On Staying in the Lane Through Different Roads

Have you ever had someone tell you to stay in your lane condescendingly? This has some wisdom in it, but remember that there are many roads with a left, center, and right lane. Just saying.

There’s truly two ways to take such a declaration.

If someone is dismissing your gifts as valuable, then you can safely ignore them.

But I believe we do best when we focus on our strengths, not on the things we lack.

This doesn’t mean to never improve what you’re doing. But many people who find themselves in employment are told to work on their weaker qualities at the expense of their strengths to be a well-rounded person.

The intent seems benign, but the biblical mandate to use our gifts says otherwise. For example, you might be a quality baker, and if you work for a company or baker that wants you to focus on making crepes in addition to donuts—but your skills are for a certain tier of batter manipulation—that might be stretching you far too thin.

Those two pastries require entirely different methods and skills. You might excel at making only donuts, and burn crepes to a crisp no matter what you try.

A skilled artisan in the field might be able to do both, but the focus should be on where we are strongest, not weakest.

Again, I’m not advocating people never work on their weaknesses.

But a fish cannot fly in the sky, and a bird cannot swim underneath 5,000 psi waters (except in fantasy novels).

There are always exceptions to every rule, of course.

In my own life, writing is where I exceed my skill set and do it as naturally as I draw breath.

When I was in college, I skipped two English classes and went straight to the higher-tier class.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t worked on my writing since then.

But if I were to try my hand at building a rocket, I’d have no clue where to start. I could certainly learn to build one over many years of schooling—but wouldn’t I better serve the aeronautics industry by writing technical papers for them?

God gives us these gifts for His glory and to make people smile.

Stories are to show truths about existence, break down philosophical constructs, or just to watch the villains lose the fight.

A pilot is skilled enough to fly to transport people or cargo across vast distances. This allows tourism to flourish and our packages to arrive on time.

If they spent their time worrying about how to build engine pistons, they might not sharpen their skills enough to stay at the top of their game.

Musicians hone their skills over many years, most of the time many decades. I respect singers who have trained their voices and hold the music industry in general in high regard.

If a musician wants to ride horses or race cars, that’s awesome.

But a musician might do awfully at playing baseball. Not that it is incorrect to try or sharpen other skills.

God gifted those in athletic sports with the skill to exceed most others.

Yahweh may have given a young girl the inclination to play the piano.

A young boy to deconstruct mathematics in such a way that he’d make an awesome astrophysicist.

Focus on the things you do well, and you’ll never have to worry about the things you don’t do well.

But don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, either.

We are all wired in certain ways. Some of us might be neurodivergent, others neurotypical. But all created by the same being who wants us all to thrive in this life using the gifts He gave us.

Your timing and His timing might be different—as is often the case—but that doesn’t mean you won’t make it in your chosen field.

Consider it a blessing when you get to do what you love to live.

If you work at your gift hard enough—shape the unshaped crystal into a gem—you’ll stand before kings and the most incredible open doors.

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29 [ESV]).

“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great” (Proverbs 18:16 [ESV]).

Your gift might not be at the level required to stand before those people, but what about ten years from now? Even just a year?

There’s always that addendum to add to it—yet.

Focus on your gifted areas and hone them into something worth the LORD Himself. In Colossians 3:23-24, we are told to work at our gifts as if we are using them for the Creator of the Universe.

Don’t be slack in your work, the projects you undertake, or your dealings with others, making sure the gifts you have are market-standard.

Even something “mid” is better than not doing a thing, but the goal is to create something amazing to impact this Earth.

Blessings and shalom to you, and may you find your gifts!