You are a person with God-given gifts that are to be shared with the world. Do you hide them in a box out of fear that others may not appreciate what you have to offer? To share your gifts, you need to ‘get out of the box’ and have your gifts be seen and experienced by others.
Safety in My Box
I have been cautious with gifts and let fear, self-doubt, gender, position, perception, and education limit what I thought I was capable of. My passion was to write but I do not have a degree in English. Although I run a business, my expertise does not flow over into communicating complicated personal concepts. Self-preservation directed me to play it safe and not go near the edges. The neat box I lived in provided walls of safety and eliminated any risk. I did not believe my gifts were good enough to share with others and was afraid to expose them in case someone thought they were not good enough.
What Does God Want From Me?
When I began to tell the story about my battle with depression, it was clear that others could relate. While living in my box, I believed that my story was of no consequence to others. The truth is that we all learn from stories. The plot line does not have to be the same for us to learn from one another’s life. Now I know my story was ordained and nurtured by God as a gift. He rounded out the rough edges of my talents and wants me to use them. Staying in the confines of my box limited what God wanted from my life.
What Does God Want From You?
What are your gifts? Now I don’t want anyone looking at their shoes and saying they don’t have any. That is to deny the wisdom of God. You have them and can discover what your gifts are. Then you will be able to get to work using them for the good of all those around you.
Get Out of the Box
There are many books and surveys to help you discover your gifts. Ask yourself what you enjoy doing. Those desires were put there by God. Find out what your gifts are and start using them. Don’t let fear keep your gifts hidden in a box. Gifts are meant to be shared. Go on, get out there!
Get out of the box you have built around yourself and share your gifts with the world!