Have you ever been around a person who is really gifted with a certain talent? Do you ever wish you could discover your gifts and talents?
I know I tend to be really envious when I see someone who is really graceful and never seems to have a clutzy moment. Or someone who has a beautiful voice and can sing like a bird, or play multiple instruments.
I would wish that I had some great and wonderful talent, instead of the few insignificant little ones that I did have.
When I was a kid and heard the 25th chapter of Mathew read, I always thought that the talents the Lord gave his servants were talents as we refer to them today, and not money. It didn’t seem fair to me that not every one got the same amount. In my childish mind, I didn’t blame the third man at all for hiding his talents to keep them safe.
Now, I’m just going to go with the idea that the men didn’t receive money, but actual gifts and talents to use as they saw fit.
The first man especially, he know he had talents and he used them and they grew, same with the second man. But the third man: I think he felt ashamed, insecure, not good enough, and he didn’t want to risk losing what he had, so he hid it.
Do you look around you and see others so much better gifted than you? You are asked to lead a Sunday school class but you hesitate because you KNOW you just couldn’t do it as well as so-and-so. Opportunities come to serve the Lord in various fields and you hold back because you are afraid that you cannot do it.
Here’s a really good example of holding back because of fear: I am good with kids and love them dearly, but we were married 5 years before we started trying to have kids. Why? Fear. Fear that even though I received a gift in the form of enjoying children, I was afraid that I would screw up if it were my responsibility to properly raise a child.
Now, I cannot say I am no longer scared, but I can say that I am learning to trust even more and am looking forward to discovering more of my gifts and talents, as well as developing new ones as I become a mommy.
When you discover your gifts and talents, you are then on the road to developing them more strongly and as well you will discover your hidden gifts and talents.
Just because you may not feel you are capable of handling something that comes up, if you use the few gifts and talents you do have, you will begin to notice new ones showing up as well.
Use your gifts, use your talents. Don’t let fear hold you back. Step out in faith and ask the Lord to help you discover your gifts and talents and to help you use them in a way that will glorify him!
You will be a great mom…no worries! Once in awhile I fall in to the trap of not so much being envious, but comparing myself to others. It is the comparing that gets a person in to trouble. I could compare my blog numbers for example to all the others above me and say..eh, it is not as good as so and so. The best way to avoid this trap is to be joyful and grateful for who we are and what we do have. That is where I like to spend my energies. Would’t we all waste so much time, energy, and personal potential if we kept looking around and wishing we were like so and so? Phew..that would be exhausting. I am willing to bet God doesn’t do that with us. He has probably never said hey I wish you were more like so and so to one of his children. So why should we do it? I love reading posts like this that make me reflect :). You have lots of big talents girl. I have worked with you and think one of your main talents is being a go getter and a “git er done” person. You tend to make things happen pretty quickly and are willing to put in the work to get there. Being a team coach for years , I can tell you I have only come along a small percentage of people with this quality to work their butt off to achieve goals quickly. I am sure you will instill these same hard working and can do mindsets in your kids…and that is one very big thing the next generation needs more of.
Thanks for your kind words Bekah, I agree that it’s far better to rejoice for others and in what you have rather than be envious. 🙂
As for being a mom, I’m pretty confident of being a good mom, where I falter, is in raising children who will love and follow the Lord. That’s where I will just have to trust him for that.
Learning to trust is a great key Kendra and that is about all you need. Thanks for sharing this post, I am in the middle of something and sometimes I can’t help but wonder if I am able to pull through. I am learning to trust God too, like I did in other things even though this one is a bit different and a road I have neither travelled nor imagined I would.
I trust you and baby are doing great!
Thanks for stopping by Ugochi, I pray that the Lord will guide you in this path you are on.