What am I good at?

This third question is linked with the above one. John 15:16 says, I chose you [ . . . ] that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide. God wants every one of us to be involved in productive useful service. God does not program us for frustration. God does not want you to spend your Christian life saying, I am no good at this. I cannot do it. I am not achieving anything. The whole thing is pointless. I chose you that you should bear fruit. Gifts are for use; they are to bring benefit. So, where there has been benefit, there has probably been a gift.

In your life, whom have you helped? And how have you helped them? What have you done that was helpful to people? When people have thanked you, what was the thank you for? Well, that is probably one of your gifts. God has used that in their lives and has brought benefit to them. When we look and say, what have I been reasonably competent at, that I felt I could do and handle it good? That is guidance. Where have I made a difference? Where have I made a significant contribution? What do I know I can do?

Now, we should always be trying new things. We should always be willing to fall flat on our faces. It is better to try and fail. I am not saying we should be very, very conservative and say, I am not going to try anything I have never done before. It is exciting to me to look at my congregation sometimes and think about how many gifts are there that have never yet emerged.

I have quoted before William Kennedy in one of the previous studies of this series. He was one of the presenters in the congregation in which I grew up as a boy. He was Andrew Little’s grandfather. When somebody once asked Mr. Kennedy, if he could play the violin, he answered, I do not know. I have never tried. I just thought that was such a brilliant answer. I mean, perhaps he was a Yehudi Menuhin, but he just never tried. That is true of all of us. There is potential in you that has never come out yet. We should look for that.¹

Edward Donnelly