What Are You Good At?

The true nature of humility & embracing our gifts

Photo by Holly Stratton on Unsplash

Several years ago I mentioned an opportunity to an entrepreneurial friend - it was the kind of thing that was related to what she liked to do, so I wasn’t expecting her reply.

“I don’t think that would really work,” she said. “I’ve gotten to a point where I’ve realized it’s better for me just to say exactly what I’m looking for. It makes it easier for other people to say yes or no.”

I was surprised by her forthrightness, but I also really admired it. She knew what she was good at - and what’s more, she knew she’d be wasting her time and that of others if she didn’t just stick to it.

Sometimes we’re afraid to own what we’re good at. We think it might make us insufferable braggarts or lead us into the sin of pride. And I suppose if all we ever focus on is how we’re so good at x or y, it can.

But that fear sometimes pushes us to another extreme, where we bury our talents or fail to acknowledge the gifts that God has given us, or even the privileges that oth…