A spirituality of strengths

Humans are incredibly diverse. We are all very different. There is a diversity of personalities and backgrounds. No two people on the planet look exactly alike. No two people have exactly the same DNA. This concept of uniqueness and diversity plays a central role in the theology of the church. Different people have different gifts and different callings. Yet, all are to work together for the good of the church and for the glory of God.

As part of a team working for IFES, I recently took a test called the Gallup strengths finder. The aim is to identify your particular strengths particularly ones that are relevant to working on projects. These strengths are not just what you are good at doing, but also what sorts of activities energise you rather than drain you. There are 34 different strengths. My top five are Learner, Intellection, Input, Strategic, and Responsibility. It is almost embarrassing to read the description of each of these strengths because they so clearly capture who I am.

So what might be a Christian perspective on an exercise such as this? 

A good place to start may be in Romans chapter 12,

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. 

This leads me to several questions. 

How should I think about myself?

I should be humble and thankful. I should humbly accept who God made me. Psalm 139 tells me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I should not wish that I had different strengths. I should not wish that I was someone else. Unfortunately, I have spent too much of my life doing this, at least on a subconscious level. I should also be humble about any achievement, as it will flow out of my strengths; they were given to me at birth.

How should I act?

Name it. Claim it. Aim it.

I should develop and use my strengths. Again, too much of my life I have spent trying to imitate others who have very different strengths from me.

I should particularly use them for the good of others. Their ultimate purpose is not to increase my social status, my wealth, or my power. As I enjoy using my strengths and gain energy from their use I should not be self-indulgent. For example, my top strength is Learner, which means just learning is a joy and can be an end in itself. However, this can get carried away and I may do it just for the benefit of myself and not for the benefit of others. Things I may learn in researching background for a project may not be of interest or value to others.

I need to be willing to take on tasks that involve my weaknesses. God's power is made perfect through weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9). Just because I don't have certain strengths doesn't mean that God can't use my weaknesses. I may be asked to or required to do things that I'm not good at and that drain me. (But, I also need to be realistic; if that is all I'm doing may not be sustainable).

How do I relate to others? Particularly if we are working together on a common project.

I should be patient with others. I should learn about other people's strengths and encourage them to develop them. I need to realise and accept that specific tasks may seem easy and fulfilling for me, but these tasks may be difficult and frustrating for others (and vice versa). What may seem obvious to me may not be for other people (and vice versa). The best teamwork will be where there is synergy and energy because we are each working with our strengths and appreciating those of others. Ideally, job descriptions should be designed around strengths.

 I would say that this exercise can be and should be a deeply spiritual exercise. It requires humility before God and before others, a servant heart, listening well, and the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, and self control)!