Passion for Ministry

This is another area in which I learned so unbelievably much; I cannot go into detail on everything that I learned. This class was based on Strength Finders and the idea that we focus way to much on each other’s weaknesses and way too little on our strengths. Most things in our life are about improving our weaknesses. Strength Finders points out that it would be much better use of our time to focus on our strengths and start playing to our strengths. Our strengths are able to improve way more than our weaknesses; there is a reason that they are our strengths and our weaknesses.
I realize that this is very hard to grasp and quite un-American; I tried explaining this to people when I got back home and did a very poor job of it. It seems almost impossible for people to understand this concept. I happen to thing it phenomenal and remember thinking “aha” this makes so much more sense. “Free up what’s already in you.”
I had never taken a strengths test before; my top five are: idean, input, command, intellection and woo. You’d have to read the descriptions to really get them, but I think they are pretty accurate. At first I didn’t and was very disappointed in the results; I had expected and wanted other strengths to show up. It really bothered me that three of the five are in the thinking category (the other two are influence), all I kept thinking is “what good is that”. By the end of internship I was quite happy and even excited about my strengths. Hmm, I just realized that I am now doing things here in Colorado Springs that use all five of these gifts; I guess that would explain why I am so excited and happy.
I would like to point out something that I learned during this class; another aha moment. For quite sometime I have not considered myself to be a leader. I have noticed that often I don’t jump into lead if there is someone else to lead. If no one is stepping up, I am pretty quick to step up. I always wondered why I don’t step up right away if I am a leader. Learning about my strengths has revealed this answer; my five strengths together make me a championing personality. This means that I have the ability to champion people and causes; I also love to train leaders, to motivate and to counsel. I love to see others lead and I see no need to lead when others are already are doing so. I also love to start things up, and then train others to step up and take over, then going on to the next project.
I thought that there was something wrong with me, a lack of leadership and a lack of confidences, but it ends up this is just one of my strengths. I also learned that in much of ministry we do not get to see the end results, therefore it is okay to be the one to start things up and not being too focused on the ending. I have also learned from experience that more people are comfortable with taking over something than starting it up. I guess I should be glad that there are people like me in this world. It is just as Jesus said, we are all a part of the body with different functions; without each other we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.