Knowing Your Strengths Part 3 – ETB #73

Knowing your strengths and your child’s strengths can bring great clarity to you and your child so that everyone can see the masterpiece God designed them to be. While many personality assessments are available, few have the research behind them that StrengthsFinder does. That is based on the work of Donald O. Clifton. The researchers at the Gallup Organization have spent over five decades developing CliftonStrengths. If you missed episodes #71 and #72, go back and listen to them. I explain strengths in greater detail.

Knowing Your Strengths Part 3 - ETB #73

Now, back to knowing your strengths. You must first understand that all of the 34 talents are good. That’s right! There are no bad ones. Certain strengths aren’t better than others, so dispel that thought now. My goal as a Strengths Practitioner is to help you come to a place of peace, knowing God made you who you are and reminding you that you can’t be excellent at everything! I know many people want to be excellent at everything, but the truth is you can excel at a few things. It’s essential to understand that from the get-go.

It would help if you stopped trying to do it all and discover what you are exceptional at doing. Once you fully grasp how intentional God was in designing you, you will wrestle less with wishing you were like someone else and live with greater internal peace. But, you must remember, like your children, you are a masterpiece, too.

For years, I’ve listened to thousands of people lament their weaknesses and glaze over their talents. They marginalize what is good and right about them or their children, focusing instead on what needs fixing. In Strengths Finder, weaknesses aren’t defined as something that needs to be fixed. Weaknesses aren’t a flaw. They are simply talents that will not become a strength, even if we add all the knowledge and skills.

Our areas of weakness are an opportunity for God to work through us. Remember, in our weakness, God’s strength is made known in us. Weakness also allows others to use their talent to help us complete a project we would otherwise struggle with if we were on our own.

Jesus appointed twelve apostles who were different. Why were they so different? Jesus uses ordinary people living everyday lives to do extraordinary things. We can’t be replicas of each other. We are made in His image. You are a custom design—a unique original masterpiece.

You are custom-crafted, tailor-made! That is a beautiful picture of you!

Understanding Your Strengths

Pay attention to the following:

  • What do you and others say?
  • What do you and others do?
  • How do you and others engage in the world?

Write these down. When you get intentional about learning, you will begin to see a pattern.

Don’t discard the little things. Pay attention! By becoming aware of the little things, you will increase your understanding of yourself and others.

Listen for exact phrases. Those are a peek into the person.

Many have asked if it is possible to turn a talent into a strength by adding knowledge and skills. Yes! That is what one does to develop a talent.

You can’t teach talent, but you can develop them. The way to develop talent is to add knowledge and skill. Once knowledge and skill are acquired, a talent becomes a genuine strength.

Avoid believing false assumptions, such as that you can do anything if you work hard enough. While we can improve our weaknesses some, learning to develop the God-given talent within you will have the most significant impact on the Kingdom.

Resources

*Note: if you purchase one of the books with a code, you do not need to buy an additional code from Gallup. But, don’t buy a used one. The chances are that the code has already been used.

**If you have a tween or younger teen, I recommend that they take Strengths Explorer. It is geared for kids ages 10-14.

Listen to Part 4 of the Knowing Your Strengths Series

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Knowing Your Strengths Part 3 - ETB #73
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