Identity & Leadership

Hola!

Sorry that it's been two weeks since I last wrote--my life is a little crazier here than I thought it was going to be! But, man, has it been incredible!

I love all of my classes so far. I'm learning so much in my Identity & Leadership, Christian Worldview, and Marriage & Family classes. On this post, I'll be focusing on what God is teaching me in my Identity & Leadership class. In the next post I'll cover my Christian Worldview class and in the following one, I'll discuss what God is teaching me in my Marriage & Family class.

In my Identity & Leadership class, (taught by a man and wife) we've been studying the different lies Satan loves to tell us concerning our identity. We learned that even though Satan says my identity comes from what I've done and what people say about me, God says my identity comes from what He's done and what He says about me. Wow! I can't believe how different my life would be if I really believed that and lived it out.

In this class, I've really had to come to terms with my tendency to be a people-pleaser. In The Search for Significance, there are quizzes for the reader to take concerning fear of failure and fear of rejection. Wow, the results of those quizzes were definitely a wake up call for me. In my Life Group (made up of me, 4 other girls, and 1 guy) we talked about what we struggled with the most in the book and most of us said fear of rejection. We talked about how, as Christians, we should never look to others' approval to determine our self worth. A healthy self-image is seeing yourself as God see you...no more, no less. We learned that a few ways I can work to repair my self-image through Christ is by 1) recognizing and confronting Satan's lies about me 2) making a conscious decision to focus on the truth about myself 3) surrounding myself with truthful people 4) taking time to meditate on Scripture 5) not labeling myself negatively 6) thanking God for who I am and 7) accepting, loving, and encouraging others. God is teaching me that, because of reconciliation, I am totally accepted by God, so I no longer have to fear rejection! But it's a slow and steady process... :)

I think an ugly side effect of being super driven and self-motivated can be a fear of failure. As a overachieving, Type A firstborn, I often struggle with thinking I have to be the best in every area of life...well, minus sports--I couldn't care less about that. ;) However, a fear of failure can quickly turn into an avoidance of risks, anger and resentment, pride, depression, low motivation, addiction to success, identity entangled with success, a sense of hopelessness, and anger at myself and God. God is teaching me that because of justification, I am completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God, so I no longer have to fear failure.

My second Identity & Leadership class this past week was centered around the book StrengthsFinder 2.0. This book accompanies an online "strengths test" that determines a person's strengths and abilities after asking about 80 situational and personality questions. After taking the test, I found that my top 5 strengths are as follows:

1) Developer - These people recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
2) Positivity - These people have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
3) WOO (Winning Over Others) - These people love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
4) Communication - These people find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
5) Individualization - These people are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

Sort creepy, huh? I was shocked to read these five definitions and find that they each describe me perfectly! For one of our in-class exercises, we wrote down one of our most fulfilling experiences and then thought about which of our top 5 traits played a role in making this experience occur. My fulfilling experience was being able to lead Bible study and see God show up in incredible ways by speaking to the girls and radically changing their hearts and lives for His glory. Once I thought about it, I realized that my strengths of Developer, Communication, and Individualization played a huge role in giving me the opportunity and ability to lead that small group. What an awesome realization!

It was also cool to realize that all 5 of my strengths are very helpful in the Marketing world! When I chose Marketing as a major, I had no idea what a perfect fit it would be. God is so good to lead and guide us through life, even when we have no idea if we're on the right path or not. :)

Talent x Investment = Strength
I also learned that I must first discover my talents and then invest time in using them before I can discover my strengths. Finding my strengths involves my 1) purpose 2) passions 3) vision 4) satisfaction and 5) meaning. Even though my talents will never change (you're either born with it, or you aren't), my strengths can change, based on the experiences I have in life.

In a recent study, it was discovered that all of the world's highest achievers have one thing in common: they know what their strengths are and they capitalize on them.

Do you know and capitalize on your strengths?

"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
-Frederick Buechner

What is God's calling on your life?


Thanks for reading :)