Strengths & Weaknesses

I've been thinking about my strengths and weaknesses. I've looked to improve the areas that I've considered to be my weaknesses. In school, the classes in which I received lower grades were the classes I focused on more deliberately in my studies. In sports, the weaknesses of my soccer game have been the areas I've worked on. I've been challenged to look at that in reverse - focus on extending my strengths. The theory is that I have weaknesses because I'm not good at them. Concede that, cut the losses and invest my energies in the areas where I'm good. I've been chewing on this paradigm shift for a while; it's intriguing.

I don't like the light this perspective casts on our weaknesses. It's biased toward strengths, as if that's the only good each of us has to offer to God and His world. From a human mindset, sure, that make sense, but we don't operate in a human-mindset controlled world. Our weaknesses are equally powerful - that sounds hilarious, but as I've thought about so many Bible characters (Aaron, Moses, the disciples, among so many), I see characters with weaknesses that God specifically selected to exploit for His use. God called upon men who were self-proclaimed poor public speakers to speak to His nation. He called upon fishermen to record His message for all mankind.

Yes, I think there's tremendous value in me looking for ways in which God might be challenging me to offer my strengths to further His Kingdom in new and different ways. And yes, to look to do the same for those I oversee. But, even though it goes against rational thinking, to use weaknesses as the sole reason for not giving anyone the opportunity to participate just doesn't sit right with me.