I’ve really been struggling with the thoughts of strengths and weaknesses lately. I say struggling because I’ve been wrestling with whether or not I’d really like to know mine.
I understand the illogical nature of this struggle but here is why I am struggling: if I know my strengths and weaknesses I know something will have to change. I’m afraid of what the change will be, I also know it will require sacrifice. Change and sacrifice are not very good incentives for anything.
However, with my 28th birthday quickly approaching and reminding me I didn’t stop at 25, I’m realizing life is to short to do something you’re not good at or something you don’t enjoy. This thought is much more painful than any change or sacrifice. that must be made.
Until the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of change there can be no change.
Rock in a Pond 
“life is to short to do something you’re not good at or something you don’t enjoy. ”
You know my personal struggles with that very issue. There are things that I’m passionate about, and things I WANT to do…and then there are things that I believe are good and worthwhile…but don’t really rev my engine when I think of doing them myself.
But one question I keep coming back to is:
~Where does calling come into play?
I don’t believe that God calls us to comfort…nor will we always enjoy that to which he’s called us. Quite the opposite actually, we are called to die to self. We are called to deny ourselves. That doesn’t sound like something I will necessarily enjoy…
Often people say, “God’s call on your life will take your personality, desires and preferences into account.” I doubt the apostle Paul’s preferences included shipwrecks, snakebites and regular stonings.
It has been said that God won’t call you to something you’re not passionate about. I think it might be better to say that God will give you passion for that which he is calling you to.
However…obedience may need to come before the passion.
I love the Apostle Paul analogy. The question begs to be asked, is working in our strengths and passions a comfort zone? While Paul certainly did not take an assessment that told him to avoid shipwrecks, I certainly believe Paul ministered in his areas of giftedness. Paul certainly was an educated man educating others. He was also a great communicator. He could make ideas more difficult or more simple depending on what the situation merited.
I don’t believe “desires” or “preferences” would be the best terms because they can be construed as worldly. Rather a natural bent in abilities, a sweet spot. Not to be confused with lack of resistance but rather the ability to continue regardless of the resistance because it is so strong and prevalent.
I would argue that obedience must follow passion. Continuing with Paul, he had a passion for the Gentiles. Now his desires of exactly how weren’t always met with affirmation from God but he was still operating with in his abilities and passions.
“In our weakness He is made stronger” doesn’t constitute a requirement that we constantly operate in them, yet rather we rely on God to work through our inability as we serve in His abilities given to us.
Just something to ponder.