I have recently been proofreading a novel written by a friend. This is the third book for which I have been privileged to do this. I explained to this friend, when he abashedly said he didn't have money to pay me, I don't do it for money. I spent no money on education to "qualify" me to do this and I expect no money for having done it. This is a God-given talent. That is not bragging; it's gratitude. It just so happens that when I read, most errors of grammar, spelling, or punctuation just seem to jump right out at me- almost as if they were highlighted. I don't know why and have never worked at it. It's like the ability my daughter, Angela, has to recognize and recall any nuance of color or her ability to see shapes and shading with an artist's eye. She has taken some art classes but this is an ability, God-given, that she has had since birth. It's like my thick hair. I haven't had any salon do something to it and I don't use a special shampoo or conditioner. I have had thick, wavy hair all my life, God-given. My daughter, Lisa, has had a gift of being able to memorize as well as a gift for music, exhibited in a natural ability to play the piano and a lovely voice. (Actually, all of my children have a musical gift. Some have made use of it and expanded it.) My son, James has a gift of making peace. He has opinions of his own and is not prone to just go along with the opinions of whoever he is with to avoid making waves. But he has the ability, God-given, to hear what's behind what people are saying and find a way to explain it to others so understandings can be reached. He is also very intelligent, another gift my children all have. None of these are bragging rights. God-given gifts are to be recognized and acknowledged in order to celebrate and give thanks.
Bragging rights I can reserve for being a hard-worker. I have decided for myself that I feel good about the accomplishments of my own labors so I get myself up and going every day, without the need of reminders, pleas, or bribes. Hard work is a benefit to myself and others. I choose it, therefore I can pat myself on the back. I also choose serving others. I often hear comments from people along the lines of, "You shouldn't have to do that!", or "Do they really deserve all that?" I don't serve others out of a sense of duty or to honor them because of their position or with hopes for reward for myself. I serve others because I love them- and if I don't currently love them enough, I want to love them more and find that serving them, even if it's only praying for them, increases my love for them. I can reserve bragging rights for choosing to pursue greater knowledge. Entertainment is really the major pursuit these days. Too many people spend countless hours mesmerized by videos of someone else's made-up stories, or trying to win pointless computerized games just to get to another level (??!). We allow our minds to be numbed to the point that whatever conversations we have are either shallow and meaningless or totally inconsequential expressions symbolized by shorthand letters and punctuation over cell phones and computer devices. I want to know more truth, more information- not just trivia. When I die, the only things I can take with me are whatever character and intelligence I have managed to acquire along with relationships I have nurtured. It won't matter if I can name the stars of a movie, quote the dialogue of a made-up story, or say who won a sports match. Who will care? There is a trite bumper sticker that says, "What you are is God's gift to you. What you become is your gift to God." Trite- but true. If you are beautiful to look at, you can only brag about the money you were willing to spend on clothing, hair salons, and maybe the hours you put into working out to maintain body shape. So the bragging is mostly vanity. If you are intelligent, you can only brag if you spend time and make efforts to ponder, analyze, and acquire information. If you are physically strong and healthy, you can only brag about making good decisions to eat properly in sensible quantities, sleep sensible hours, and use your body in ways to promote strength. Much as we are persuaded by ads for vitamins, supplements, and cure-alls, we can not maintain or acquire good health by any form of magic pill.
I am grateful for the gifts God has given me. I have covenanted with Him to consecrate all I have to honor Him, prepare for the government of His Son on the Earth, and to serve others as Christ would do. I try to do that every day with the gifts He has given me. The gifts are not bragging rights, only my desire and efforts to use them in the way He intended.
