Gifts From God: Devotions From Time of Graceنموونە

God's Personal Gifts: Skills

Parents can be cruel to children in many ways. Worse than physical abuse is crushing a child emotionally and psychologically. Imagine what it does to a small person’s feeling of self-worth to hear, “You’re good for nothing.”

Has anyone ever said that to you? Do you ever feel useless? God begs to differ. Nobody has everything. But nobody has nothing. We all have been given a surplus of some things that we are good at, to serve the gaps and needs in somebody else’s life, and they in turn find true fulfillment in helping us. St. Peter wrote in his first letter, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

Some gifts are obvious--great wealth, personal charm, great intellect. Other gifts are subtler but no less useful--patience with children, a sympathetic heart, a knack for speaking words of encouragement. How has God enabled you to make someone else’s life better today?