From Strength to Strength
There are two types of strength and neither is automatic, but both are universally available. The first, called Fluid Intelligence, launches our adult mission fueled by passion, concern, talent, and intuition. In his best-selling book, Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks illustrates how fluid intelligence offers early recognition, validation, and confidence. The problem is that fluid intelligence leaves us sooner than we want or realize (typically, in our late 30’s). So, what initially validates won’t sustain us. Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, is the accumulation of experiences that offers a way to work smarter, not harder. And it only increases with age. I love the way Brooks puts it, “When you are young, you have raw smarts; when you are old, you have wisdom. When you are young, you can generate lots of facts; when you are old, you know what they mean and how to use them.”
Who among us gets to escape the feeling that, somehow, a part of our life would look different or that we might be further along? It’s hard to quantify but this longing is real and isn’t necessarily a bad thing. God has placed the desire for something more just, more whole, more fruitful in the hearts of all of us. The kingdom of God is the world that God intended and it’s also Jesus said is within you (Lk.17:20). Despite not being further along, you’re also not who you once were. Crystallized intelligence is learning to leverage what you do have in Christ. Discipleship teaches people about Jesus. However, disciple-making trains people to share the difference Christ is making in them despite having more to learn.
Recently, I listened to a young dad of four children ask for prayer to be more patient. I love his desire but wondered if the solution isn't becoming more self-controlled but more vulnerable. Tell on yourself, I thought! Tell your kids who you want to be because that’s who God is. Tell them what was hard about your day that made you feel threadbare when you got home. And confess the stuff that you want them to confess. The answer isn't removing the flaws by changing behavior but, as Jesus did on the cross, demonstrating how to find strength in weakness. This path makes every Christian capable of making disciples.
