A Sense of Who You Are

One of the things each of us needs is an accurate sense of who we are.  This is essential.

First, our appraisal needs to be accurate.  This is where 360 degree evaluations come in.  This is where Marcus Buckingham’s strengths assessment or the one in Stand Out (Buckingham’s new, even more powerful, assessment) come in.  An accurate assessment of our own gifts and abilities.

An accurate sense is essential, as the tendency might be for one’s assessment to tend toward either an inflated sense or deflated.

Inflated could be generated by illusory superiority, sometimes referred to as the Lake Wobegon effect, (named after Garrison Keillor‘s fictional town where “all the children are above average”).

Deflated isn’t the same as legitimate and healthy modesty.  Sometimes it can be the “aw shucks” variety that is really aimed at the “tell me more about how much of a difference maker I am” kind of deflated.  And sometimes it’s just that you don’t actually know who God’s made you to be.

Either way, it is essential that you find out.

Why are we talking about this today?  I have two reasons:

First and foremost, we’ll know what we’re going to be held accountable for.  If each of us are given responsibilities and opportunities “according to our abilities,” it will definitely pay off to know what our abilities are.  Right?  Need more on this one?  See The Right People in the Right Seats and More on the Right People in the Right Seats.

Second, and this is also huge, when we have an accurate sense of who we are, among other things, we’ll know how likely it is that the small group leaders in our organisation can do what we can do.  We need to be on guard against what is often referred to as “gift projection.”  That is, you are a gifted small group leader, able almost without preparation to shift the direction of a discussion and seize the moment…and you act like anyone can do it.

Takeaway

Every one of your small group leaders are wired in their own way.  They are not all the same.  They cannot all do what you can do.  You cannot do what some of them are wired to do.  Be careful that you make it possible for each of them to actually hear “well done.”  Some of your small group leaders will make it happen with the teaching gift.  Others will use sensitive and skillful facilitation.  Some will be so encouraging and filled with mercy that they will draw hurting people who just need a listening ear.  And some will pop in the DVD and fumble through the next 45 minutes hemming and hawing…and somehow the Holy Spirit will take what happens and feed everyone in the room.

Every one of these scenarios is possible…if everyone is allowed to be who God made them to be.  Knowing who you are and who they are is absolutely essential.

Want do you think?  Know who you are?  You can click here to jump into the conversation.

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Mark Howell serves as Pastor of Communities at Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas, NV. He founded SmallGroupResources.net, offering consulting and coaching services to help churches across North America launch, build and sustain healthy small group ministries. He spent four years on the consulting staff at Lifetogether and often contributes to ministry periodicals such as the Pastor's Ministry Toolbox and ChurchCentral.com.