The Hexagon

Essay

Balance may seem ordinary, but in reality, it is the most powerful strength you can develop. A person overly specialized in one area will not endure as long or have as genuine an impact as someone whose gifts grow evenly across multiple dimensions. I like to describe this kind of balanced growth as a “hexagon.”

Let me start with a sports example. You might think a baseball pitcher only needs strong arm muscles. But in fact, the strength of the whole body—upper body and lower body, thighs and calves—works together for power and balance. If someone focuses just on their arms and neglects their legs, their strength is scattered and their body becomes unbalanced.

I can relate that to my personal gym experience. When I exercise alone, I tend to want to focus only on my visible upper body. But my personal trainer pushes me to train my legs consistently. Why? Because the human body doesn’t grow healthily by developing only one part. Ministry, faith, and leadership are no different. Being gifted in just one visible area does not make you a good leader.

Even in theology, balance is key. Theology skewed too heavily in one direction may look strong initially but rarely lasts over time. You can focus solely on the Word while neglecting the power of the Spirit, or chase after supernatural gifts and lose your grounding in truth. Healthy communities don’t cling to one emphasis but learn over time to cultivate a broader, healthier balance.

We see a worldly example of a hexagon in how matchmaking agencies evaluate candidates. They consider practical realities like profession, education, appearance, finances, family background, and personality. While this may be somewhat practical and even harsh, it highlights a truth: people who are not seriously lacking in any one area are quite rare.

At this point, two important attitudes are essential. First, be honest and objective about yourself and prepare accordingly. Second, show grace toward others. No one is a perfect hexagon; everyone has one or two weak areas. So while we pursue balance, we must not judge others like we’re ticking boxes on a checklist.

For Christians, what really matters is our spiritual hexagon. Scripture, truth-based thinking, gifts and abilities, character, wisdom, and perseverance must grow together. You might have solid knowledge of the Word but weak spiritual gifts. Or you may demonstrate gifts but lack refined character. What we need is not just to develop what we’re already good at, but to intentionally fill in the serious gaps.

Character is especially crucial in spirituality. I’m not talking about having a naturally pleasant personality. The character I mean is what emerges when destructive traits like impatience, resentment, quarrelsomeness, anxiety, lack of endurance, and judgmental attitudes are removed. It’s not simply about biting your tongue or repressing emotions but about allowing God to cleanse these toxins, revealing deeper spiritual maturity.

This hexagon principle applies to business as well. To excel at marketing, for instance, simply being talented in one or two areas won’t suffice. Content creation, branding, data analysis, customer understanding, execution, and operations must align. Each field has its own hexagon, and true excellence arises when you see the whole picture.

Later in the talk, I address balancing a “free style” approach with steady consistency. Some people gain breadth by moving through many groups and fields—DTS, business mission training, various organizations, mission ships. Such diversity can widen perspectives and spark creativity. For creative, free-spirited people, this can be very enjoyable and enriching.

But moving too much can make your experience seem fleeting. Even if you have real skills, inconsistent history makes it harder to gain official recognition. A career that seems erratic can appear like aimless wandering, limiting access to significant leadership roles that require trust and longevity.

The same principle applies in the workplace. Job hoppers—those changing every three or six months—may look smart on paper but raise concerns for employers. They might seem unlikely to invest in internal knowledge or stay long. Although personal desire to learn broadly is understandable, organizations prioritize people they can entrust over the long haul.

For ministry, staying put in one place for an extended time is very important. Churches tend to be even more conservative in valuing permanence than companies. Longevity isn’t about fear of change; rather, it means passing through relationship-building, accountability, and tested responsibility. Those who serve a community long-term naturally build a trust hard to convey in words.

God works by expanding us at some times and holding us steady at others. When He calls you to move, embrace those new experiences. When He invites you to remain, find joy in the depth that consistent service brings. The key is not to be tossed by circumstances but to center everything on God’s training for each phase.

Finally, a vital distinction: hardship versus unnecessary struggle. Hardship may be a necessary path to grow toward God, producing maturity, training, and glory. But unnecessary struggle—fighting battles you don’t need to, wilting under pressure without discernment—is something to avoid. We must discern whether we are enduring God-ordained challenges or pointless exhaustion.

The practical conclusion is simple: identify your weakest area first. Growth accelerates not by doubling down on what you’re already good at, but by strategically targeting serious deficiencies. Prosperity in God’s kingdom doesn’t come from being perfect but from humbly recognizing your shortcomings and courageously addressing them before the Lord.

Content Notes

1. Balance is the strongest power.

Balance is not mediocrity. It is the strength that allows a person to last, carry responsibility, and avoid collapsing into one-sidedness. A balanced life can serve more safely and more deeply.

2. Like an athlete's body, a leader must grow as a whole person.

An athlete cannot develop only one muscle and ignore the rest of the body. A leader is similar. Gifts, character, theology, relationships, endurance, and practical wisdom must grow together.

3. If only visible gifts are developed, imbalance can grow.

Public gifts can look impressive, but they do not carry the whole person. If character, theology, humility, and endurance remain weak, visible gifts may become dangerous rather than fruitful.

4. Theology and community also need a sense of balance.

A person can emphasize one doctrine so strongly that they lose the wider body of truth. A community can also become tilted toward one strength while neglecting other necessary parts. Discernment requires proportion.

5. The worldly hexagon helps us see reality.

Career, education, appearance, finances, family background, and personality are not the final measure of a person. Still, the worldly hexagon shows how people evaluate balance in real life and how rare full balance is.

6. A perfect hexagon is almost never found.

Most people have strong sides and weak sides. Recognizing this should not lead to despair. It should lead to humility, grace, and a more strategic way of growing.

7. For Christians, the spiritual hexagon is more important.

The deeper question is not whether the world sees us as perfectly balanced. The question is whether our Word, gifts, character, experience, consistency, and ability to endure hardship are growing before God.

8. Character is a very important spirituality.

Character is not just a pleasant personality. It is part of spiritual maturity. Without character, gifts become unstable and leadership begins to harm people.

9. Every field has its own hexagon.

Each area of life has several sides that need attention. Ministry, work, study, relationships, and leadership all require more than one ability. Growth means learning the full shape of the field.

10. A free style gives broad experience and creativity.

Some people learn by moving through many fields, groups, and experiences. That can create breadth, creativity, and adaptability. This is a real gift when it is guided well.

11. Too much movement can make consistency look weak.

If movement becomes too frequent, people may struggle to trust the person's staying power. Breadth is valuable, but without some rootedness it can look unstable.

12. Steadiness builds trust.

Trust often grows through repeated faithfulness in one place. Staying, showing up, and carrying responsibility over time form credibility that talent alone cannot create.

13. God grows the hexagon through both expansion and staying.

God may broaden a person through many experiences, and He may deepen a person by keeping them in one place. Both movement and rootedness can be tools of formation.

14. We must discern hardship from unnecessary suffering.

Not every difficulty is holy formation, and not every discomfort should be avoided. Wisdom asks whether a hardship is forming maturity or whether it is simply unnecessary damage that needs to be addressed.

15. We should strategically focus on the weakest side.

Growth often begins with the most underdeveloped side. A person does not need to hate their weakness, but they should see it honestly and give it wise attention.

16. Prosperity opens when lack is seen with humility.

Wholeness does not come from pretending we have no lack. It opens when we humbly recognize what is missing and allow God to train, supply, and strengthen that area.