Our strengths can be used to show us our weaknesses.
We must not fail to examine our strengths as part of our Passover preparation. Doing so can produce wonderful spiritual fruit in our lives, resulting in an inspiring holy day season, and make us a more useful tool for God’s Work.
After all, the Creator God gave us these strengths. God focuses on our positive points. So if we can’t even see them, are we analyzing ourselves from a spiritual perspective?
Although God called those in His Church today while they were the weak and base of the world, God also knew there were character traits in each of them that would be useful to His Work today. In calling them out, He gave them His Spirit to combine with the human spirit. There are traits we have that He deemed beneficial for His Work! It is our responsibility to know and develop these traits or talents to use for God’s purpose.
God has given us gifts and strengths with which to serve each other (1 Peter 4:10). We must be good stewards of these strengths. We should know them and how to use them—not for our vanity, but for doing God’s Work.
Mr. Armstrong also wrote: “If there is any reason why the living Christ chose me as His apostle, it is that I will not compromise a thousandth of an inch on God’s true doctrines” (brethren and co-worker letter, Jan. 7, 1979). This was not an examination of a particular strength for human vanity, but an appraisal based upon and connected to why Christ chose him to fulfill his office.
If you are a member of the Church of God, there is a reason God the Father put you in His Church. To make your calling and election sure, it is not wrong to examine why that is! That’s what Mr. Armstrong did!
Understanding those strengths God has given you can actually help you in overcoming weaknessesthat you have. The best piano teacher I’ve ever had wasn’t just able to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses; he would use strengths to show how to overcome weaknesses.
Some of the traits and tendencies we have are neither strengths nor weaknesses but neutral characteristics that could lean either way. For example, some may call someone “thrifty,” while another will contend that he is “cheap.” The Apostle Peter was bold and headstrong—a strength that made him a good leader, but a weakness if not channeled properly.
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