potluck

have you ever pinpointed exactly what it is you are good at? i mean, what are you bringing to the table of life? specifically, your talents and abilities that make you special for who you are. for instance, are you a particularly good public speaker that people intently listen to when you speak? are you more handy than the next guy and can fix anything? are you a born leader?

regardless of your talent or skill set you are unique, in so much as once you add up all the things that make you who you are, there is no one like you, past, present or future. with that said, as you come into contact with anyone on a daily basis it is that skill set that not only sets you apart from anyone else, but inevitably benefits the greater good of all mankind whenever put to use. sounds kind of out there but it’s true, let me explain.

at some time in your life, there has been someone or possibly more than one person who has had an impact on your life. typically we only think of major impacts such as our parents or a specific teacher or mentor, but i challenge you to consider every single person who you have ever come into contact with. if that thought seems staggering it should. too often we take for granted the talents and gifts of others but the truth is we are gleaning from everyone along the way, or at least we should be.

think of all of your family, then all of your friends. next think of the people you would consider acquaintances and finally the few people who would be considered enemies. no matter how nice you are, there is still at least one person that rubs you the wrong way. you would not go out of your way to do anything for that person and would be just fine if they were not involved in your day to day life any longer. even that person is someone that we can learn from.

figuring out what you’re good at is important, as is learning. so let’s roll those together in a way that benefits those around you. as you demonstrate your talents on a daily basis subconsciously, you are actually teaching others, you just didn’t realize it. likewise, as you are surrounded by coworkers and friends and relatives, you are learning from what they are “teaching”.

most people “learn” this way by osmosis, meaning that it is unintentional on our part when we pick up a new trait or behavior or habit. this is especially true when we are very young and impressionable. learned behavior is as much what shapes our outward characteristics as anything we could ever learn in a classroom. what others see in you is essentially a collage of every person you have ever come into contact with in your life.

now imagine if all of this were intentional. imagine that you shared your gifts consciously and gleaned, or learned from others as they shared their talents. most of the questionable traits we pick up throughout our lives would never happen, instead focusing on learning only that which is good and positive. naturally we would encourage each other more as we sought to learn from those around us they had insight to share.

take the time to listen to those around you, regardless of their age or experience level, you will be amazed at what God has instilled in them if you give them a chance to reveal it. then recognize that as you are learning from them, they are learning from you. with that frame of mind, do you suppose it is important what we show others for them to learn? knowing that someone in your sphere of influence is going to glean from you, are you concerned about the content?

every word that comes out of our mouths and every action we take is a textbook of information for someone in this life. some of us will affect (infect) more people than others, but ultimately the outcome is the same. you and i make a very real difference in the lives of everyone around us, whether positively or negatively. we have the choice as to that impact.

ask God to reveal your gifts and how to use them for His glory. then ask God to show you your sphere of impact, because it’s much bigger than you think. lastly, ask God to guide your way as you share what you know about the good news of Jesus. the most positive gift you possess is the story of our Savior and others are paying attention to how you tell it.



my life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D