Stronger.

Who doesn’t want to be strong? Who doesn’t want to feel effective, capable, sufficient… even powerful? You don’t have to be a megalomaniac bent on world domination to simply want to make life work. And with limitations, we can.

We’re running a brief series on three ways people typically respond to stressful situations: Enneagram 7s, 9s, and 2s default to Optimism, and we explored that skill in last week’s post. In today’s conversation we want to look at the next resource: Competency, the home turf for type 1s, 3s, and 5s. But the big idea here is that, no matter your personality proclivities, you and I have access to all three stress tools: optimism, competency, and expression. Each of these belongs in your tool bag.

Imagine with me for a minute your most recent stress moment. Was it a week ago, a day ago, or a minute ago? What caused the crisis, and what emotions did you feel? For me it has been a week-long anxiety that our new cleaning crew for the Airbnbs we manage was falling apart. They missed two cleanings, and it’s been almost impossible to communicate with them. And if our cleaners fall apart, our business falls apart! So it’s pretty huge in our little world, and I have vacillated between optimism and panic. Between confidence that a single conversation would put us back on course… or that the sky is falling and we are doomed.

But back to your stress scenario: What would it feel like to know that there is no problem you face, now or in the future, that you can’t find a solution to? That nothing can be broken that can’t be fixed—or perhaps replaced, or in some manner redeemed? That you are resourceful and capable? That you are, in fact, strong?

For some of you, this awareness is instinctive; you expect things to go sideways, and you almost welcome the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and get to work. For these capable souls, fixing problems is almost more satisfying that not having problems. But for others of us, we doubt or we fear. We avoid, dodge, deny, or distract ourselves. Above all, we wonder if we have what it takes to triumph over the threats that relentlessly stalk us.

To be fair, there are limitations to the gift of competency. You can be resourceful but still pessimistic. Or you can carry an over-inflated ego or self-sufficiency. Or you can know how to fix things but not feel things (more on that in next week’s post). So competency isn’t a silver bullet… but it’s also difficult to survive the challenges of being human without it. We all need to be reminded that, as carriers of the Imago Dei we have divine agency. We are co-creators with God, and that’s not shabby.

The Christian narrative is typically built around the children’s song, “I am weak but he is strong.” The storyline tends to emphasize (over-emphasize) our total inadequacy, unworthiness, and powerlessness… rescued by a divine Knight on a white horse who sweeps in gloriously to defeat our foes. Yet in the same way that this fairy tale belittles damsels everywhere by virtue of their gender, it equally diminishes the reality of the incredible, empowered partnership we share with God.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends,” declares Jesus. And Peter boldly calls us to “participate in the divine nature” in this elevated union. Apparently, God is looking to share power, creativity, and agency in this holy friendship with us, not hog it. Only a God this good could infuse us humans with the supernatural attributes of love, courage, and wisdom so that we can come alongside God is solving problems, mending hearts, and championing beauty and justice on the earth.

Feeling short on competency? Dig deep because it’s there. And it’s God’s idea.

growing the soul

Take a quick self-reflection here: Do you generally tend towards over-confidence, under-confidence, or a pretty well-balanced confidence? What is the Spirit’s invitation to your heart at this point?

serving the world

How does the world need you, specifically, to move in holy strength toward beauty and justice?

takeaway

Flex.