Articles
Our Strength
Are we inherently strong, or do we become strong only after being tested through adversity?
Each one of us has an innate capacity for strength. We also develop strength through the conditions we face. We develop the skills to be secure, passionate, formidable, and determined. However, when we experience trauma and crisis, some of us lose those skills needed for determination, and in turn lose our capacity to "self-right." Life is a little like math. We can't skip algebra, or else geometry and calculus won't make sense. Likewise, in life we can't move past trials, we must go through them, experience them fully, or we simply won't have the information or the skills necessary to do well.
What Are the Traits That Make People Strong?
Resiliency: Resiliency is the ability to adapt to life's changes and crises. We generally feel safest when we have a sense of control or predictability. But when we find ourselves upside-down, and not in control, our resiliency may be the difference between our success or our failure. Becoming more resilient means we must be able to endure and navigate our ways through the challenges that we face. We become resilient so we can bounce back and overcome the many adversities we will face. That resiliency gives us even greater determination, which can lead to better problem-solving in the future.
Self-Confidence: Life is filled with moments of bad luck, hardship, sorrow, and setbacks. Overcoming adversity teaches us to be strong, survive, and even thrive under life's challenges (Jas. 1:2-4). We gain strength and develop self-confidence when we face difficulty and disaster head-on and with courage. One’s success in facing challenges leads to great successes in the future.
Love: Strength grows when we have people who love us enough to keep us out of danger by setting limits. We need people who show us how to do things the right way and help us when we are in need. We begin to expect that things will be all right when we have role models who show concern and respect. Showing our concern for others through devotion, compassion, and tenderness supports our ability to find ways to solve problems that we will face, and to develop the skills needed to be strong.
Faith: Faith is, at its core, firm conviction. Convictions are the beliefs that ground us and establish optimism, hopefulness, and longsuffering. There are many people who don't know what they really believe in. When we lack convictions, instability creates opportunities for weakness instead of strength. "If we stand for nothing, we will fall for anything." (anonymous) Regardless of what is happening in life, we need the strength to stand up for what we believe in. When we can stand firm in the midst of difficult times, we can hold it together when everyone else is falling apart. We develop a powerful strength within.
Acceptance: To accept our strengths, weaknesses, and situations that will not change is both wise and strong. When we address our weaknesses, we develop the ability to be tenacious in our resolve and become stronger. At the same time, we give ourselves permission to be human.
Challenging times in life is like a game of golf. It's a constant game of recovery because sooner or later we will find ourselves in the rough. Any one of these traits--resiliency, self-esteem, love, faith, or acceptance--can help us to become strong and recover from the "rough." When we dedicate our efforts at developing more than one trait however, we will see exponential growth.
Rickie Jenkins
