RECOGNIZE GAME: Seeing What God Has Placed in You — and in Others
“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” — Proverbs 18:16 (KJV)
I was reading a report after my son’s basketball game this past Tuesday — and like any proud mom, I was scanning to see how he did. Statistically, he was the most effective player on the court. Not the highest scorer, but the one who made others better — assists, steals, rebounds, the glue. Yet the report didn’t mention him until the bottom, as an afterthought.
For a moment, something rose up in me — that desire to defend, to correct the narrative, to tap the writer on the shoulder and say, “Did you actually watch the game? Did you look at the numbers?” But then a different kind of clarity settled in. A mother’s clarity. A spiritual clarity, making it clear that whether the article acknowledged him or not, those who truly understood the game had already seen him.
His coaches saw him.
His teammates saw him.
The fans who understand basketball’s rhythm and nuance saw him.
Most importantly — he knows who he is.
On the court, in the locker room as team captain, and in the Lord.
That realization pulled me back to something my mother used to tell me, borrowing a line inspired by Maya Angelou:
“Don’t ever let anyone minimize you.”
She said it with conviction, and she raised us to believe it. I’ve passed those same words to my children, and moments like this remind me why.
There will always be people who overlook you, underestimate you, or simply lack the eyes to discern excellence when it isn’t loud. However, those who truly know the game — whether it’s basketball, ministry, business, leadership, or life — can recognize real skill long before it becomes popular. Spirit recognizes spirit. Gift recognizes gift, and calling recognizes calling.
That’s what Proverbs 18:16 means when it says your gift will make room for you. It doesn’t say applause will make room. It doesn’t say being seen will make room. It says your gift — the thing God put in you — will open the doors He intends for you.
Sometimes, that recognition comes quietly, like a nod from someone who knows the craft. Other times, it comes through opportunities only God could orchestrate. Then there are moments when, like the four lepers in 2 Kings, you have to take a step forward even when your current circumstances fail to reflect your true worth. Their question — “Why sit we here until we die?” — is a reminder that staying in a place where you are minimized will never lead to purpose.
The parable of the talents reminds us also that burying what God gave us is never the answer. He expects us to cultivate it, multiply it, and trust Him to elevate it in His timing. Even when others don’t see it yet. Even when the headlines overlook it. Even when the write-up gets it wrong.
So whether you’re the one feeling unseen or the one who needs to sharpen your spiritual vision to recognize the gifts in others, remember this: real game always shows, and the right people will always see it.
Life Application: 4 Ways to “Recognize Game” Spiritually
- Nurture what God gave you.
Your gift grows through obedience, not applause. - See others through God’s lens.
Encourage the ones who serve faithfully in hidden spaces. - Move when the Spirit says move.
Don’t remain where your gift is overlooked or diminished. - Celebrate effectiveness over visibility.
Impact matters more than being seen. God rewards fruit, not flash.
Takeaway Thought:
Your gift is God-given, and no one can minimize what Heaven has authorized. When you walk confidently in who you are — and whose you are — the right people will recognize your game, because they recognize the God who gave it to you.
In love and charity,
Giselle (aka) Blooming-Lillie