How StrengthsFinder Can Help You Grow Spiritually

Last week, I took a risk. I put my name in the hat for a speaking opportunity that would definitely be a new challenge. Because I know growth happens when I choose to do things that scare me I decided to go for it even though I was pretty sure it was a very long shot.

Long story short, I submitted a proposal to present on the topic of strengths in faith-based contexts at the official Gallup Summit. Cue all the imposter syndrome.

I have no idea if I’ll get it but you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, am I right?

Despite the odds, the reason I submitted my proposal was, in large part, because I’ve noticed that I’ve really enjoyed opportunities that I’ve had to clarify my thinking about how spiritual growth and strengths go together and teach others about that too. As I have done my own homework/reflection about the peak experiences in my life, that theme keeps showing up. (See, I take my own medicine.)

When I think about that topic, I see lots and lots of connection points. How the biblical case for strengths overlaps with scripture. How understanding strengths expands on the idea that we are created uniquely in God’s image. How strengths help us discern our sense of vocation and calling in the world. How strengths help us live out the reality of God’s voice of affirmation and blessing for ourselves and in the lives of others.

But I realized that it all boils down to one thing — StrengthsFinder (and truthfully any other tool like it) are useful for one reason.

And that is — it helps us hear from God.

Understanding our strengths helps us hear God in a fresh, maybe different, way than we would have without that mirror of self-awareness.

It creates categories that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Like when strengths taught me how to distinguish between the things that I was capable of doing and the things that brought me the most life and joy. This has helped shape my sense of calling.

It gives us language to describe dynamics in our lives. Like when strengths equipped me to notice how I did my best work and when I felt most effective. This has helped grow my understanding of my gifts and how I can serve others best.

It helps us to pause and ask questions that we might not have asked about. Like how it caused me to ask how to move forward in a difficult and unclear season. This has helped develop my sense of God’s leadership and invitation in my life.

It helps us pay better attention...

To our experiences and how God has shown up in them.

To our embodied wisdom.

To the beauty of how we have been uniquely created and to notice the same in others.

It helps us pay attention to God’s voice.

Knowing that ti’s all about hearing God’s voice keeps us from making too much or too little of what we have to learn from our strengths.

Thanks God for speaking through my strengths. Thanks God for how you want to continue to do so for each of us.

If you’re interested in exploring more on this topic, I’ve started an Instagram series on the topic of spiritual disciplines and strengths. I was inspired by this book (affiliate link).

For each of the 34 strengths, I’ve chosen a pair of spiritual disciplines. One that your strength might really enjoy. And one that would be a challenge to your strength and hopefully help counter the downside or basement of that strength. You can check it out on my Instagram page.