Like many of you, I have a sense of self from insightful diagnostic inventories. Myers-Briggs identifies me as an ENTJ entrepreneur. The Enneagram identifies me as Type 3 achiever. Strengths Finders identifies me as Top 5 in achiever, futuristic, strategic, learner and competitor. Working Genius highlights my best teamwork skills as invention and tenacity. All of these perspectives guide me to better understand how I’m “wired for work”, and how best to “play well in the sandbox” with others.

However, I’ve never had a diagnostic inventory like the Redemptive Gifts assessment I recently received from Evelyn Silvoso Wallace of Transform our World. My pattern is Mercy-Ruler-Exhorter, the same one as King David from the Old Testament. On the upside, at my best I can lead with God’s heart. On the downside, my heart can “get the best of me”. With this pattern I have a particular gift for hearing God’s voice, experience distinctive forms of spiritual warfare, and must optimize my approach for working with others on teams. I encourage you to explore this spiritual dimension of self-understanding, certainly new to me, by checking out www.evelynsilvosowallace.com.

As it says in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, “to thine own self be true” . . . and I would add to this: “to God’s best design for you be true”.