I Am Strong

One of the things that helps us Live in Truth is to recognize our strengths and dwell on them instead of thinking about our weaknesses. Often in a religious culture the meaning of humility is misunderstood. We think that to be humble we need to put ourselves down, but Jesus Christ is our best example of all principles of the gospel and He never once put himself down. He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the light” (John 14:6). That wasn’t a boast; it was a fact. (My favorite definition of humility is “Power under control.”)

By the same token, we should recognize our strengths and instead of debasing ourselves we should think about our strengths and encourage ourselves to use them whenever we can—never boasting, but always aware of and using our strengths. By doing this we crowd out thoughts of our weaknesses and generate feelings of happiness and joy that then feed and contribute to the growth of our strengths.

God has given each of us multiple talents and strengths. He’s told us so (D&C 46), and He cannot lie. For us to claim we have no strengths is to deny God.

So make a list of your strengths and then think about them daily. Drive away negative thoughts with thoughts of your strengths. Spend time enhancing and using your strengths, and then enjoy the happiness that flows into your life.