June quote of the month... better late than never!
"When you don't understand your gifts, you'll become jealous of others' gifts." - Keith Chancey
Keith said this during a talk about loving other people well. While there was a lot of wisdom within his hour long talk, this was the thing that stood out the most to me. So, of course, I wanted to share it with you!
Why Does This Quote Matter?
I think this is a very fait point, that we can be quick to jealous when we don't have a level of understanding. Furthermore, this quote has a twofold meaning—one for how we view each other, and the other for how we view ourselves.
First, let’s talk about how we understand ourselves.
Honestly, I think that this is one of the most difficult things to do. It takes a lot of self-reflection to know our own person. Something else that we have to take into account is that we aren't stagnant creatures—we change and adapt and grow. This means that we need to continually get to know ourselves and recognize our strengths and weaknesses. Understanding ourselves is key to understanding our individual gifts, as our gifts are a major part of who we are.
The second part of this quote is found within how we understand one another.
Something that I've learned, and am continuing to learn, is that each of us brings something different to the table. A proper appreciation for someone else's gift is rooted in appreciating our own (hence, why I started with self-understanding first). It's a hard reality to come to terms with, but I'm going to say it outright: we have shortcomings and weaknesses. That means we need each other to come alongside us where we come up short. Only when we understand that we are reliant on one another we can truly be grateful and amazed by the different gifts that others posses.
Long story short: every single person has a gift, including you. Make sure you take time to notice and appreciate both the gifts of others as well as yourself!
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