Is it a Strength or a Weakness?

I have a son who questions everything. He’s creative and intuitive, but he drives his teachers crazy because he isn’t compliant. Before he does something, he wants to know why he needs to do it. For instance, in one of his classes, his teacher handed out a practice test. Later the teacher noticed he wasn’t doing the work and asked my son why. He looked her dead in the eyes and told her, “It’s a practice test. I already know how to do it, so I don’t need to practice.” She explained if he doesn’t do the work in class he’ll have to do it for homework. To which he replied, “Why didn’t you say that in the first place,” and then preceded to finish the work in school.Compliance, is it a strength or a weakness? What about boldness? How about aggressiveness or being reserved? Each can be viewed as either a strength or a weakness depending on context. Aggressiveness is desirable in a football player, but maybe not in a student. Yet a reserved football player isn’t going to bring it home for a win, while a reserved student may be the teacher’s favorite.A weakness in one area, however, can be a strength in another. In fact, a strength has an equal and opposite weakness. Someone who is spontaneous may be considered disorganized. Someone energetic may be thought of as hyperactive. Someone driven can be interpreted as insensitive. Someone patient can be indecisive. David Rendall discusses this in his book The Freak Factor, Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness. Rendall admits to having been scolded in class for talking too much and not staying seated. However, the first time I saw David Rendall, he was getting paid to stand up, walk around and talk to a group of entrepreneurs. Speaking is his strength, yet not everyone recognized it as such when he was younger. Rendall notes that, often times, the attention is on correcting the weakness instead of fostering the strength. The focus is on bringing people to the middle, having them conform. But, if everyone is morphing into a similar mold, doesn’t that make everyone average? Doesn’t exceptional, by definition, mean someone who stands out?“I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” Psalm 139:14 (NIV).Don’t be afraid to run in your lane. We tend to see our weaknesses, but God sees our potential. Focus less on perceived weaknesses and flip the coin to let strengths shine. God has given us each unique qualities and gifts, so why settle for mediocrity? Wouldn’t honing our giftings magnify them and give God more glory?“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,” Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV).Don’t miss a post. Sign up for my e-newsletter: https://lorridudley.com/mc4wp-form-preview/