A good man sits on the shore of a lake and laments his fate: ‘Everyone around me is selfish. Everyone thinks only of himself, and no one thinks about me!’ Does this sound familiar? Every morning he smiles at himself in the mirror, studies the new wrinkles on his face, and remains unaware of many things about himself that are hidden within his heart.
God created human beings as social creatures. He made us for fellowship and life in society, so that we may grow and develop under the influence of God’s grace.
Each of us has an amazing potential of abilities that no one has called upon and that quietly awaits a treasure hunter, so it may reveal itself in all its beauty and power to anyone who begins to uncover it.
A great variety of good skills and talents has been placed within each of us, yet they remain buried beneath the burden of sin and the indifference of those around us.
If society judges me by my ability to fly, I will have to drag out a miserable existence all my life and consider myself a complete fool who was never able to meet the expectations of those around me.
‘I want you to become the kind of person who is convenient for me’ is perhaps the most foolish idea we try to impose upon one another, especially within families. It is no wonder that families fall apart, friendship disappears, and love grows cold. Of course, there are other causes of such tragedies, but the strength of a relationship has a root that firmly holds people in closeness. It is this: ‘You are very interesting and precious to me, and I want to discover something unique within you and draw it out for your benefit.’
God designed us to help one another discover the hidden treasures of our unique abilities and develop them as we need one another. Sometimes this happens by chance: someone compliments me after noticing something new or unique in my behavior. I think about it and begin testing myself in that direction. Then I also notice this new ability and begin developing it. Wise parents usually study their children and uncover their talents, paying attention to what will benefit their child in the future and bring joy to those around him.
At every age, the heart waits for someone who will find the key to it and help it discover itself. Flattery will not accomplish this. It may charm me temporarily in order to achieve its own purposes and then leave me with nothing. But love will show another person what he finds beautiful within me and give him wisdom to draw it properly from my heart and develop it in the right direction. I do not object to such treatment, although modesty may lead me to resist a little and pretend that I do not think this way about myself.
Of course, if I am full of ambition, pride, and conceit, hardly anyone will be able to help me. Yet love is capable of finding an opening even in this maze and uncovering something good. A meek or searching heart offers more possibilities for discovery.
Loneliness does not develop my talents. If no one needs me or finds me interesting, if no one has any use for what I can offer, then for the most part I will not spend time discovering my talents. Even if I find and develop something, but no one recognizes it and I cannot at least demonstrate it, I will decide that it is not very important and will bury that ability forever.
Compliments, praise, delight, admiration, and sincere, kind words from those around me help me see myself through different eyes. Are you drawn to people who act this way? Personally, I greatly enjoy such company. Very interesting and good things are uncovered within it, bringing tremendous joy to the heart. It is a natural magnet that draws my heart toward such people with invisible threads. How joyful this is!
I am now writing in the first person, focusing all attention upon myself and describing my unspoken expectations. But I can also become the person who begins finding hidden treasure within those whose lives touch mine. To some degree, our lessons help us see ourselves through different eyes. Yet face-to-face contact is much more valuable and has a stronger influence, although the imagination can also reveal a great deal.
Do not be afraid to love one another, even when the relationship is one-sided. Love is a good seed. To be a loving person opens enormous possibilities. It gives me the advantage of gaining friends, doing good, bringing love, happiness, and friendship into the lives of others, resurrecting dead souls, and giving the water of life to those who are parched and thirsty. The world is moving toward destruction, but few people want to perish. Although love has grown cold in many hearts, it is still needed, it still has value, and many people are searching for it.
Yet people sometimes no longer want to hear anything about love. They want to see it and feel it directed toward them. Until that happens, I will be nothing more than a smooth talker in their eyes. On the other hand, not everyone wants to receive love in the pure form of innocence and holiness, because it begins to convict them, offer a better prospect for life, and reveal the beauty of God—something to which few will agree.
But the soul of a believer is more accessible to discovery. It quietly cries out: ‘Help me discover myself! I want to know my calling and my place in the temple God is building. Find the hidden treasures within me, so that through my ministry I may give them to you. Lord, give me as a gift to the person who needs me!!!’
There is another enemy of such discoveries. It introduces itself by name: ‘I have no time!’ In reality, time exists, but priorities have been arranged incorrectly. When I say this, the person beside me hears: ‘I am sorry, my friend. You do not interest me.’ And the word ‘you’ includes both the person and his talents.
Yet in my heart I do not condemn such treatment, because I am the same way. I have learned to do it with a smile.
Our way of communicating is remarkable. I ask God for changes and new friends, but then I destroy the very foundation for them with my own words and wonder why God does not answer. I ask Him to give me a life partner, yet I do nothing to find that person or, once I have found that person, to help my partner discover who he or she is—for both of us.
My lack of interest in people produces indifference from them in return. We sow these remarkable seeds of disinterest in one another, then expect a wonderful harvest of good fruit and become sad when it does not appear. We accuse others of selfishness.
I decide to change the course of time and enter the path of love, happiness, and friendship. I have noticed that these seeds also possess power and produce exactly what I sow, only many times more than I expected. A person must be very foolish to expect something good from others without first giving them that good. This law of sowing and reaping works wonderfully in love.
Love opens many hearts. In its light, people discover many interesting things about themselves. At times, they do not even realize what talents are hidden within their hearts or what powerful potential they possess despite their outward appearance and physical weakness.
God has left no one without talents. I sit on the shore of the lake and dream of meeting my explorer or prospector—the person who will notice me and help me discover myself. But until that person comes, I will learn this profession myself and go searching for hidden treasures. Oh, how many of them surround me! And where can I find time for all of them?
Bible Verses for Reflection
Philippians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Romans 12:16; Matthew 25:15; Proverbs 27:9; Ecclesiastes 6:12.