With the current quarantine situation, I have seen beautifully manicured yards. I planted one new rose bush last week – already dying. I have also seen pictures on social media of delicious meals that they have prepared – my cooking still stinks, although my husband thankfully does pretty well. And I know some people have been crafting and sewing masks. None of that happenin’ for me either. I am posting a pic of my last effort at a craft below.
So enough picking on myself for what I’m not good at. I have strengths, as all of us do. So, what are your strengths? If you aren’t sure, here’s a quick little assessment that may help. Think about tasks and activities that you are involved in and consider the following. It is likely a strength if:
- You do it well – You’re skilled and talented in this area, and perform well
- You want to do it a lot – You are motivated to do it as much as you can
- It energizes you – You feel alive and engaged while you are doing it
- Are typically areas where we excel
Whatever strengths we have, they are from God. They develop from the talents and abilities that He has bestowed on us. And He wants us to discover, harness and unleash our strengths. If we do this, we are likely living in accordance with the purpose for which He created us:
“Now the work of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’” Jeremiah 1:4-5
Jesus gave us two commandments: to love the Lord and to love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–40). God wants us to use our strengths to support these commandments – more specifically, to build His kingdom and to love others.
Building His Kingdom
If God made you an amazing singer, worship Him through song. This would be another area that is NOT a strength for me. If you are a good teacher, teach a Sunday School class or lead a Bible study. If you have a less conventional strength, find a way to use it to honor God through your job, church, or community.
Loving Others
Find or develop a ministry where you can use your strength to help others. If you are good at fashion design, volunteer at Dress for Success helping women to assemble outfits for interviews. Or if you paint, hold art classes for nursing home residents. If you look in your community, it will be easy enough to find a need that you can help to meet.
Do I wish at times that I had some of the strengths listed above? Sure, I’d love to be a better cook or gardener. But I was given the strengths that I have for a reason. When we criticize our own gifts and talents, we’re essentially saying that we don’t trust God to use us. The Bible repeatedly says that God has specific plans in mind for each of us, and He has gifted us accordingly.
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function.” Romans 12:4
So, what is the moral of this story? Be thankful for and take advantage of your talents and strengths to make the body of Christ collectively function at its best capacity.
