Day 37 Personal Power – 40/40

The 40 Developmental Assets over the 40 days of lent.

Search Institute has identified the following 40 Assets as building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow as healthy, caring, principled, and productive people. Over lent we will be posting an asset each day to reflect on over lent. To explore the developmental assets more visit The Search Institute.

Internal Assets

Positive Identity

37 Personal Power – Young person feels he or she has control over “things that happen to me.”

Romans 12:1-8 A Living Sacrifice

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Age’s Angle: While control in general is an illusion. ie did you choose your parent, your country of birth, can you control the weather, the emotions & or comments of others, control how others treat you? No we control our appliances and our choices.  Choosing to be ‘Maladjusted’ to not ‘conform to the patterns of this world’ but live a different story is a powerful self identity.  Having a positive and realistic view of your gifts and talents coupled with using them generously is life giving. Living like this is empowering and fuels better relationship, self identity & community.

Choose to live inline with your values and be maladjusted to that which destroys.