The Strengths You Know - Grove

"Wait, which book is this?" My guest asked. It's confusing when someone writes both non-fiction and fiction. And there are days I wonder why I've managed to bog myself down in the fantastically huge worlds of both. But I have, and now I needed to explain which book was this.

"Your Best You: Discovering and Developing the Strengths God Gave You," I said. "It's about connecting to yourself and God via the strengths God chose for you." It's a mouthful, I admit, but its enough to get me revved up, to remember why I stepped foot in the non-fiction camp: because using your strengths changes your life.

Let me share with you a portion of the book - it's my favorite part, the part that glimpses heaven, the part where I share with you how I see God.

I have a mental picture – more like a movie - of what it looks like when God decides which strengths to give someone.

"God gazes down at a child (let's say the child is you), a big grin on His face. His eyes twinkle at the sight of you.

An angel stands behind Him, holding an enormous book filled with every good thing. Page after page of strengths, talents, and breathtaking abilities. Qualities that are found in The Creator of this child.

The angel thumbs through the book. "Most Holy One, which gifts will You give this child?"
God's eyes dance with delight as He ponders the wonders He can bestow upon you. He doesn’t want to rush this moment of joyous contemplation. He peers down at you, His smile growing.

Suddenly, God throws his head back and laughs with pure joy. The sound is like every bird on earth singing all at once. Oh, He knows you so well. He knows what will bring you joy.
The angel laughs with God. "Will you give this child courage? A love of nature? A sense of humor? Creativity?”

The Lord of Heaven and Earth touches your cheek. "To this child I’ve already given the greatest gift of all. I have given my Child, so that we can forever be connected, in relationship."

Then God, overflowing with happiness, throws His arms over His head and dances around you. "But even still, I have every good gift to give. I’m generous beyond all human measure. The joy it brings me is uncontainable."

The Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, bends down and whispers in your ear, "Here my child. These are for you. I give you these gifts. Grow in them. Explore them. Use them to bring glory to My name. Let them be a constant reminder of My great love for you." "

By connecting to God using the amazing gifts He gave you, will change everything. Will change you. And the best part about it? It's fun. Which just makes sense to me. God knows how difficult life can be, He knows the issues we face and the humanity of our human-ness. No wonder He equipped us from the beginning to face the world. What are your strengths? They are the refractions and reflections of God's character found in you.

Spend some time today thinking about the gifts God has entreasured you with by His infinite love and mercy. Praise Him for them, and then get using them!

Bonnie Grove is the author of the upcoming book Your Best You: Discovering and Developing the Strengths God Gave You (March 1, 2009, Beacon Hill Press). She is also the author of Talking to the Dead, a novel (summer 2009, David C. Cook). Visit Bonnie at www.bonniegrove.com and her blog http://www.fictionmatters.blogspot.com

Perseverance - Grove

A Post of Penitence.

Perseverance. Oh sure, I’ve read The Tortoise and the Hare, too. I like the part where the tortoise wins. I bet you do too. But I don’t think that’s what perseverance is about. Winning, I mean.

I had a look around the Bible for the word perseverance. The word only appears in the New Testament (just a bit o’ trivia for ya), and it almost always appears in the context of suffering. How are you feeling about being the tortoise now? Suffering? Uh, no thanks. I like comfy. I like sighing over good books, having enough food to eat, money in the bank, bon-bons on my table, having friends, family, and fans adore me.

Who wants perseverance when you can have happiness?

A closer look at the Bible shows that perseverance is, in fact, a gift from God. ‘Scuse me? Wouldn’t God rather give me comfy, instead? Then we could just skip over the perseverance thing and get right to the winning.

Oh, that’s right, I said winning isn’t the point. So, what is the point?

In every text I looked at, the point of perseverance was to change the person from the inside out. God didn’t ask us to persevere just because we’d get a prize at the end. Rather, we are to persevere simply because we believe what we are doing is important. The very act of holding on to God in the face of adverse terrain, cranky people, rejection, poverty, illness, and everything else the world can throw at us is the point.

And the winning? Well, the Bible tells us that the outcome of clinging to Christ no matter what is godliness. Proven character. And hope.

In the end, we will suffer. And the gift from God is perseverance. It is the very presence of God in your life. God bends and weeps with you who grieve, He cries with you who are crying, and is the Balm of Gilead for those who are wounded.

In the very end, there is the prize. Eternal life fulfilled in Heaven. And what a glorious day it will be. But God, the giver of all good things, doesn’t wait for Heaven. He gives us the gifts we need today, and the prize we can claim today. He gives us the gift of perseverance and the prize of His character.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5).

We can persevere.