Become better at who you are-not at who you are not

TGI Friday! We are picking back up from yesterday.  When we last connected, I was working on setting my spiritual goals when finally, the lightbulb came on.  Operating in our strengths energizes us! Let’s let words of encouragement energize us today so we become better at who we are-not at who we are not.

After 57 years on this earth, I was finally in a position that I felt fit me.  Not just my work with Office Pride, but our (mine and Carmen’s) position and where we were/are headed with our dreams (God’s dream through us).  I am living the dream – God’s dream.  And He is reaching His arm out through me (blessing me) so that He can accomplish His will (through me), thus I get the residual blessings from it.  What? I get blessed because God is blessing others through me? 

<<Pause>> Hold on just a minute

<<Unpause>> You may continue

So how can we become better at who we are, not at who we are not? Here’s the answer – become better at who you are.  In other words, become better at who God created you to be.  There are two parts to that.  Become better at what you are best at and get the most energy from; and become better at letting go and letting God in the things that are not your strengths.  So here’s what I did:

I learned what my strengths are – I am sure there are various instruments or tools to use to do this, but Clifton StrengthFinders was at hand for me.  If you are not familiar with this, what I love about Clifton’s process is that to focus on our weaknesses doesn’t make us better, but drains us and makes people like me tired and grouchy – just ask my wife.  I think she calls it a special kind of curmudgeondy. 😊

So what does Clifton say?

So what Clifton suggests is that we focus on our strengths, and become better at that.  This gives us great energy – this is where your energy is.  Soooooooo, I determined that if these (what I learned from the assessment) are my strengths, that must be who God created me to be.  This is what gets me excited and gives me energy.  This is where the lightbulb came on. 

If this is who God created me to be, I need to become better at this and use these strengths (that He gifted me with) to be better, to be better at who He created me to be, and to be better at what He created me to be.

2 Corinthians 5:9  NIV

 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

So I took my top 5 strengths and dug into the Word of God to encourage myself, to build myself up, and to make practical application with it in my life.  It’s better late than never, and now at age 58 I am believing for at least another 30 strong years to be the best I can be for God’s Kingdom and what He wants to accomplish.  So these became my goals – not just for the year, but now for the rest of my life.

Following the ‘challenge for today‘ below I have my strengths and scriptural references that are now my focus. Not of my New Year’s resolution, but my life’s resolution.  May God stretch His arm out through me and bless me, expand my borders, and use me to reach those who otherwise might not be reached if I wasn’t the best I could be. 

Everyone should have a mentor.

This reminds me of what my mentor (the Great Dr. Keith Gaddis) once told me (and I shared in earlier Words of Encouragement).  He told me that, in context to this message, that I needed to be the best I could be because the last place I want to be? On a stretcher looking up at my wife and apologizing for not taking care of myself.

So likewise, I need to be the best I can be spiritually.  The last place I want to be is on the stretcher of life because I didn’t become the best I could be in whom God created me to be, thus not living up to my potential. The potential? Yes, the potential of who I was to be so God could stretch His arm out through me to impact others beyond me and my self-imposed borders. But I couldn’t if all I had was little puny borders that limited what He could do….at least through me.  And then, while on that stretcher, I can’t imagine looking up at God and apologizing for not taking care of myself in being the best that I could be for Him.

Challenge for today – Find yourself, who you are, what your strengths are, what makes you who you are.  Become better at that.  Then take that, and allow God to use it to impact other’s lives above and beyond what you thought possible.  So take the purpose that God has prepared for you and be passionate about it, and impact your world with it.  So be it!

For Example…

Bonus Note – Here are Scott’s top 5 strengths – how God wired me.  And scriptural references to encourage me, lift me up, and to challenge me in my life goals/resolutions in becoming better at who God created me to be so I can be more effective for His kingdom:

1. Maximizer

People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.  References:

Numbers 18:28-30; II Corinthians 8:7; Matthew 25:14-29

2. Belief

People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:27-29; Joshua 24:14-27

3. Arranger

People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

Psalm 8:4-6; Proverbs 15:22; I Corinthians 12:18; Exodus 18:13-26

4. Responsibility

People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Proverbs 22:1; Matthew 25:34-40; James 1:22

5. Learner

People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

Daniel 1:3-6; Matthew 11:29, 30; Colossians 1:9, 10; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Luke 10:38-42

I had share my top 6 strengths because I love my #6:

6. Positivity

People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

Proverbs 17:22; Nehemiah 8:10; Like 15:32; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Psalm 100