We are starting a new message series today, which we are calling “Live and Learn.” We are going to look at some lessons successful people learn from life. Sometimes, these lessons are the fruit of years of experience and lots and lots of practice. Sometimes these decisions are born of mistakes, or failures, or even misfortune.

So today, we are going to dive into the first decision you will never regret. This one is so simple. It's going to sound simplistic. Sometimes when something seems simplistic we have a tendency to tune it out, thinking, “I already know this.” I want to challenge you not to tune this one out because as we're eventually going to see, there is some nuance to it that is not always or even often considered. Here it is; decision number one, know yourself so you can be yourself.

Successful people realize the absolute futility of trying to be someone else. I'm not saying that successful people never do anything outside of their comfort zone, or refuse to sacrifice their interest for others. Growth is always outside of our comfort zone. Sacrifice and selflessness are always permanently a part of emotional health and Christian living. It's not about never stretching or compromising, it's about who you are, and connecting who you are to what you do. Know who you are and live according to who you are.

It's very easy to look at friends or foes, colleagues or competitors, neighbors and newcomers, and wish you were more like them. While you are thinking those thoughts, you might also be thinking, there's something wrong with you. And that type of thinking is dead wrong. The only way to be in life is to be yourself and to be yourself, you need to know yourself. And that comes down to three factors.

The first way to know yourself is to know your personality. For instance, some people are introverts and other people are extroverts. The introverts get fueled up by being alone, by solitary time. The extroverts get energized by the being around people. Some people like to ponder and pour over decisions. They are very comfortable with ambiguity and unanswered questions. That's where they live their lives. Others have no time for it. They must have answers quickly and clearly. I am not saying that one personality type is better than another; they all bring certain skills and strengths, while each have some blind-spots. As we get to know more about our own personality and the personalities of the people around us, it can make it much easier to appreciate what's happening, and how we are interacting together.

Second point, know and be yourself when it comes to your values and your interest. There's certain things you care about and you care passionately about those things. A good way to assess your values and interest is to take a look at what you're willing to sacrifice for. If you're willing to be criticized, if you're willing to make a sacrifice, if you're willing to pay the price for anything, then that thing has value for you. 

Third, and finally, know and be yourself when it comes to your gifts and your abilities. Rather than focus on weaknesses, successful people acknowledge their weaknesses for sure, but focus on their strength and ability. It was St. Paul who told us, "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone." St. Paul describes those gifts as spiritual gifts. Your strength, your talent, your ability, are spiritual gifts from God. Turns out, not only are your gifts not from you, they're not for you either. You have gifts and talents for the benefit of others. And this is another place where the message of Christianity radically departs from popular culture. The culture tells you to be yourself, for you. For the sake of yourself. God says, "No, not at all. It isn't about you. You are not meant to be yourself for yourself in your own personal happiness and fulfillment, but for the good of others."

The point of knowing yourself and being yourself, the point of living out your strength is that it best positions you to serve others, which is the most successful kind of living of all. St. Paul's teaching that the gifts we have come from God and so does the strength, the energy to work them. Grace builds upon nature, grace works on nature. So the more you work, according to the strength God has given you, the more you will receive the energy you need to do the work. Your strength, your giftedness is not just something you do well. It's something you do so well it energizes you. Be aware of the temptation to neglect the gifts that God gives you, and a good way to avoid it is to ask people around you, people you trust, what do they think? What do they think about your gifts and abilities?

Today is the Feast of Pentecost Sunday, we're celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. The Holy Spirit is God's Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, poured out on the church, each of us has been baptized into the same spirit and each of us is commissioned to serve God and His Spirit too. The same spirit is with us always. Jesus made the promise and the pledge that this spirit will be with us always. Living as children of God in the Spirit of the Father and the Son is most deeply and authentically who we are. As Pastor Rick Warren puts it, "When you meet God, He isn't going to ask you why you weren't more like someone else. He's only going to ask you why you weren't more like the person He made you to be."