Know Your Strengths #2
Exodus 28:3 So you shall speak to all who are GIFTED artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. (NKJV).
Exodus 35:25 All the women who were GIFTED artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. (NKJV).
Daniel 1:4 … young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, GIFTED in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. (NKJV).
In the last Brief Word we read the story of the Animal School. The point we were making is that God has gifted us in certain areas, and we do well to strengthen those areas rather than give undue focus to our weaknesses. (Remembering we’re NOT talking about sin or character weaknesses).
God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans.
Tom Rath in his excellent little book Strength Finder, says this:
“At its fundamentally flawed core, the aim of almost any learning program is to help us become who we are not. If you don’t have natural talent with numbers, you’re still forced to spend time in that area to attain a degree. If you’re not very empathic, you get sent to a course designed to infuse empathy into your personality. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to our shortcomings than to our strengths.”
Lets not do that.
Lets devote more time to enhancing and increasing our strengths rather than our weaknesses.
Its been said in business circles, that if someone is a 4 out of 10 at something, they can, with a lot of energy, strain, time, money, training and struggle increase that to maybe a 6. Which is perhaps average, passable, acceptable. But if they are already say a 7 out of 10 at something, with much less strain and a lot more enjoyment because they’re already passionate and motivated, they’re thrilled to be engaged in the process of learning and growing, they can increase that (level of effectiveness, productivity, talent) to a 9!
Therefore would it not be better to have people functioning at level 9 out of 10 who love what they’re doing and are passionate in that area, than people working out out of level 6 and not enjoying what they’re doing? Working outside our strengths only brings frustration and destryos confidence.
The implications for the church, our family, our career, business, and personally are absolutely immense!
As we got older I think we learn this a little. We tend to want to focus more on the things we enjoy — which are our God given talents and gifts — so that we can be more effective and enjoy the journey in the process.
We’re talking about ability. But Jesus says quite clearly in the Parable of the Talents that there are levels of ability.
Matthew 25:14-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to EACH ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY; and immediately he went on a journey. (NKJV Emphasis mine).
The value of the talent was NOT a measure of the value of the person. And yet that is exactly what we do. We value ourselves according to the level of the gift or ability God has given us. Bad move! Even God doesn’t do that.
God has gifted and shaped us in a certain way, so that we can serve. And the thing is we serve best from our strengths not our weaknesses.
So lets make it a life quest to discover our strengths and weaknesses. Find out and know what they are.
In discovering our weaknesses we’ll know what not to focus on, we’ll know what to off-load where possible, what to delegate, or get some help from someone and partner with them who is strong in that area. We’ll also know where to pray and ask God for His grace to function for those short seasons where we must serve in an area we’re not gifted for.
In discovering our strengths, we’ve discovered something amazing. We have discovered a miracle of God’s creation, we have discovered a unique one-of-a-kind. We have discovered our future. We have discovered where we can serve and work and find the greatest joy and filfullment, so that people, the church, the community, will be better for it.
Just be yourself!
I believe it – “You CANNOT be anything you want to be – but you CAN be a lot more of who you already are”.
