Dear Parents,
Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Comparing ourselves to others can suck the joy right out of you. Do you catch yourself mentally weighing your good traits against those of other people or wondering why someone else always seems to be a step ahead of you? Or maybe you just feel second best at everything you do. We look at people who seem to excel at everything, and we feel jealous or angry, wondering, "why couldn't that be me?" We struggle to accept the gifts God gave us.
This week's devotions [April 4-10 +too gifted?] looks at cultivating our gifts to bring joy to the world. I Corinthians 7:7b (NRSV) says "Each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind." God created each of us with particular gifts and talents; no one else is exactly like us. We are all unique! God gave you gifts that I can only dream of having and the same is true of me. So the next time you look in the mirror, say with confidence, "I am the best me I can be, and God loves me!"
Ask your child...
Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Comparing ourselves to others can suck the joy right out of you. Do you catch yourself mentally weighing your good traits against those of other people or wondering why someone else always seems to be a step ahead of you? Or maybe you just feel second best at everything you do. We look at people who seem to excel at everything, and we feel jealous or angry, wondering, "why couldn't that be me?" We struggle to accept the gifts God gave us.
This week's devotions [April 4-10 +too gifted?] looks at cultivating our gifts to bring joy to the world. I Corinthians 7:7b (NRSV) says "Each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind." God created each of us with particular gifts and talents; no one else is exactly like us. We are all unique! God gave you gifts that I can only dream of having and the same is true of me. So the next time you look in the mirror, say with confidence, "I am the best me I can be, and God loves me!"
Ask your child...
- Have you given someone a gift, then seen it months later sitting untouched in a corner? Imagine how God feels when we don't use the gifts He has given us.
- Do not be ashamed of the gifts you were given. Only be ashamed of using God's gifts in the wrong way.
- Don't hide your gifts. Use your talents for God's glory.
- Love yourself, but be humble in the process. True humility isn't talking down about ourselves or acting as if we're not good at anything. True humility is being real about our weaknesses and our strengths.
- Think about how you can use your God-given gifts.
- Are you trying to squeeze in too many things? Make a list of the activities you enjoy and take time to think about why.
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