In the movie “City Slickers,” Curly, Jack Palance, asked Mitch Robbins, Billy Crystal, if he knew the secret of life, and Mitch replied, “no.” If I were to ask you that question before you read any further, what would your answer be? If I asked ten people directly, they would have different answers, and some would most likely have a list of replies. Curly’s response to Mitch, “One thing, just one thing. You stick to that, and everything else doesn’t mean @#$#” Mitch asked, “That is great, but what is that one thing?” “That is what you have to figure out.”
Often, we wander through life trying so many different things, trying to find that secret. Often, we miss the answer because we may not know ourselves. We think that because someone else’s “secret of life” is working for them, then “maybe I’ll give that a try,” and more often than not, we do not find our answer there. We walk away discouraged and often doubt ourselves. Scripture is adamant about the fact that “we have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” (Rom 12:6)
I heard a speaker at work one day tell the story of his life, and he remembers his football coach giving him a piece of advice, and he has stuck with it his whole life, and it has made him successful. His coach told him, “You are good at one thing. Take that one thing, and run with it.” He took that one thing and developed his career but began to use that one thing and opened up other opportunities. He did not spend much time chasing dreams or aptitudes that he knew were not his. Because he stayed focused on “that one thing,” he became the CEO of the world’s largest retailer. What is that one gift that God has given you? This gift is something that you are naturally gifted with. It comes to you with the greatest of ease. We are not all athletes. I know people that have tried to become athletes, and no matter how hard they try, they never become athletes. They struggle trying to be something they were not born with and end up disappointed with themselves because they cannot be something they were not gifted with.
My best friend in high school, Johnny Burdick, could not read a lick. Seriously, not an iota. I first met Johnny in the fifth grade, sitting under a tree during lunch recess, and he was reading one of the Dick and Jane books. In the fifth grade and that was his reading level. I sat down and began to talk to him, and we immediately became lifelong friends. Our children grew up calling him “Uncle Johnny” because he was around so much. Now that I think about it, I discovered my gift even back then, making people feel comfortable with who they are. To this day, I still do that. Johnny was an artist. That was his gift. He literally could draw anything. After several years I noticed that he had the most extensive amount of comic books I had ever seen. I asked Johnny one day, “you can’t read; why do you buy some many comic books?” His answer was, “with a comic book, I do not have to read, I can look at the pictures and know what is going on.” BAM!!! His gift was not reading, but he still knew what was going on. I can’t draw a lick, but that is OK; I can read about life.
What is that “one thing” for you? Have you found that gift, but you do not see its importance? Again, God’s Word says, “For as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function.” (Rom 6:4) In other words, there is a purpose for your gift. Take that gift, develop that gift and use it for the glory of God and His kingdom.
I am Harry, a free and vulnerable man…HEAR ME ROAR!!!
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