Have you ever feared your gift?

Well, you’re not alone. I have a theory that at some time in our lives, we have all feared our God-given gifts.

Silly when you think about it, but that doesn’t stop us from doing so.

Why do we fear? Well, I’ve got a theory on that too. A few of them.

•    Our gifts are personal. They are so much a part of who we are that at some point we fear sharing them with others. As children, we yell, “Look at me!” as we fly off the swing or spin until we’re sick. As adults, we stop yelling because we start noticing that someone else can jump higher, spin faster, and get sicker than we ever could. No one wants to get a pat on the head and an “oh isn’t that cute” when it comes to something deeply embedded in our heart.

•    Our gifts flow naturally. There’s this idea that you have to work hard to be serving God, so the thing that comes easily out of us, well, that can’t be real service. Then there’s the fact that we also have to hone our gifts. We have to sweat at times while we use them, so if you’re not in the “this should be hard” camp, then you’re in the “this should be easy” camp and actual work to hone that gift throws you off. Just because it flows naturally doesn’t mean it’s not a gift or that you don’t have to work at it sometimes.

•    Our gifts hold our dreams. They hold our hearts, and therefore, we hold them close—sometimes too close. The idea of failing at our gift becomes our enemy, and we will do anything to keep from it, even if that means doing nothing with our gift. Somehow we miss the fact that if we do nothing, then when we end our days, we’ll have failed anyway.

Fear your gift? Well, let’s remember that life is really about living in the gifts God has given us to His glory. The results are up to Him.

And if all else fails when exercising your gifts, keep repeating this: “What’s the worst that can happen? What’s the worst that can happen? What’s the worst that can happen?”

Because really, what is the worst?