Fathering Leadership

Cognitive Dissonance in Redemptive Gifts of Teacher, Giver, and Ruler

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Cognitive Dissonance in Redemptive Gifts Shines a Light into a battle area for 3 of the gifts.

A Definition of Cognitive Dissonance: Discomfort when your beliefs don’t match up with your reality.

Redemptive Gifts Divisions (Kinesthetic, Cognitive, and Emotive)

I have written a blog series on the Redemptive Gifts if you need a refresher before reading this article. One way to consider the gifts is through their response to life. When responding to a situation, is action the first stimulus? Is thinking first? Or, is emotion first?

The Redemptive Gifts can be divided up into 3 divisions:

1-Kinesthetic: Prophet and Servant

2-Cognitive: Teacher, Giver, and Ruler

3-Emotive: Exhorter and Mercy

In today’s post I want to consider the cognitive gifts – Teacher, Giver and Ruler – and a weakness they have. I first became aware of this in my own gift, the Teacher gift.

Teacher Strength and WeaknessCognitive Dissonance in Redemptive Gifts

Every gift has a strength and a corresponding weakness. For the Teacher, the weakness is social responsibility. Let me explain this. First of all, the way a teacher thinks is that life is about standards and equations. Think about chemistry. There are certain truths (standards) that can form an equation in order to solve problems. Teachers track this way and live like this – all of life is put into a logical equation. Think about Mr. Spock on Star Trek. If a given thing doesn’t make sense, the teacher – with great patience – will meditate on it and contemplate about it until it does.

The problem is, not everything is logical. Romance for example is not logical. Relationships with imperfect people (that’s everyone) are not always logical. To love someone despite their shortcomings takes heart, not the thinking mind. So the teacher has to press in and develop social responsibility. They have to intentionally try to “feel” and not “figure out” people. Giver and Ruler don’t seem to struggle to the same degree as teacher, however, their cognitive powers can get in their way also. Their thinking happens before any feeling, or even before any doing usually.

Givers

Givers have an incredible ability to birth things, to make things happen, to find resources where others never thought to even look. They are able to do this because they don’t get caught up in the past and they have a natural independence giving them freedom to grab a new idea and run with it. Yet, in their drive to bring something forth and in their independence, they can miss people’s hearts, or even run over people at times. Awareness is key here. If Givers can see this tendency in themselves, they can birth things in healthy ways.

Rulers

Rulers have an amazing capacity to accomplish a task. They don’t fear taking a task on and typically know the absolute best way to get it done. This is how their minds work, how they track. For Rulers life is about developing and organizing something then managing until it’s done. The world would be in real trouble without the Ruler gift. However, the Ruler too, can often run over people with their various ideas of the “right” ways to do things. People’s hearts aren’t always ready to do the right thing. Again awareness is key.

As a potential weaknesses are recognized, they can be addressed. The cognitive gifts – Teacher, Giver, Ruler – are all extremely important in the Kingdom of God. By knowing how they think, and how that’s their primary response in life, we can understand them and relate to them better. And by themselves knowing their own weaknesses and tendencies, they can seek to take responsibility to grow and mature in those areas.

 

Redemptive Gift of Mercy

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Redemptive Gift of Mercy

Redemptive Gift of Mercy

Kim Meeder is a good example of the Redemptive Gift of Mercy

Kim had a tough childhood. Her father went “over the edge” mentally and killed her mother, then himself.

With the loss of her parents, her grandparents took her in. They had a lot of land and horses who brought much therapy to Kim.

After Kim grew up, she began to rescue abused horses. She has some incredible stories of nursing horses back to life that were on the brink of death.

However, she didn’t stop there. She began taking in children from abused families and pairing them with the horses she’d rescued. Both horse and child would find healing in the process. Kim understood that it was not always necessary to say things, instruct, or correct. She understood how even presence can heal.

Jehovah Shammah

This final, seventh name of Jehovah comes from Ezekiel 48. It means “the Lord is present.” This is the ultimate drive of God’s heart. To be with us. God sacrificed His own son — Immanuel — to realize this. Jesus came and lived among us, which gave Him the unique ability to understand and empathize with us right where we are.

What makes a Mercy tick?

Drive – Empathy, ambiance, alignment. Mercies are uniquely attuned to God’s Spirit. They grasp the concept of the whole package of God’s presence, God’s truth, and God’s heart all coming together. This has many applications. A mercy will make sure no one gets hurt. They will also likely make sure there’s an ambiance of decor and peace that provides inspiration and tranquility.

The characteristics of mercy flow from this drive:

  • A safe place for wounded people
  • Empathetic, non-judgmental
  • Craves intimacy
  • Intuitive
  • Loves beauty
  • Stubborn in the nicest sort of way

Strength – Knowing God’s heart, empathic connection with other people. Mercies are “feelers” — they feel deeply and have compassion. In a crowd of people, they instinctively know who may be hurting or wounded. They have the patience to just sit there and not need to say a word. Their sensitivity to the spiritual realm and their surroundings is great. Servants have this similar “atmospheric” sense, but it’s different.

Weakness – Not receiving love and acceptance. Because mercies feel deeply and other gifts do not, sometimes they don’t feel connected, and may feel “needy” to people they’re close with, seeking affection or attention excessively. They love people but sometimes in the midst of their “compassion” they cannot enforce boundaries, and can make judgements based more on emotions rather than wisdom.

Wrap Up

Mercies have to come to rest in the Father’s love, perhaps more than any other gift. There’s such a drive for intimate, heart connection, yet many people don’t want that, or aren’t healed enough for that. A mercy has to be healed beyond taking that personally.

Mercies are natural burden bearers of other people’s pain and don’t always know when to lay that on the altar.

A mercy cannot be a man pleaser nor live for self-gratification. They must connect with God by faith and use their alignment/ambiance/empathy gift as God authorizes in order to draw a fallen culture into God’s presence and love.

Redemptive Gift of Ruler

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Redemptive Gift of Ruler

Sandra Bullock in the movie, The Blind Side, plays an excellent redemptive gift of ruler.Redemptive Gift of Ruler

She has no issues with taking charge and reaching her goals.

In the story, she takes in a high school boy who, for the first time ever, begins to play football. In one scene, he isn’t quite understanding his role on the field.

So one day, during the middle of practice, she walks out onto the field into the middle of the huddle, and explains to him what he should be doing. Her small stature physically moves these “giants” around, explaining the game in simple terms and they started playing much better. She was not intimidated by the coach nor the players — she knew what to do.

 

Jehovah Tsidkenu

Jehovah Tsidkenu — God our Righteousness — is revealed in Jeremiah 23, where it talks about a king reigning in righteousness, justice, and judgment. A chief drive of ruler is to rule, to lead. They quite naturally see what goals need to be reached and how to reach them.

 

What makes a ruler tick?

Drive – To lead. They want to move forward and “go” somewhere. they see what needs to be done and see how to do it. Defining goals and steps to reach them. keep rulers in leadership positions.

The characteristics of ruler flow from this drive:

  • Great under pressure
  • Empire builders — many of the great military generals throughout history have been rulers
  • Good with time management
  • Not overly caught up in details
  • Implementors

Strength – Reach goals. Rulers have an incredible sense of tenacity (some may say “pushiness”) to keep pressing till the goal is met. Determination and natural instincts allow them to accomplish just about anything. If something’s not functioning well, giving them the output they’re looking for, they will adapt and change or do whatever’s necessary to keep moving forward.

 

Weakness – Overbearing, being a “bull in a china shop.” At times, rulers don’t know how to stop pushing, sometimes even running over people in order to reach their goal. In their thinking, the end can justify the means.

 

Wrap Up

Rulers are the “movers and shakers” of the world. They get things done. However, they need to develop their mentoring ability and trust God’s timetable on projects and plans instead of their own. When they are able to do this, they do great things for the kingdom.

 

Next post in series Mercy

Redemptive Gift of Giver

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Redemptive Gift of Giver

Redemptive Gift of Giver

Warren Buffett is a good example of the Redemptive Gift of Giver.

There’s a video of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates answering the questions of graduate students.

And as you watch this video, you often see him laugh as a question is asked. This isn’t an exhorter trying make a connection with those around him; he’s not trying to create fun or inclusion.

It’s an attempt to keep things light, not deep and serious. Givers don’t want to talk about what makes them tick — they aren’t introspective by nature. This, I think, is part of what gives off an “independant” feel that givers carry.

Their focus is in finding resources and launching endeavors, not looking inward and trying to figure out how they feel about it.

Warren Buffett’s license plate says “Thrifty” on it, yet he is a multi-billionaire. He drives an old pickup truck and lives in a relatively modest house.

Now just as the servant doesn’t have a need to lead and build their own kingdom, a giver doesn’t have the need to be introspective.

The giver can be one of the harder gifts to recognize because they can look like any other gift and can be good at lots of things. Yet, they are almost always marked by an independent spirit.

 

Jehovah Roha

Many of us know this translated to be “The Lord is my Shepherd.” This name of God is expressed in Psalms 23, where He is a shepherd that leads people to the resource of still waters and green pastures.

 

What makes a Giver tick?

Drive – Resource others. They look to connect with others for the purpose of finding a resource or supplying one, not just for the pure enjoyment of it. Because they are looking to launch and birth things, they are quite knowledgeable, but not like a teacher gift. They’re seeking answers for how to turn profits or make something work more efficiently.

The characteristics of giver flow from this drive:

  • Independent, not needy
  • Finds solutions and resources for problems — don’t have a victim mentality
  • Non-confrontational
  • Seeks the comfort and security of their family

Strength – Lives in the present, not overly introspective. Givers do exceptionally well at finding and managing resources. They usually are willing to take chances if something can be gained by doing so.

 

Weakness – Ownership instead of stewardship. The means of finding and managing those resources can be done in their own strength and power, not God’s. Since birthing new streams of resources comes naturally to the giver, they can become controlling in this, as an owner rather than a steward.

 

Wrap Up

A giver’s success will be found in developing their ability to trust God even though it is not natural for them to feel needy. Givers tend to make good businessmen and managers. They are usually hard workers who are able to handle pressures and conflicts without getting too personally involved. Much of what they are after is security and safety for their family and future generations — which can be both a strength and a weakness.

 

Next post in series Ruler

Redemptive Gift of Exhorter

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Redemptive Gift of Exhorter

The Redemptive Gift of Exhorter comes from Jehovah Shalom

Shalom is a complex word in Hebrew. Jehovah Shalom is the God who gives peace, the God who welcomes us, includes us, encourages us. The God who gives us a sense of wholeness.

In Judges 6, Gideon is fearful. God shows up revealing Himself as Jehovah Shalom, “the Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” God is with him – inclusion. God calls him mighty at a time he is fearful.

It can almost seem like exhorters are simply flattering people at times, yet, God’s motives are obviously pure here. He’s calling Gideon up higher, encouraging him.

This is a wonderful picture of the exhorter gift, the fourth name of Jehovah revealed in scripture, and the fourth redemptive gift listed in Romans 12.

 

Jamie OliverRedemptive Gift of Exhorter

Jamie Oliver is a wonderful example of an exhorter and really expresses the visionary characteristic exhorters have.

Jamie had a vision to see public schools serving healthier food. He came to a small town in West Virginia known for being unhealthy and began his mission there. This geographical area had a high incidence of heart disease, obesity, etcetera.

He runs into much resistance as a Brit in an American southern town, trying to change their eating habits, yet he never breaks relationship, becomes hurtful, or demeaning — even with difficult people.

Instead, Jamie seeks to use connection with others to win them to his vision. He “shalomed” them repeatedly. One of the more humorous demonstrations of this is when one of the cooks at one of the schools would be scowling at him as he showed up to teach and implement his ways of cooking. He would try and get her to smile, saying something nice or funny, however, he never backed down from his vision. He eventually won her over to his side.

 

What makes an Exhorter tick?

Drive – Connection and influence. An exhorter greets a cashier at the checkout of the grocery store. He makes a comment that brings a smile. He makes a momentary connection. (I’m standing there as a teacher gift thinking, “You only have a moment, what’s the use?” I need to grow in social connection!) Exhorters love even momentary connections with people, no matter if they are friends or strangers.

The characteristics of exhorter flow from this drive:

  • “A party looking for a place to happen”
  • Instant rapport with strangers — often make good evangelists
  • Can argue and disagree without alienating the other person
  • Great communicator, has a way with words
  • Visionary
  • Dramatic

Strength – Relationships are typically natural for exhorters and they tend to meet people easily. They instinctively have the keys to people’s hearts.

 

Weakness – Embracing hard work. The weakness of the exhorter is relying too much on their connecting ability, trying to “charm” their way through life rather than embracing the hard work that all decent accomplishments require.

 

Wrap Up

When the exhorter can combine their ability at connecting with people with diligent hard work, they have the potential to become a world changer! An exhorter can influence and lead many into the Kingdom, as well as inspire change and give vision inside or outside of the church. They just can’t be lazy and “slide” through life without paying a price.

 

Next post in series Giver

Redemptive Gift of Teacher

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Redemptive Gift of Teacher

Redemptive Gift of Teacher

Mr. Spock, from the original TV series Star Trek, is a good example of the Redemptive Gift of Teacher. He thinks there is an intellectual, logical answer to everything. Being half Vulcan, emotions are of no use to him.

In one scene, the U.S.S. Enterprise showed superior weapons to another race. Spock reacts, “They should’ve fled, it’s illogical.”

Bones replies,“Did it ever occur to you they might have reacted irrationally, with anger?”

(for some illogical Mr. Spock scenes, click here)

Jehovah Nissi

Jehovah Nissi – “God our banner” or standard. The Pharisees in the Bible are of the teacher tribe, albeit a broken version.

The Pharisees were all about standards and regulations being kept. They understood that’s what kept people safe. It’s the same reason you want a teacher engineer designing a bridge. Teachers totally understand that accuracy matters in bridge design, and that principles (standards) cannot – under any circumstances – be deviated from or else bridges collapse!

Yet, in a broken version, there are standards and logic but no heart. The Pharisees legalistic application of standards without regard to social and heart connections put people in bondage rather than drawing them under God’s principles for protection.

 

What makes a Teacher tick?

Drive – Knowledge, logic, standards. Everything in life is seen as an equation to be solved. They will study and research answers to their problems, and are typically knowledgeable of many things. Unfortunately, teachers try to get their needs met in this way — having all the right answers or information.

The challenge for all the gifts is to not turn to their natural strengths when fearful or struggling as a substitute for trusting in God.

The characteristics of teacher flow from this drive:

  • A need to validate truth
  • Doesn’t receive or reject new ideas right away but researches it out
  • Wants to see the end of a process before stepping out to begin it
  • Very patient

 

Strength – Patience, accuracy. Teachers make great engineers and scientists. They have seemingly endless patience to make things exact and perfect when it really matters. And loyalty and faithfulness to their beliefs, work, and loved ones is strong, although it is not always expressed.

 

Weakness – Social responsibility. So often social interaction seems shallow, even illogical to teachers. Instead of “news, sports, and weather,” they are looking for “deeper” communication. They are typically very responsible, but only in what they want to be responsible in.

It takes a mature teacher to deeply understand they are responsible for their emotions and relating to family and friends on that level.

 

Wrap Up

For teachers to be successful, they have to embrace responsibility in all areas of their lives and not just research areas of their own passion. And at times they may have to stay on a “surface” level in order to connect with co-workers or acquaintances, even though it goes against their grain. Teachers have a pulled-back, “wait-and-see” attitude too which can be both a strength and a weakness.

 

Next post in series Exhorter

Redemptive Gift of Servant

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Redemptive Gift of Servant

The Redemptive Gift of Servant comes from Jehovah Rapha – to mend, to cleanse. This is often translated “healing,” however the Hebrew translation is more along the lines of mend and cleanse. For example, think of doing a detox so your body can get rid of impurities which then leads to healing. This is a more accurate picture. Servants are very attuned and sensitive to the environment around them and tend to want to cleanse it, yet often in ways God has not called them to.

In Exodus 15, God cleanses the water so the Israelites can drink it. God then tells them that if they listen carefully to Him, pay attention to His commands and do what is right in His eyes, He will keep them cleansed from all the diseases that came on the Egyptians.

The picture is like a coach saying to an athlete: “If you will be here everyday and work hard, I’ll train you and give you the skills you need to enter into your promised land.”

 

Redemptive Gift of ServantSamwise Gamgee

Sam, in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, supported, encouraged, and protected Frodo repeatedly.

There’s the classic line in the movie where Frodo is so weary from his task and Sam says, “I can’t carry it (the ring) for you, but I can carry you.”

In another quote he says, “There’s some good in this world Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” The servant often has hope when no apparent reason for hope is seen.

Sam and Bilbo were the only characters to ever have given up the ring willingly, and only Sam surrendered it readily.

Servants rarely seek their own kingdom. They seek to build others up.

 

What makes a Servant tick?

Drive – to mend, cleanse. The servant’s drive to serve is not for service in and of itself. They desire an environment where people are empowered, where people work together, and where brotherhood is felt.

The characteristics of servant flow from this drive:

  • Sees needs and meets them (many times with no one asking)
  • Very few enemies, a safe person
  • Purity of motives, without guile
  • Can be an enabler

 

Strength – Obedience. On a sports team, in a military platoon, in a church outreach, they naturally think, “Why wouldn’t everyone want to cooperate and make things work out the best for all?”

 

Weakness – not embracing their own authority. In the servant’s unshakable belief that they can build a platform under others, they often allow people to run over them, thinking this is “helping” or “serving” them. Tough love and boundaries can be difficult for servants.

God gives the healthy view of the servant in Exodus numerous times: “If you…, then I…” The classic picture of a broken servant is the woman married to an abusive alcoholic believing year after year that he will change. If she can just keep the house nice enough, the kids behaved enough, etc.

God serves the Israelites, cleanses and mends them, only as they do their part. God does not enter into a codependent relationship with them.

 

Wrap Up

A servant’s key to success in life and forward movement will be to work within their natural strengths to promote people overcoming and working together. But they will have to overcome their reluctance to use authority to accomplish this, which involves setting boundaries and handling conflicts without defaulting to hiding from the “toxic” atmosphere.

Next post in series Teacher

Redemptive Gift of Prophet

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Redemptive Gift of Prophetredemptive gift of prophet

 

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)

Florence shows the redemptive gift of prophet. She was from a wealthy British family and lived at a time in history where the expectation upon her was that she would marry into another good family.

However, to her parents disapproval, she bucked the system and became a nurse at a time when the nursing profession was not looked well upon. She clearly didn’t worry much of what other people thought — she was driven by something else.

She “saw into” the medical system, discerning problems such as a lack of sanitation, for example .

Florence, as a woman in the 1800’s, was able to institute many changes. She went on to fight for justice for the marginalized in many parts of society. We know her name to this day because of all she accomplished in her bold pursuit of excellence and justice.

Let this sink into your spirit now. Does this resonate in you? Do you have this kind of boldness? Do you burn for truth to the point of turning your back on relationship with others? Do you know people like this?

 

Jehovah Jireh

Jireh is Ra’ah in Hebrew (Strong’s 7200): to see, observe, perceive, examine.

1 Samuel 9:9 actually translates Ra’ah as “seer or prophet” matching perfectly with the first redemptive gift listed in Romans 12. There are many passages of scripture where we see God acting out of this aspect of His nature (the subject of another blog series one day).

 

So what makes a Prophet tick?

Drive – to see into. To see the design components of a thing, to see motives. To call forth excellence.

The characteristics of prophet flow from this drive:

  • Sees things in black and white
  • Takes initiative
  • Goes against the status quo

All these characteristics exist because the prophet so easily sees what makes something work.

 

Strength – Boldness. This boldness is because the prophet operates off of the design of something, not off of what others will think.

 

Weakness – The prophet’s weakness is trying to fix what God has not called them to fix. Prophets tend to continually look for the design in things, both in principles and in people. Unfortunately they seek to get their needs met in this way when trusting God in an area of their lives becomes difficult.

Simon Cowell is also a good example of a wounded prophet. When he was on American Idol (and in Britain’s Got Talent), he would often hurt people’s feelings under what he considered “telling people the truth,” so they could either improve or get on with their lives in some other way. He would unpack people’s design flaws regardless of how it might hurt them.

 

Wrap Up

Prophet is a wonderful gift. They give a clarion call to justice. They are able to give answers to people as to why they are stuck. However, to be successful, they must overcome their compulsion to fix what God has not said to fix. It feels counterintuitive to prophets, but sometimes they need to put certain battles for justice and desires for excellence on the altar because God has not called them to do that at this particular time.

 

Next post in series Servant

Prophet Redemptive Gift Wiring

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Do you have the prophet redemptive gift wiring?

God has created man with 1 of 7 different wirings for life.
prophet redemptive gift wiring

Romans 12:6 says we have different gifts according to the grace that is given to us. We are made differently from one another. One person is a prophet gift, another is servant and those two are very different motivational drives.

Prophet Characteristics

  • Prophets see black and white
  • They understand justice issues and why they are important.
  • Servants desire to empower others.
  • They have a selfless drive to help others become all they can be.
God Himself Express the Prophet Redemptive Gift Wiring

Genesis 1:26 says that we are made in God’s image. It would therefore, stand to reason that in God’s nature there is a reflection of these seven motivation drives. In this light, it is very interesting to look at the Old Testament names of Jehovah.

The first name of Jehovah in Scripture is Jehovah Jireh. This corresponds with the first redemptive gift of prophet. “Jehovah sees” would be a literal translation. Jireh in Strong’s Concordance is Ra’ah 7200: to see, observe, perceive, examine. The noun form of (Jireh) Ra’ah is translated “prophet” in 1 Sam 9:9!

How does God reflect His prophet nature through this name?

In Genesis 22:1-14 God tested Abraham. Vs.12: (to Abraham) “Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 14 “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” God saw into Abraham’s heart and tested his motives.

God also saw in this same manner in Isaiah 58. The people were fasting and seeking God, it says in verse 2. Then God calls them out and tells them a true fast is done from true motives, a day to humble yourself, not a day to get God to do things for you through your sacrifices.

It is enlightening to look at the gifts as God reveals them through His Names. God sees motives. He is Jehovah Jireh. There is safety here, security.

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