I heard a really good message on Sunday from a good friend. He talked about embracing the “dare” God gives us to make a difference in this world. To do the radical, life-changing thing you’ve been called to do. It was great to be reminded that each one of us has the opportunity to affect and influence this world like no one else can. So, the question is... why aren't we?
Over the last several years, I’ve been studying the soul – the spiritual side of us that's inborn. The soul is sometimes defined as our desires, tendencies, drives, emotions, feelings… WHO we are when we arrive on the planet and WHO we become as a result of our life experience and the nurturing we receive. In scripture, soul is also translated “heart”.
So, what does an understanding of our heart have to do with us making a difference in this world? Well, I think it does.
Lately I’ve been reflecting on how much God cares about WHO we are. After all, He made us. He created everyone in His image with incredible uniqueness and special features. Each one is fearfully and wonderfully made. I’ve also been thinking about how important it is to God that we KNOW ourselves. He really likes who He created and He cares very much that we get to know who we are. This matters to Him. AND, until we discover the fullness of who He created us to be, it’s impossible for us to live out our destiny - to do the unique thing He created us to do in this life - to really be a difference maker.
There are lots of ways to get to know your true self. One of the most adventurous it to ask others! Ask those who live with you; those who see the good, the bad and the ugly; those who will be painfully honest. This is one of the most courageous ways toward true self-realization. Just ASK.
Another way I’ve experienced self-discovery is to ask GOD. After all, He made us and He knows us better than we know ourselves. He wants to reveal our true selves to us – to show us the beauty of who He created us to be. Just ASK Him – He will show you some amazing things about yourself - things you never knew.
I also love to use personality tests to help reveal individual preferences and strengths. These are not always the clearest, most effective indicators, but sometimes these tests reveal things in our hearts that are hidden or latent (asleep) that God wants to wake in us. I’ve taken the Myers-Briggs, the DiSC and most recently the Strength-Finder. Each one of these tests confirmed in me what I already kinda knew about myself – yet they highlighted aspects of who I am that I wasn’t thinking about or even consciously aware of. These results gave me license to embrace my strengths and to be more fully who I was created to be.
Becoming self-aware is a journey. I think aging helps. (Actually it’s something I’ve been pursuing since I was young girl. I’ve always had this internal desire to understand who I was – to know my strengths and my weaknesses. At 12 years old I remember my dad was saying that I was “far too deep for my age" and by my sophomore year of high school my language teacher would comment on my introspective ways when she saw me reading Eric Fromm’s I’m OK, You’re OK. - Yeah, I know, kinda weird.)
Another way to confirm who you are is to have someone tell you the exact opposite! Oftentimes we are more sure of who we AREN'T than of who we ARE. Once when I was in church leadership I was operating in my weakness. I had become "militant" and overwhelmed. I was maxed out. During that time, I had a close friend tell me that maybe I was mainly administrative and not really a very relational person. WOW!! What a blow. That comment cut me to the quick. Not because it was necessarily mean-spirited, but because I knew it was the farthest thing from the truth. I was all about relationship. I love people. All I want to do is relate to people. How could she see the very opposite in me? I was operating out of my weaknesses. The role I was in was overwhelming me – wearing me out and taking so much emotional energy due to the intense administrative detail. I was becoming who I was not! It happens. Thank God that this comment was a wake up call for me and I stepped down from my position and took some time to just BE. God restored me, my heart, my relational soul and I moved on. And as a result, I am now even more convinced of who I truly AM and who God had created me to be.
How will this self-discovery process help us become a difference maker? Well, the more we know ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses – the more we will have clarity on what we've been called to do to make an impact in the world. For example, I am certainly not called to make a difference by solving calculus problems or curing cancer. These challenges require a different type of person – someone who is gifted in ways I’m not.
Knowing who we truly are is a lifelong process – but so worth the effort. How many people have you seen wasting years of their life doing things that required them to spend their energy overcoming their weaknesses instead of operating out of their strengths? Far too many, I'm sure.
That's why I'm passionate about this topic. Understanding ourselves, our hearts, our calling is key to a successful life. We will live frustrated, unfulfilled lives if we refuse to see the truth about ourselves. We need to know where we are weak and where we are strong. We must embace our strengths, ask God to cover our weaknesses, and open ourselves up to be fully transformed by the love of Christ. That's the way to the abundant life Jesus offers us - the Way to a transformed, impactful, significant life.
AND, I LOVE doing what I’m good at. Who doesn’t? Who doesn’t get completely jazzed accomplishing some level of greatness or impact? However, this only comes when we move in our gifts – when we’ve worked to develop our natural strengths into real talent. And, we must first walk down that road of self-discovery for a few miles. We need to see the truth about who we are and who we aren’t. Not everyone can do everything WELL. And that’s ok. Sometimes effort is not ALL we need. God created each one different to fulfill a unique and special purpose in His world.
so now... who are you?
