Different Gifts

By Maria Fontaine

June 25, 2011

Audio length: 8:48

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If you’re someone who looks around and sees others who are brighter than you, more eloquent, more skilled, more energetic, or who just seem “more” or “better” in a variety of ways, you’re not alone.

The problem, though, is that that adds up to a lot of down and discouraged people in the world, because seeing oneself as “less” or “worse” than others is definitely not an uplifting exercise.

It’s not that you want to drag other people down to your level. You’d just like to rise to their level, or at least get closer. But when you look at yourself, it’s easy to lose heart. Instead, the Lord wants you to take heart!

First of all, remember that He’s fair, and when He hands out gifts and talents, skills and abilities, He gives everyone, including you, something special. The Bible says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.”[1] “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.”[2]

If you’ll take a good, honest look at yourself, at your pluses instead of your minuses, you’ll find that you too have gifts and abilities that you can be happy about—those gifts that the Lord has given you for “doing certain things well.” You can be sure that there are others who look at you and your strengths in a certain area and think, “I wish I were more like that!”

How much better it would be if we could each learn to appreciate the varieties of gifts that the Lord has given to others, without overlooking or forgetting the ones that He has given us.

Most of all, remember that the Lord doesn’t compare you to anyone. He loves you with an everlasting love, and it’s a love that sees all the good and possibilities that you have. If you love Him and want to please Him, that’s what matters to Him! You are special to Him, and He loves you with a special love!

[1] 1 Corinthians 12:4 NAU.

[2] Romans 12:6 NLT.