1 Timothy 4.14 Paul encourages Timothy to not neglect the gift that is in him.
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Cursillo encourages us to use our gifts in the 4th day, but this is tricky. What are my gifts? Are they really good enough? Doubt can undermine our self esteem so that we dare not use them.
How often do we look at someone so obviously gifted that we wished we were them? It is so easy to devalue and dismiss the gifts we have as being inadequate and not up to the task. Even really talented people have been known to doubt their own talent and suffer from insecurity that can lead to bouts of depression.
In the days before the internet and global communications, people didn’t have the best and most talented people in the world to compare themselves to. The best
singer in the village was celebrated for their gifts. They were the best and everyone appreciated them.
All gifts come from God and we are given the gifts that are needed for the mission and service we are called to. When we compare ourselves to other people we can start to doubt that God has given us what is really needed for the task.
I love the saying, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” God created us, as we are. God has given us our gifts and talents. God has a place for us in the community and expects us to exercise our gifts and talents.
Of course, we do need to look for opportunities to improve our gifts. Even members of Symphony Orchestras didn’t start out with that amount of skill. Using our gifts
regularly, looking for workshops to improve, and feed back on how we are going, can improve our skill and give us more
confidence.
If anyone makes you feel like your gifts aren’t good enough, remember St Paul’s
illustration of the body. All the parts of the body are needed and none can be
excluded without compromising the body.
De Colores
Fr Mark Cooper