Have you ever been frustrated by your weaknesses? Yep, me too. Let’s talk about a better way to deal with them…
My sweet Mama tells me in fourth grade I did my science project on birth order types that advanced all the way to regionals. I studied Kevin Leman’s classic Birth Order Book and diligently quizzed my friends to see if their personal characteristics matched up to the descriptions. I, no surprise, am a firstborn. I lean hard toward perfectionism and responsibility.
I’ve been fascinated with figuring out myself and others ever since. So when the Enneagram became a hot topic again recently I had to check it out. If you’re not familiar with it, the Enneagram is a framework of nine different personality types. While many personality frameworks focus on outward behavior, the Enneagram is more about inward motivation. It’s also not simply an applauding of strengths; it’s a revealer of weaknesses.
{my graphics are free goodies for you}
I’m a One on the Enneagram. This means, among other things, that I have a very loud inner critic and I’m almost constantly focused on the gap between what is and what could or should be. When I found this out it temporarily depressed me because it was so true. But then I realized this: I belong to Jesus, who is a transformer and redeemer, a heart-filler and a difference maker. I serve the God who said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
What this means to me, and I think to you too, is that whenever we discover a weakness in our lives there is always a flip side. When I’m living in my flesh I’m a perfectionist. When I’m living in the Spirit I’m a potentialist—someone who can see the best in others and help them grow into all they’re created to be.
What’s one thing you might label as a weakness in your life? What’s the hidden strength within it? The answer may not immediately come to mind. If so, take it to Jesus and ask Him to show you. Take it to people who really know and love you. Sit with it. Give it time.
The wonderful, hard thing about being a human is that the best and worst of us is tangled up together all the time. If we spend our time and energy trying to eliminate our weaknesses completely then we’re going to end up frustrated and disappointed. What we can do instead is surrender our weaknesses to the God who made us and ask Him to show us the strengths hidden inside them, like the diamonds or gold. (It seems many worthwhile things require a bit of digging in the dark to find.)
There is beautiful strength in your weakness. There is beautiful strength in mine.
I’m curious… What’s your birth order? What’s your Enneagram type? I’d love to hear! (Subscribers, to leave a comment please click here and come to holleygerth.com rather than replying to the email. Thanks!)
XOXO
Holley Gerth
P.S. If you’d like to learn about the Enneagram I’d recommend starting with this quiz by Ian Cron to find out your type before reading the book The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile. I’ve read several books, listened to podcasts and researched extensively online but those two resources have been the most helpful to me.
P.S.S. Just so you know, this post includes affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only share what I believe will be truly helpful. Thanks for your support in this way!
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