In retrospect...........
"I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be." -- -- Ken Venturi
What are you good at? I know a friend who says that he doesn't have any talent to speak of, that there is nothing he can bring to the table or to the world.
Wow! Is he for real? Then maybe he does not know his God - the God who made him. Because God does not create junk.
When you first saw the light of day out from your mother's womb, your life has already been figured out by Him. He placed everything that you would be needing to carry out your mission order. Right, YOUR mission order. And when God does that, it only means that you have been equipped and enabled to work it.
But since He also gave you your free will, much of that will depend on what you intend to do with it. Or your understanding of it.
Your parents help you along to discovery by sending you to school, molding your character in the home, and you yourself get into the mainstream of gathering experience which in turn help shape your inclination. The hint is right there under your nose. Now the question to ask is.... where are your eyes set on? Or your heart.. and mind.
Let's make it simple. The goal of your existence, our existence, is to serve. Jesus showed us the way. But God in His magnificent god-ship decided to make it easier for us by blessing us each with talent. Talent which comes in many forms of thought, speech, and action. It's there for our enjoyment.. yes ... but solely not for our self-gratification alone. It has a purpose, by God's design. And that purpose is to bring God's magnificence out to the world.
Nope, I'm not thinking of doing it on a grand or grander scale. Although some others may or can. Saving the endangered species, preserving our forest lands, feeding programs for malnourished children, building houses for the homeless, and many other worthy causes. That also is part of the diversity of the gift. But to the greater majority of simple lives and simple people, we are matched with it in a more reasonable and realistic scale. Yet ordinary people who can do things extraordinarily well, by God's design.
We do it with our family, our neighbor, our friends, our community, and even to strangers who are called to our circle of life. We bring to them simple gestures of kindness, loyalty, responsibility, hard work, optimism, courage, help, inspiration, encouragement, faith, goodness, laughter and smiles, hope, strength... even our music and dance, our writing and art, our intelligence in science and mathematics, our inventions that make a difference in society, our friendships. There's lots more. You can see yourself in any of these. All with the aim of helping make this world a better place for everyone. Or perhaps just one person. That would still be good. Service with a higher goal. You see, we too are co-creators of our world.
That is God's definition of talent.
So.. the question again is --- What are you good at? Use it! No excuses now, you have to better than you ever thought you could be. God expects it. He planned it. And know what..... 'Whatsoever you shall sow...... so shall you reap.' (Gal 6:7) Blessings to you all!
(Photo courtesy of Mike Kinnaird)
