Insights are short, biblical truths to equip you to lead from your strengths.
Like Father, Like Child: Strengths Are In the Image of God
- “She has her grandfather’s nose.”
- “His hair is the same color as his mother’s.”
- “Height runs in her family. No wonder she is so tall.”
Image: Awake at 2 O’Clock
With just a glance in the mirror and a look at your biological parents, you can identify some likenesses. There’s no need to ace high school biology to understand that physical similarities are passed on from generation to generation. Beyond that simple observation, the science of genetics helps makes sense of how you acquired your physical traits. You inherited your physical features from your DNA pool.
Likewise, at birth you were also endowed with natural strengths. Natural strengths are your unique way or manner you carry out tasks. Your specific combination makes up your unique strengths set.
While your physical characteristics are tangible, your natural strengths are intangible. That is why understanding how you have inherited natural strengths can be a bit more challenging than accepting how you have inherited physical similarities from your family.
Here’s an Insight
On the sixth day of Creation God said, “Let us make man(kind) in our image, after our likeness,” (Genesis 1:26, ESV).
In this passage, the terms “image” and “likeness” refer not to your physical attributes that mimic those of the Trinity. Rather, those terms refer to God’s spiritual traits. God is a spirit (Genesis 1:2). He thinks, speaks, wills, and acts (Genesis 1:3-4). When it comes to having a spiritual make up, you’re made in His likeness.
Specifically, God programmed you to have certain natural strengths – strengths that take after certain ones He has. God can use the manner in which you carry out tasks to reflect those particular aspects of His character.
Why did He give you unique strengths? Even that is not a mystery. Ephesians 4 spells out clearly that each of us uniquely gifted in order to help bring forth unity and maturity in the Body of Christ. To do so is “true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
Your strengths were designed and given to you by God for you to use – and to build up others.
Imagine if everyone took that approach. Together, we would reflect God’s glory to the world around us. (John 17:21)