“Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” – 1 Timothy 4:14

Do not neglect the gift that is in you.

Too many of us doubt we are of value in the world. We view those who have achieved so much and wonder what we are doing here, having done far less. Or so we believe. It is always a matter of belief. We tell ourselves negative stories, and most of the stories seem absolutely true, about our life’s experiences and our personal worth. It is a form of self-hypnosis. The thing is, we all have gifts that are essential to life’s evolving purpose, and Timothy’s words are God’s message to each one of us—it matters that you do not neglect the gift that is in you.

The road into peaceful well-being is unique to you. No one else follows the same path. Your road can be one of hardship or one of relative ease, though most often it is somewhere in-between. It may involve a spiritual crisis, or you may never experience self-doubt. Whatever happens, though, it is the soul’s journey. Your human self is living out the blueprint of your soul. The gift to yourself is to let it become and transform, in whatever way is—again—unique to you and no other.

The mysteries and revelations life brings so often surprise us. We have beliefs about our expectations, too, most often when we do not listen to our inner voice. You know this. You feel in a palpable way those things that fulfill you and those that do not.

We are meant to follow the signposts that bring inner peace, always—not compromise, and not retreat, not that kind of peace—but the peace that arises out of knowing we are meant to be here and who we are will never exist again precisely this way—so your life is something to rejoice in, and treasure, and value, and embrace.

 

How? That is yours to experience, and trust.

 

Here is a true story. A man led an unremarkable life with typical ups and downs but nothing really dramatic or disturbing happening. One day, walking on the sidewalk near his home he turned the corner and passed by a stranger. He smiled at the person and went on his way. Later he learned that the stranger had planned to kill himself in misery. But he didn’t. Instead, that person sought the man out and told him that the smile he had given that day had somehow, in a single moment, empowered the stranger to release all the sadness he felt.

 

Your gift can be anything. Maybe you are here to be a concert violinist, or an avid gardener, a mother home-schooling her children, a traffic cop, an Olympic athlete, a protector of wildlife, a carpenter, or a painter of light. Or maybe you are here on earth for the single purpose of smiling at a stranger, perhaps never knowing the impact that has had, and otherwise leading a peaceful life of your own.

 

It is not a matter of comparing one life to another. It is a matter of living in your own heart with the realization you are a sacred creation of God, with a remarkable gift that only you can bring into this world.

 

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