{"id":840,"date":"2017-05-01T15:56:56","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T15:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=840"},"modified":"2017-05-01T15:56:56","modified_gmt":"2017-05-01T15:56:56","slug":"giving-others-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2017\/05\/giving-others-best.html","title":{"rendered":"Giving Others Your Best"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"book<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

We each have been created uniquely by God. God has given each of us particular set of gifts and talents with which we are to serve the world.\u00a0 That seems obvious, right?\u00a0 Yet, when we serve others, we often do so in the way that the world expects us to serve, rather than by using our God-given gifts and talents.<\/p>\n

For instance, the world tells us that \u201cgood\u201d mothers do certain things. They bake cookies.\u00a0 They sew Halloween costumes.\u00a0 And they join the PTA.\u00a0 But what if you are a mother, and none of that is your cup of tea?\u00a0 What if God simply didn\u2019t give you those skills?<\/p>\n

We need to forget what the world expects, and instead serve others by giving them our<\/em> best.\u00a0 So, as mothers, we need to parent our children in a way that comes naturally to us.\u00a0 If we try to parent like everyone else, we\u2019ll be frustrated.<\/p>\n

For instance, I\u2019m not much of a baker. I can make a decent pie crust, and I can bake passable chocolate chip cookies and brownies.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t enjoy doing so.\u00a0 Baking, for me, is a chore.\u00a0 So, I rarely bake, even though that is a quintessential \u201cmom\u201d activity.<\/p>\n

Instead, I mother by sharing with my daughter what I love \u2013 books. When she was small, I read to her all the time.\u00a0 I loved the picture books as much as she did!\u00a0 And I became an expert in what was the best in children\u2019s literature.\u00a0 As she has gotten older, we\u2019ve spent much of our mother-daughter time going to libraries and bookstores.\u00a0 Over the years, I\u2019ve tried to offer my daughter my best.<\/em><\/p>\n

The same concept holds true in marriage. In the ideal marriage, spouses complement each other.\u00a0 One spouse may be more organized, while the other is more creative.\u00a0 One may be great at housekeeping, while the other is good at cooking.\u00a0 And if each person serves the marriage by doing what they are naturally good at, the marriage becomes a highly effective partnership.\u00a0 It becomes a union in which the two joined together are far superior to when they were separate.<\/p>\n

But so often, we try to offer our spouse what we think we should be offering. For example, there are very few marriages in which the husband stays home and raises the kids, while the wife is the breadwinner.\u00a0 However, there probably are many marriages in which the husband is more nurturing and the wife is more career-oriented.\u00a0 However, they both spouses feel obliged to serve the marriage in ways that don\u2019t come naturally to them.<\/p>\n

The key to success in every relationship is to offer our best to the other person. And the other key is to accept the other person\u2019s best.\u00a0 Don\u2019t harp on what the other person lacks!\u00a0 Instead, accept and appreciate what that person has to offer you.<\/p>\n

For example, you may wish that your spouse was more romantic. However, romantic words and gestures may not come naturally to him or her.\u00a0 Appreciate the natural qualities that your spouse does possess.\u00a0 Your spouse may not be romantic, but he or she may be very kind and gentle.\u00a0 Or your spouse may be financially responsible and organized.\u00a0 Instead of lamenting over the qualities that your spouse does not possess, praise the qualities that he or she does possess!<\/p>\n

None of us comes to the table with the same gifts and attributes. Learning to appreciate what is good about others, and refusing to focus on where others are lacking, is the way to build positive relationships.<\/p>\n

This week, try to give others your best. <\/em>And appreciate when others give you theirs!\u00a0 Remember that God made each of us uniquely for a reason.\u00a0 Don\u2019t second guess God.\u00a0 Instead, give the world what He has created you to offer.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We each have been created uniquely by God. 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