The Redemptive Gift of Exhorter Stronghold and the Exhorter’s Natural Strength
The Redemptive Gift of Exhorter Stronghold occurs from a perversion of their natural strength. The 4th compound name of Jehovah describes the exhorter’s natural strength or personality drive. Jehovah Shalom means the God who gives a sense of soundness, safety, welfare, peace; the God who gives us a sense of well-being.
Exhorters very naturally make people feel included and valued. God does this with Gideon in Judges 6 where He tells him he is a mighty man of valour right at the moment when Gideon is much afraid.
Shalom motivates exhorters, the vision to inspire themselves and others to know they are connected together and can accomplish great things. However, when their vision falters, exhorters really struggle.
The Stronghold
The stronghold occurs from a wrong relationship with their strength at vision and with relationally connecting.
There are 3 vulnerabilities common to man:
- To promote ourselves
- To protect ourselves
- To provide for ourselves
If the exhorter is feeling vulnerable and needing to protect his heart, he will gravitate to relying on his natural strength. He will look to relationships to promote, protect, or provide for him.
Exhorters will try to live for connection alone but they cannot. They must be on guard to not rely on their gifting of relationships to get by in life. Think of the actor, Owen Wilson, and the character he plays in many of his movies like Shanghai Noon. He portrays this fun, connecting guy who constantly bails on his responsibilities. But right at the time when his partner is about to get mad at him, he schmoozes back into good standing with him. The exhorter has a smooth way of promoting himself and advancing at the expense of others.
We All Battle
We all can battle living in the joy and excitement of some new vision and connecting with others relationally. But we all need to overcome any issues that would cause us to stop there and not press on past personal conflicts and obstacles, take responsibility, and follow through on our dreams.
Overcoming
Vision and relational connection is meaningful to exhorters, it gives them energy. However, follow through is the mark of the mature exhorter. They must overcome any issues with perfection or fear of failure that would keep them from accomplishing their vision. Naturally good people skills are a true gift of exhorters, but they must be put on the altar and allow God to use them correctly, not for their own gain.
Next week I’ll cover the Redemptive Gift of Giver stronghold.
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