Talent.
When you hear that word how do you feel? Do you feel talented? Do you feel good? I ask because as I study these things, this one has me ‘ruminating’. When I hear that word I feel small because my mind creates a thought, or sees the word ‘talent’ as being special. I don’t feel special.
Like David Lee Roth said, “I don’t feel tardy.”
So, lets look at the word, like I’ve shown you, to see if we can see, what we think we see, when the word talent is used in our presence.
Here are some common sayings, “a talented athlete,” “a talented actor,” “a talented painter,” when I say those who comes to mind for you? For me, off the top of my head, it would go… Michael Jordan, Meryl Streep and Pablo Picasso.
Three personalities who were, and are, in Meryl’s case, at the top of their game, renowned and well known, around the world even, for their specific gift.
Those would be ‘Top Tier’ in their individual fields. Well known for having one great talent.
Where does that leave us? Myself… I’ve played sports, I have one oil on canvas that I did, and I was the lead in a Kindergarten skit about the Three Billy Goats Gruff, I got to play the big billy goat.
As I grew up no singular ‘talent,’ that I could tell, ever shined brighter than any other. Only one sticks out as I write this… Mrs. Brown our ninth grade ‘Footlights, Flicks & Flashes’ teacher, pulled me out into the hall one day and said, “I’m going to shoot from the shoulder here Mr. Bosquez, I think if you took this class seriously you could do some really good work, I can see that, but it will all be up to you.”
Now, isn’t she saying she sees some ‘talent’ in me? What if, instead of being the scared, embarrassed, messed up person that I was, and didn’t take her seriously… instead, if I would have taken her words to heart, and applied myself to doing well in drama class, who knows where I would be right now?
She saw it, but I didn’t have any confidence that would allow me to act on or care about. I was more afraid of my surrounding environment, than excited about someone recognizing a talent I had.
Lets start to take the word apart.
Definition of talent
- automatic breathing
- twenty four hours in a day
- all five senses
- a mind
- a body
- a spirit
- and usually a specific interest in life (music & baseball come to mind)
If a talent is to be invested and or improved upon, how do we recognize it in order to do so? And to what purpose?
In the world, as a man with the responsibilities of a husband and dad I need a talent that will allow me to work and provide for my family.
Spiritually the bible indicates God gives me everything I need, when I need it, if I’m being obedient to what He has asked me to do.
Spiritually I’ve been told I have the gift of prophesy. It’s not what you think. Here is a definition for you.
https://www.allaboutgod.com/gifts-of-the-spirit.htm
“The gift of prophecy is being able to proclaim a message from God.”
Worldly talents and skills. I have some. Jack of all trades, master of none. I used to think that was a problem. I can get into a subject, learn the basics and be off and running and after awhile the excitement fades, I stop learning, and go onto something else.
Now I think that is a talent. I like many topics. What good is that for? Well… writing for one, conversation for two, researching for three.
All dispositions of… an author.
Lets call the talent ‘being curious” about things. The ‘skill’ then needed for an author is in taking thoughts and turning them into coherent words for a reader to understand and, hopefully, be moved by… reading an article, book or blog. And that particular ‘skill,’ (writing) like any other skill, can be learned and honed to a fine cutting edge by multiple repetitions.
To recap…
my talent = ‘being curious’
my skill = ‘writing’
my mission or commission from God = ‘to be a prophet, a son, someone who carries His word and message’
my opportunity to use my talent and to carry out my mission = ‘to be a writer.’
If you’ve been searching for your talent, look at what really interests you. Then look at the skills it takes to develop that talent. Maybe you’re doing it already and this article can help you focus a bit more.
I pray it helps.
Leave a Reply