Choosing to Honor God With Our Unique Gifts

When we choose to use our unique gifts and talents, we honor God.

I recently had the opportunity to watch the Robin Williams film, “Dead Poet’s Society.” I saw it when it was first released, but that was back in 1989, so I had forgotten what a fabulous movie it was. It takes place at a very prestigious, all boys boarding school in 1959. They do everything by the book, so to speak and everyone does just as they are told. No one would ever dare question the people who are in charge.

Robin Williams plays a teacher who graduated from this school, but he has the heart of a poet and wants to encourage the boys to follow their dreams. All mayhem breaks loose and I could probably come up with at least five posts on this movie. I highly recommend it. But, there was one particular scene that I can’t get out of my mind.

He takes his senior literature class outside to the courtyard, an act in itself that raised the eyebrows of the administrators. Why in the world would you leave the classroom? He picks three boys out of the group and tells them simply to walk around. Just walk. They have no idea what he’s up to, but they comply. At first, they walk at their own stride and pace, but it doesn’t take long before they are in a line, marching to the same tempo, in the same exact stride. “There it is.” Robin Williams says.

He goes on to say that they shouldn’t do everything everyone else does, but should find their own way. What a stunning truth from a simple exercise. We are born as individuals with individual talents, but it doesn’t take long for us to want the same clothes and hair as everyone else. As teens, we strive to fit in and as adults, we often don’t fare much better.

From weddings to houses to cars to jobs, we like to be just like the proverbial Joneses. But, here’s the thing, if we believe that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and the Bible says we are, do we believe that God is in the assembly line business? No, I believe God made each of us differently with different strengths and talents, but somewhere along the way, we usually “fall into the society step,” just like those boys in the movie, and we hide or even forget that which makes us different, that little thing that used to make us light up.

If you were to search deep inside your soul and ask yourself if you could do anything what would it be? Would you have an immediate answer? If yes, then maybe it’s time to pray about getting in touch with using your unique dream or talent to serve God in some way. If not, maybe it’s time to pray that God will remind you of what it is, or help you uncover it.

It doesn’t have to be some over the top dream of moving to Paris to paint. It could be something very simple like teaching someone to cook or to put up vegetables. I really believe that God wants us to use our unique talents He gifted us with to serve in some way and when we do, we are really able to tap into a contentment and joy that we can’t find in other ways. I don’t think our amazing creative God wants us to settle for hum-drum.

I think He wants us to honor Him with all that we have and when we do, we are keeping our own pace and walking our own stride and it’s a beautiful thing!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂