Do you know what your strengths really are?  How often do you think of them, and how often are you thankful for them?  

The funny thing is, I’ll bet you know what your weaknesses are. And why is that? Why do we spend so much effort trying to figure out and overcome our weaknesses and so little effort honing our strengths? I wonder how your world and mine would be, if we all focused on our strengths first.

Let’s discover the secret to maximizing our strengths, while minimizing our weaknesses inside a powerful story about a little acorn who wanted more than anything to become a giant redwood tree.  So, the little acorn enrolled in Redwood School where he studied the most famous redwood books and hung out with all the “big thinking” redwoods. He showed initiative, was ambitious and did everything he could in order to succeed. But try as he might, this little guy struggled with his weaknesses, and was especially disappointed to be the shortest tree in his class. Yes, it truly hurt him that some of the redwoods called him “shorty” and his school counselor, who happened to be a big basketball fan, told him in no uncertain terms, “A man who is 5’ 4” is not going to play in the NBA.”

Finally, after years of effort, battling through wind and pelting rain, snow and cold, heat and drought, always trying to improve on his weaknesses, can you guess what the little acorn became? Well, like all acorns, he grew up to become an oak tree. But instead of becoming a mighty oak tree, he grew up sad and always felt small and inferior, never satisfied with who he was.

Like the acorn, we too can struggle and lose track of our strengths as we try to fit our square peg into a round hole and wonder why life can be so frustrating. The Bible reminds us that “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 4:10-11)

You see, we are all unique, with different gifts, and we are called to use the talents that God has given us. That’s why, instead of striving to be who we are not, life is simply more rewarding and easier when we play to our strengths.

Just imagine what your life would look like if you focused on your strengths instead of your weaknesses. And here is the difficult truth: Many people never overcome their weaknesses but could make significant improvements in their lives and the lives of others if they simply focused on what they were already good at.

It’s been said that the glory of God is a man who is fully alive. To be “fully alive” means using your strengths and abilities to be the very best version of yourself – whom God has created you to be.

Today, I’d like to ask you to make a list of your strengths.  Include everything. . . Perhaps your smile, gentleness or empathy for others.  Maybe your list will say your work ethic, intellect or leadership skills.  Think outside the box as you write your strengths – it could be how you stay in touch with people, or how you laugh easily or how you make others feel comfortable.  

Then write down how you are using your strengths to help yourself and others to grow.  As you think through your list, you’ll probably have some ideas as to how you can even use your gifts more frequently.  

It’s been proven over and over again, that when you take the time to write down all the good, lovely and admirable traits you’ve been blessed with, so you can focus on them, that is when you’ll experience the most growth in your life.  Not only that, but you’ll get more and more in sync – more on track – for becoming the very best version of yourself.

Ask God to help you and be sure to include even the smallest good thing about yourself. I promise you’ll see yourself as the mighty oak tree that you truly are – as you see yourself from God’s perspective!