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- Apr 25, 2006
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What are you called to do? (2)
'What is that in your hand?' EXODUS 4:2
When God called Moses, one of the questions He asked him was, '..."What is that in your hand?"' (Exodus 4:2 NIV). Moses held his shepherd's staff. It represented what he was doing with his life, his job, his income, his talents. God still asks, 'What is that in your hand?' What has been given to you? Your gifts, your money, your temperament, your experience, your relationships, your mind, your education. God's given you what Dr Martin Seligman calls 'signature strengths.' Seligman found that human abilities fall into certain categories.
He defined them as:
a) wisdom and knowledge, which includes abilities like curiosity, love of learning, sound
judgment, and social intelligence;
b) courage, including perseverance and integrity;
c) humanity, with capacities for kindness and the expression of mercy;
d) justice, the ability to bring about fairness and leadership;
e) temperance, qualities like self control, prudence, humility; and
f) transcendence; the appreciation of beauty, the expression of gratitude, the ability of hope, the capacity for joy.
We all have elements of these abilities but as you read the list some will jump out as "more like you". They are your 'signature strengths.' Identify these, and you begin to understand your calling. But calling isn't just about our strengths; God uses our weaknesses and broken experiences too. For example, no one can speak to those who grieve, better than those who've suffered loss. So 'What is that in your hand?'
written by Bob Gass
'What is that in your hand?' EXODUS 4:2
When God called Moses, one of the questions He asked him was, '..."What is that in your hand?"' (Exodus 4:2 NIV). Moses held his shepherd's staff. It represented what he was doing with his life, his job, his income, his talents. God still asks, 'What is that in your hand?' What has been given to you? Your gifts, your money, your temperament, your experience, your relationships, your mind, your education. God's given you what Dr Martin Seligman calls 'signature strengths.' Seligman found that human abilities fall into certain categories.
He defined them as:
a) wisdom and knowledge, which includes abilities like curiosity, love of learning, sound
judgment, and social intelligence;
b) courage, including perseverance and integrity;
c) humanity, with capacities for kindness and the expression of mercy;
d) justice, the ability to bring about fairness and leadership;
e) temperance, qualities like self control, prudence, humility; and
f) transcendence; the appreciation of beauty, the expression of gratitude, the ability of hope, the capacity for joy.
We all have elements of these abilities but as you read the list some will jump out as "more like you". They are your 'signature strengths.' Identify these, and you begin to understand your calling. But calling isn't just about our strengths; God uses our weaknesses and broken experiences too. For example, no one can speak to those who grieve, better than those who've suffered loss. So 'What is that in your hand?'
written by Bob Gass
