Try Being Yourself

Playing to our strengths isn't just a good idea in sports. It's important to life. One of the keys to being a solid, healthy leader, parent, athlete, pastor, job-seeker is to be honest about our God-given capacity--both our strengths and our weaknesses.

In ministry in my 30's, the church had a couple hundred people. At one time, I was the worship leader, the youth director, the custodian and the groundskeeper all at the same time. But as the church has grown, I've had to give up many things that I wasn't great at to focus on a few that I was better at. It wasn't always easy to let go. It still isn't.

I have to repent sometimes of trying to be someone else who has talents and abilities I don't have. Some well-meaning people have given me teaching DVD's with the unspoken request, "Maybe if you watch these you could teach more like _________." Even when I do watch and perhaps learn something, I have to choose to be me when I turn it off. Otherwise, I won't be authentic and true to my unique talents.

It's unfair to ourselves and others to say that if we try hard enough we can be great at anything. It's simply not true.  We've all...

• heard people struggling to sing high that should sing low
• heard people speaking that should stick to singing
• watched people agonize over teaching who would make a great counselor
• read articles from accountants who should stick to numbers, not journalism

There are some things that God has wired you to do that only you can do. Consider Matthew 25:14-15. And also Dr. Suess' wisdom: "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You!"