maybe it wasn’t yours.
Or maybe it’s calling for you to show up with more than talent — with tools, excellence, and readiness.
Don’t wait to be seen.
Be valuable first.
And in due season, your gift will make room for you.
- 'Tunde Oyewole
