Here's a little bit of my philosophy class for you: according to Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics, the virtue of pride, or magnanimity, is defined as being worthy of great honor and knowing that you're worthy of great honor. Whether this pride is compatible with Christian living is debatable (though I'll argue that it is), but it is definite that he's not talking about the kind of pride that we call a sin.
He associates two vices with this virtue - the two extremes - and it's about one of these that I want to write: the vice of false humility. This is the vice that belongs to the sort of people who are so convinced of their lack of worth that they refuse to undertake great things even though they're worthy of it.
This is something that I have struggled with all my life, and continue to struggle with. So many times I've refused to do something because I was certain that I just couldn't handle it. I denied that I had any strengths, and hid this under a guise of true humility. After all, wasn't it better to say it was all God?
But my best friend challenged me on this. "Recognizing what your strengths are doesn't mean that you're denying that they're gifts from God. It means that you're truly recognizing His goodness in giving them to you... in making them yours."
And why, I wondered, is it so important for me to know what my strengths are? Why shouldn't I be more concerned about what my weaknesses are... the things that make me fail?
"Because if you don't know your strengths, then you don't know where you are and where you should go."
It took a long time for this to sink in enough for me to believe it. But slowly I began to realize that this really was true. My insistence on denying my strengths was crippling my ability to serve God. Too many times I had said, "I can't." Denying my strengths had become a good excuse for not doing great things for Him.
Over time I've been learning to recognize my strengths so I can capitalize on them. These have been given to me by God to use for His service.
If we don't know what our strengths are, then we don't know where we stand.
If we don't know what our strengths are, then we don't know how we can use them to raise ourselves out of our weakness.
But if we do know what they are, then we know how to serve God in the way that He meant us to serve Him, and how to do great things for Him.
What are your strengths?
What a truly powerful post!
ReplyDelete~M~
Clare, this is awesome! I'm so glad you're reading the Nichomachean Ethics (one of my favorite books!) and I love the conversation you and your friend had about it. I think it can be really hard to "own up" to our strengths, like you said. It actually takes a kind of courage. Thanks for an interesting reflection!
ReplyDeleteClare, this is a great reminder to always ask ourselves about God's plan before we assume that He is doing things "for" us and not "through" us. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis is very true all that you said!!! And in addition to that, I think that we should encourage each other and help each other to discover our strengths. Sometimes, we are only stuck on our weaknesses that we forget the gifts that Our Lord Almighty has given us for the mission He has entrusted in us.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!
This was wonderful! And really emphasizes the fact that God made each of us unique -- so we can serve Him in a unique way. :)
ReplyDeleteClare- I loved thinking about this. Strengths, gifts remind be of the parable of the talents. God gave a variety of talents and expects return. If we shy away from our true 'talents' we can never fully return them to God. I remember meeting a Opera singer from NY who would sing around my parents piano at Christmas with my tone-deaf mother. He loved singing and said "when God gives you a talent, you must return it to him."
ReplyDeleteI too tend to be on a constant self-improvement program and this is good in the area of vices. But I think you are on to something, in that if we focus on the positive virtue and our strengths, we wont have room for the vice.
I want to really meditate on your question about what are my strengths!!
Thanks
Great post! This is my favorite bible quote and I think it fits perfectly:
ReplyDelete"And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful." -2 Corinthians 12:7-10