A man drawing in a sketchbook on a marble table

 

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Live in strengths

14 February 2018
‘God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.’

Often we live inside the things we’re bad at, insecurely worried about all the stuff we can’t do. But actually, ‘God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.’ And if that’s the case, there are some things that are just built-in for us, that will come naturally and flow easily. Why not spend most of our time pushing into those things? Leadership expert John Maxwell suggests that we work best when we spend 80 per cent of the time working where we’re strongest. Then, 15 per cent of the time working on where we’re learning. And finally, 5 per cent of the time working where we’re weakest. So first up, ask: where are you strongest? What drives you? What do other people see in you, and compliment you on, and sometimes if they’re honest, get a bit jealous about? Those are probably strengths. Ask trusted, wise friends and leaders to be honest with you about what strengths you have. And then, be secure around your weaknesses. If you allow your insecurities to get the better of you – ‘I’m useless because I can’t do this one thing!’ – you’ll become inflexible and resistant to change. And if you don’t change you won’t grow. Finally, take advice from your experience. The only way to know you’ve discovered your niche is to try things, take risks, learn from your failures and successes, and discover what God has gifted you to do. Try things; watch what happens; try other things; watch what happens there, then reflect – and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what your strengths are.

 

What now?

Draw up a list of trusted, wise friends to ask about your own God-given gifts.

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