
Day 278 - Discover Yourself
Monica Barnes
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” - Romans 12:6-8 ESV
Socrates said, “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” I believe this to be true. Part of knowing yourself is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. An article I read recently stated:
Our strengths are where we naturally excel and our weaknesses are the things we have to work on in order to be good at. Knowing your strengths allows you to succeed where things come easy to you, and knowing your weaknesses will show you what areas you have room for improvement in. It’s good to have both. If you only have strengths, you have no better self to work towards becoming. (“Why It’s Good to Know…”)
God didn’t make us to be great at everything because He created us to work hard and persevere. It builds character, but it also keeps us relying on Him. He also made all of us with different talents so that we learn to work together.
Here’s a hypothetical: Have you ever attempted to do something that you weren’t very good at? Like hula-hooping, for instance. You try and try for hours but just can’t keep it above your hips for more than a few seconds. Have you ever looked over at your friend who picks up the hula-hoop for the first time ever, and they get it right away? You watch as they keep it going for like five minutes straight! It is enough to get you frustrated and jealous. However, you may learn to play instruments quickly and well while that same hula-hoop champion friend can barely play Hot Cross Buns on a recorder.
We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. They make us who we are: who God made us. Discovering those strengths and talents will help you find a sense of accomplishment, but knowing your weaknesses will get you to learn, stretch, and grow.
Next Steps
- Think about it: What are your strengths?
- Think about it: What are your weaknesses?
- Action Step: If you haven’t attended Grow, sign up for Step Two of Grow this Sunday where you will discover your unique gifts and design! You can RSVP at www.dl.church/grow!
Sources
“Why It’s Good to Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses.” DREAM, December 2022. https://www.joindream.org/news.html/article/2022/12/14/why-it-s-good-to-know-your-strengths-and-weaknesses#:~:text=Identifying%20strengths%20and%20weaknesses&text=Knowing%20your%20strengths%20allows%20you,self%20to%20work%20towards%20becoming.