The Danger of Being Interested | 09.11.12

We all go through situations in life that frustrate us and get our blood boiling.  Our minds are barraged with thoughts of giving up as we throw ourselves a pity party for one.  And the saddest thing about it is that we feel all alone, when the truth of the matter is that we aren't alone at all.  In fact, in moments like this, we're really just upset because we couldn't get our way.  But for many of us, it's precisely in these moments of failed expectation that we simply lose interest and quit.

The notion of "losing interest" may not seem like a big deal.  After all, it's okay to count one's loses and move on, if a situation doesn't improve, right?  Well, that depends on the situation.  If the situation in question is one into which GOD has directed us, then we have nothing to lose and, in turn, no losses to count.  Knowing without a doubt that it was indeed GOD beckoning us, we especially have no justifiable reason for giving up due to declining interest.  As a matter of fact, we shouldn't even be interested in GOD's work at all.  Why?  Because the danger of being interested is that interest is unstable and, as humans, our nature is to prioritize our interests according to their ability to benefit us.  And when it comes to doing Kingdom work, we can not afford to be unstable or base our prioritization of GOD's work on what we stand to possibly gain from it.

GOD is looking for passionate people, not those who are merely interested.  There's a big difference between passion and interest.  Passion endures times of testing and even intensifies in the midst of adversity.  When we are filled with passion, it's like a raging inferno within that drives us to continue when those who are merely interested get frustrated and give up.  Passion keeps you up at night envisioning, planning and working, even to the point where you skip meals because you're not even hungry.  Well, you're hungry but just hungering for something more than food can provide.  Your soul is seeking the sustenance that only comes from tapping into the power of purpose and experiencing the attainment of self-actualizing, life-affirming goals.  Passion motivates us to pursue feats that confirm our reason for being, and that's EXACTLY where GOD wants us to be because it's there that He can use us the greatest for His glory.  

I challenge you to discover what you're passionate about.  If you don't know, it's okay to start by defining your interests.  Seek GOD for clarity in understanding where amongst your interests do your passions lie.  Don't be discouraged if you find yourself to be passionate about something you know little or nothing about.  Be open to learning because becoming knowledgeable of your passions will make it easier for you to operate in wisdom concerning them as well as work more confidently.  This is when you will begin to really see yourself ruling, reigning and dominating in life because you are NOW functioning in your area of influence, the area in which GOD has ordained for you to be fruitful and multiply.  There is prosperity in passion, not interest.  If you're not passionate, then the greater danger of being interested is that success IS NOT an option but rather a pipe dream.

The More Accurate Portrayal | 09.09.12

Not too long ago, I made a comment on a friend's Facebook status that reads as follows:

"...we must embrace the fact that there's more to us than most people will ever see.  We toil, stress and go broke to create an image that is--at the end of the day--an inaccurate portrayal of who we really are."

There comes a time in each person's life when you must be so comfortable in your own skin that you could care less what anyone, even those closest to you, may think about you.  I've had to come to this hard realization in my own life.  I can't afford to make people see what I want them to see because -- at the end of the day -- they're only going to see what THEY want to see.  That's right: right or wrong, people will come to their own conclusions because men (Christians included) see the outer appearance, but GOD knows the intent of the heart (1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:10).

In understanding this, we clearly see then that our efforts to impress and/or please other people are pointless.  If we stand a great chance of being misunderstood trying to be what others find preferable (or even worse, what we think will impress them), then why bother trying at all?  Why can't we just be ourselves?  Why must we seek the validation (or approval) of others to feel better about ourselves?  Why are we wasting our time, energy and money trying to portray someone else's fantasy?  People will NEVER be able to see the totality of who you REALLY are, so why put yourself through the trouble of changing so they can misunderstand this alterior personality you've created also?

We are fearfully and wonderfully made by GOD Almighty (Psalms 139:14).  If we change ANYTHING about ourselves, it should be to intent of transforming the outer man into one more resembling the inner man.  As new creatures in Christ, our spirit man is perfect and is the unseen replica of the glorified body we will receive upon the return of our Christ when we are changed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).  Until then, we ought strive to not be conformed to this world, as it says in Romans 12:2; but we should rather undergo a life long process of transformation that focuses on our minds being renewed, so we can begin to think like that perfect spirit man within.  And as we start to think more like the spirit man, we will begin to act more like the spirit man.  Little by little, the transformation becomes more evident; and even if people NEVER notice, we notice the change and so does GOD.

New Thinking Must Come | 09.03.12

I recently read a guide that contained a few sentences, which literally screamed from the pages at me.  The words spoke so powerfully to what I've been experiencing, even though they were written for another purpose.  With just a few minor alterations to them, I was able to use those words to pen a more fitting word of encouragement that clearly spoke to my situation.  I pray that it also speaks directly to yours.

"When building the infrastructure for the ongoing sustainability of a new undertaking, it is important to start small and increase gradually as resources permit.  If you set expectations too high in the beginning, there is the danger of viewing incremental achievements as failures when the reality is that this is a new undertaking and every step in the right direction is a success.  It takes time to accomplish anything of value.  Understand that building is a process."

In our excitement that GOD is doing a new thing in and through us, we often forget that with this "new thing" must come "new thinking."  Approaching the "new thing" with the "current thinking" will drive us to quit before we really even get started.  Measuring the success of something that's totally new against something already established is counterproductive to our progress.  We must remember that GOD is birthing something new in us in order to defy the limits we've imposed on ourselves or allowed others to place upon us.  GOD impregnates us with such grand possibilities so we can press past what we've come to know will work into a new realm in which our current thinking is rendered obsolete.  NEW opportunities present NEW challenges, which require NEW strategies born out of NEW thinking.

So be encouraged, friends, that when you're doing something you've never done before, avoid measuring your successes against those of others (or even your own prior successes).  See each step you take in the right direction as a success - PERIOD - and celebrate each one.  Don't compare your accomplishments to those of anyone else.  They're on their path, so you follow yours.  GOD gave you the vision for the work to which He's called you, so focus on following His lead.  Trust me, He will let you know when you veer offtrack.  Psalms 37:5 is a most reassuring reminder to us that when we commit our way to the LORD and trust in Him, He will bring to pass whatever we seek to accomplish for the sake of His glory.