Strength 101

By Lisa Lashbrook

This Week’s Verse: Nehemiah 8:11 “for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (NIV)

What are you passionate about? What makes you joyful? When was the last time you did something you enjoyed? In your ministry, what gives you the greatest joy in the Lord?

Are you passionate about teaching, serving, leading, children, bookkeeping, maintenance, praying, tithing, encouraging or communicating? The list goes on and on. Your strength will be where YOU are at your BEST and that JOY will bring such strength in the Lord and will reflect in all areas of your life.

When you find the activity and passion that you feel strong about, it will lead to performance and action!

When I was in high school, I was a teacher’s aide my junior and senior year. I thought I wanted to be an elementary teacher. God had another idea and lead me into personnel management. My career was coordinating, training and teaching course curriculum to 300 to 700 staff. I would get extreme satisfaction thinking about going into a classroom and providing staff with information that would help them with their careers. I would prepare and try to be creative in my delivery to make a subject exciting! Often times I would have a hands-on activity to help demonstrate the objectives. I wanted learning to be fun!

In my personal life over the years, I have taught different ladies bible study groups, communicated information while volunteering at a Pregnancy Life Center, been a VBS Director and VBS leader, and I am currently leading the Side by Side Sunday School class at 8:30 am. As a mother we are always teaching our children and grandchildren. This is the most rewarding!

Ask yourself this S.I.G.N.:

S = Success. Do you feel effective in your passion and service?

I = Instinct. Do you look forward to this service?

G= Growth. How do you feel while you carry out this service?

N= Needs. How do you feel after – invigorated?

How often do you express your strength? Is it only on Sunday? Wednesday? Every day? I hope you love your strength as much as I love mine! If you are not sure about your strength area in life, check out the website www.stronglifetest.com and discover your top 2 life skills.

Dear Lord, thank you for helping me find my spiritual strength. Thank you for making each of us unique so that we may serve you in many ways. Lead those who don’t know you towards you and help those that do know you to discover their strengths in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Applications: Look for opportunities to express your passion with others and share the joy!

Power Verses:

Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” (NIV)

Psalm 18:32 “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (NIV)

1 Corinthians 14:12 “And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.” (NLT)