WHAT ARE YOU?

You must have heard “What you are is a gift from God and what you become is a gift to God”. Jesus Christ, in one of his parables, speaks about a master giving three servants talents as per their ability and commanding them to report when he returns (Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-29). The folly of the servant who was given one talent was that he feared the master and buried it.

The people in the world can be categorized into two: Historical people and Historic people.  The historical people are those who are born into this world and because they are born, they live and they live till they die.  With their death, everything vanishes into thin air.  Nothing good or creative is done by them to be left behind for the others to remember.  They are a procreative majority.  They do not leave behind any legacy for the generations to be proud of him/her. All their contribution is that they produce children – in most cases lazy and non-productive generations. 

But the historic people are those who hold the view that they have something to contribute for the generations to come.  They live a purposeful and full life.  They may be a minority but can be classified as the creative minority.  It is this creative minority that has created history. May I bring to your attention again a couple of categorizations of Jesus Christ about his disciples – salt of the earth and leaven in the dough! Though salt and leaven are a minority in the food items, its presence is felt by all who taste it. 

I wish to caution you that you should become historic in the above sense and not in the ways used by many so-called ‘leaders’.  I think it is worthwhile to mention the dubious ways of the so-called ‘leaders’ in the present day world.  Some develop a clout by inducing and seducing the followers who sing ‘hosanna’ to them. Some are autocratic in their behavior (I feel that they are the most insecure people and by becoming autocratic they camouflage their inferiority complex. It can be categorized as ‘Hitler complex’).  Some make their own memorials in the name of jubilees (they fear that after their death no one is going to do it!), contribution of money to the community and the name being published (a recent trend seen is that the public servants using the funds allocated from the Government exchequer and exhibiting their photos and names (flex culture!) with the mention that they have contributed to the project - as if they brought money from their homes!).  The list of ways of becoming ‘historic’ goes on and new patterns are being probed and executed these days! 

I am not writing here about ‘becoming’ historic; but ‘being’ historic. You are to be historic by letting your presence felt through selfless love and concern for others. More than producing the next generations, historic people contribute something for the community they live in.  It is without expecting anything in return (but at the same time they shall be remembered by many).  

Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing. When you face difficult times, know that challenges are not sent to destroy you. They're sent to PROMOTE, INCREASE and STRENGTHEN you.  

Let us be historic in its true sense.

(This post is a slightly changed one from the post on 9^th December 2014)