Everyone matters. Every single one of us has a gift to share---a skill to use that will make us useful to other people. We are all different; God made us that way. Each of us has our own story to tell; our own way of showing love. It is sad when we keep our gifts to ourselves. We are meant to share.
Jesus said we should not hide our light under a bucket. We should not bury our talents. Every one of us matters. Every one of us can make a difference.
We waste an awful lot of time trying to be what we are not meant to be, instead of rejoicing in what we are. What is worse, we waste a lot of time wishing other people were different instead of appreciating what they can teach us.
It is a fact that we all have something to give. We are not all clever, or strong, or pretty, but all of us can learn to love, to tell the truth, to help someone else find happiness. We are not all rich in money but all of us are rich in the things God wants us to have. We all have something to live for.
God has a plan for each one of us. He has given us what we are, but he has also given us a way of growing beyond that so we can become better people. For instance, God might have given us a gift for music but if we do not use our musical skill it will wither and die. God gives the gift, but we have to unwrap it for ourselves. We need to work with the tools God gives us. It has been said that what we are is God’s gift to us, but what we become is our gift to God.
Our World, even P.N.G., would be a very different place – a much happier place – if , instead of asking, “What can I get?” we asked ourselves, “What can I give?” It does not have to be money: it might just be our time; our skills; our compassion.
Who needs your help today?
+Peter Fox.
Bishop of Port Moresby.
