There are certain things that you need to carry with you from the beginning because the further away you get from the beginning the easier it is to forget. Regardless of whether we are talking about the beginning of a new project, business venture, graduate school, or relationship, we must bring the beginning along the journey with us. In the beginning it all made sense. In the beginning we were full of energy and enthusiasm. In the beginning no price was too high to pay. In the beginning no obstacle would be able to discourage or destroy us. In the beginning we believed. In the beginning we were certain. In the beginning we felt the urgency. In the beginning hope was our oxygen and desire was our fuel. In the beginning we could not and would not be stopped. And that is why you must take the beginning with you to the end!
Two key factors for success that I want to bring to your attention: Attitude and Adaptability.
Attitude is defined as "a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something; typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior." Our word "attitude" is derived from the Latin word "aptus" which means "fit; fitness; posture". Through these definitions we can gather that our attitude is simply the posture that we've settled into. We choose this! And we choose everyday. Do we select a posture that declares "I can" or "I can't"? Do we pick an attitude of "We will find a way" or "There is no way"? Will I choose to be optimistic or pessimistic...positive or negative...hopeful or doubtful? Whatever I am, I CHOSE IT.
It is so important what attitude we choose because our attitude impacts our adaptability. Life is moving and therefore always changing, and successful transition demands adaptability! Everyone has the ability to adapt, but those who display adaptability must have the right attitude. Why? Your attitude is what allows you to see a better, more effective way! The wrong attitude states, "Well that's the way we've always done it," and eliminates the possibility of adaptability. By resisting change we remain stuck with the same problems, issues, and limitations of our past.
The potential of your future depends on your attitude and adaptability today! Let's make sure that our posture is correct so that we can change whatever needs to be changed with optimism, faith, and enthusiasm.
Wouldn't it be awesome if things changed just because you wanted them to change! Wouldn't it be amazing if you could just say one prayer and become everything you were created to be! That might sound good, but would it really be good? I think we learn a lot more about ourselves and our God during the process of growth than we ever would just by quickly arriving at a state of full maturity. The pain of the process. The patience with the process. The persistence in the process. The passion for the process. All necessary and critical for lasting development.
It's easy for us to dream about what we want; instead of embracing what we need. We want the end. We need the process. Allow God to reveal His goodness and faithfulness to you along your pathway, and let Him prove to you that you really can do ALL things through His strength. Wherever you might be along your journey, don't avoid the process because it is there you find true progress!
Leadership is about delivering. Dreaming, vision casting, and planning are all important, but if you don't deliver it doesn't matter. Too many times people get caught up in all the details and forget to deliver. Being an Everyday Champion is learning how to deliver everyday - when you are tired, disappointed, frustrated, or the odds aren't stacked in your favor.
What are we talking about delivering? Leadership. That includes enthusiasm, smiles, compliments, discipline, encouragement, hope, consistency, motivation, correction, honor, honesty, excitement, instruction, serve, positivity, awareness, unity, protection, and love just to name a few. Real leadership doesn't get to take a day off. You can have a real pretty plan and a solid strategy to build your life or organization on, but until you begin to deliver on a consistent basis you aren't leading!
Focus less on the details and more on the delivery. The details will work themselves out if you remain focused on delivering, but obsessing over the details could keep you from delivering.
Rejection is a real thing that we have all experienced on some level. Some were rejected by their parents, others by a teacher or coach, many by a boss, yet others by their spouse. Whether you encountered rejection on the playground or the courtroom, it is a moment that doesn't quickly walk out of our memory. Rejection hurts. And because it hurts we desperately don't want to experience it again. This becomes the devil's playing field.
No longer are we just dealing with rejection, now we are fighting the fear of rejection. One punched us in the past, but the other is paralyzing us in our present. The enemy causes us to remember the pain of what we went through in order to hinder us from taking the steps we need to take in order to move forward into our destiny. Rejection causes you to not want to risk. But walking by faith is always a risk. Therefore, the enemy is vehemently trying to prevent you from living the life you were created to live (a life of faith) by reminding you constantly about your former rejections.
The devil's ultimate goal is to get you to believe that God is going to one day come to His senses and realize that you are a phony, a fraud, and not who He thought you were. And when that day comes, God Himself will reject you, too. It's a nasty little trick that he tries to play on all of us who call ourselves believers. But I have good news for you today: YOU CAN REJECT REJECTION! You don't have to buy the lie or hold on to those fears of rejection any longer. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." Don't allow the root of rejection to hold you hostage. The spirit of power, love, and self-discipline that the Lord gives empowers you to reject rejection everyday so that you can walk in faith and fulfill your divine purpose!
Let me share a quick acrostic with you that I believe will help you as you P.R.A.Y.!
Personal
Our prayers should not be repetitious rhetoric; instead, it should be words from our own hearts. When we try to make prayer Professional instead of Personal, we end up saying words and using phrases that we don't even understand. If you need a good place to start, just begin by telling God how much you love Him. (Every Father loves to hear that. I know because I have two little girls and hearing them tell me they love me never gets old!) Then talk to God about your fears, frustrations, and even your failures. God wants to help you overcome all those things!
Remember
Think about who God is and remind yourself about all things that He has done. This will cause gratitude and thanksgiving to rise up in your heart, and you will remember that what Psalm 100:5 says is true - "For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation." Whenever you remember his faithfulness in your past, it will give you faith to trust Him in your future!
Ask
The first thing we need to ask for is forgiveness. When we do this it will remind us that we also need to forgive others. Also, we don't just ask God to do things for us. We ask Him to do things in us. Our prayer aren't just focused on Him giving me stuff, but Him helping me get rid of stuff (anger, jealousy, bitterness, lust, greed). Never become so fixated on the things AROUND you that you neglect to ask God to do things IN you.
Yield
This is the toughest part. Yielding and surrendering my will and my way to God. That is uncomfortable and unpleasant. But yet it is one of the major points of prayer. Jesus modeled this in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before He is about to go to the cross. After asking God for the possiblity of another way, He prayed, "Father, but not my will, let your will be done." We must always be willing to submit our will to God.
We don't pray to get OUR WAY. We pray to GIVE WAY to God's way in our life!
Prayer can be intimidating. When I was just beginning my relationship with God, I was always nervous I would say the wrong thing...misuse a word...insult God by accident...or just not know what to say after my first two sentences! On top of that, most of the people that you hear pray have been praying for years! Think about it. Most of the people who hold a microphone in church, teach a Sunday school class, or host a small group have been in relationship with God for a long time. Therefore, they have had years to practice the prayers that you hear them pray! This causes many people to think things like "I will never be able to pray like that" or "If that is the kind of prayer that God hears then He sure isn't interested in mine." And nothing is further from the truth! You WILL pray like that...you just need more practice. And God is very interested in your prayers no matter how they sound right now!
The devil would love to talk you out of praying. He knows that if you connect your heart with God every day, then things are going to begin to change in your life. The fear of prayer is not from God. The anxiety about prayer is not from God. The thought that God is not going to hear you because you didn't say the words exactly right is not from God. All of that is an attempt of the enemy to keep you from talking to God. Remember this:
If you aren't willing to PRAY where you are, then you will STAY where you are.
Regardless of what it sounds like or feels like...just START! If you don't start, you will stay. And staying where you are today is not where you want to be! Prayer takes practice, and there is never a better time to practice than NOW!
Right now, at Northpoint Community Church, we are reading through and talking about the Book of Acts, and I believe the biggest takeaway is found in the title of the book - ACTS.
The birth of the early church was defined by Action, and the progress of the church 2,000 years later will be determined by the very same thing. The world is not changed by how much we know, but by how much we share. Our communities are not transformed because of how much we take in, but by how much we allow to flow out. The Good News was never intended to just save us, but to also send us into the world with ACTION! Prayer is Action. Encouragement is Action. Sharing the gospel is Action. Discipleship is Action. And Action is hard work!
Action shows people that they are loved. Action convinces people that they are valuable. Action gives people hope. Action hands people encouragement. Action builds faith. Action meets needs. Action finds people exactly where they are and gives them the opportunity to change. Action was necessary in the first days of the church, and it is still vital today! The Book of Acts may be 28 chapters long, but the Action of the followers of Christ has not stopped!
It is fascinating to me how quick we, as humans, are willing to turn back to what we know. People tend to cling to the familiar, even when it is detrimental. Most people desire the comfort of the known, even when that comfort is uncomfortable. That is the story of God's people leaving Egypt. They had been slaves for roughly 400 years, and miraculously God was delivering them from the land of bondage into a land that was fruitful and beautiful. In the process of bringing the His people out of Egypt, God performed many signs and wonders. God parted the Red Sea so His people could cross on dry ground, and then drowned the enemy that was chasing after them before their very eyes. God provided manna, a supernatural food from Heaven's bakery, every morning and brought water out of rock for them to drink. Along their journey from Egypt, at Mount Sinai, God met with Moses to give him the Ten Commandments. While the people were camped at the bottom of the mountain: they watched smoke envelope the mountain, felt the whole mountain shake, and heard the voice of the Lord thunder aloud!
After all those monumental moments and extreme exploits, you would think that these people would believe and obey. You would think that the excitement and anticipation for the Promised Land would be almost too much for them to contain. You would think that they would be so confident, secure, and full of hope concerning their future. You would think that their minds and hearts would be set on the "land that flows with milk and honey." But it wasn't. Their hearts were longing for Egypt. Their minds were looking backwards, not forwards. They were choosing what they knew over what could be, and they were longing for the familiar over the feasible.
And so many times we do the same. Holding on to old things when God is desiring to do a new thing. Clinging to the comfort of yesterday instead of embracing the possibilities of tomorrow. Gripping tightly to the familiar instead of trusting God to lead us into the unknown. Do not allow your heart to be captured by Egypt. Do not let your mind be consumed with what has been. God is on the move, and He is doing a NEW thing! Trust Him. Put your hope in Him. And move with Him!
There were no dull moments in the Gospels. There were crowds and miracles. There were conversations and parables. There were storms and sinners. There was opposition and betrayal. There was tough teachings and tables turned over. Lots and lots of action. But no dull moments.
Some might interject that we are simply reading the highlight reel of three years of ministry, but John writes at the end of his gospel, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." WOW! Jesus had so many things happening around him all the time. He was healing, teaching, releasing, restoring, and declaring truth everywhere he went. And interestingly enough, the action we read about in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) simply continues into the Book of Acts. Radical sacrifice and salvations. Signs and wonders. Supernatural power and authority. Never seemed to be a dull moment as the Church was growing.
I see too many dull days and weeks in my life, and I am ready for more action.
Life has lots ups and downs. Life can be complicated and difficult, and it will at times seem unfair, unfruitful, and unfulfilling. However, through it all...Jesus Christ is the answer. Whether you are facing trouble in your marriage, struggles with your business, or find yourself wrecked with worry over your kids or finances...Jesus is the answer. If you are fighting with a disease or a rude boss...Jesus is the answer. Whether you are afraid, offended, or addicted...Jesus is the answer. When you find yourself at the end of your rope or the bottom of the pit...Jesus is the answer. Whether you are stressed out, burnt out, or lied about...Jesus is the answer. If you are hurting, depressed, or on the verge of giving up...Jesus is the answer. When you feel hopeless and confused...Jesus is the answer. Whether you don't know how you will climb over the mountain you are facing or you are tumbling down in failure...Jesus is the answer. If you are overwhelmed with pain or shame...Jesus is the answer. When anger begins to boil inside of you because someone is taking credit for your hard work or you don't have any work...Jesus is the answer.
No matter where you find yourself today, Jesus isn't intimated by your circumstance. Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave, and He came up out of His tomb so He could pull you out of yours. Put your eyes on Jesus today. Everything you need is found in Him. Open the Bible and read what He said. Close your eyes and listen to what He says to you.
It's not too late for change. Sure you may have missed some good opportunities, said things you regret, or be living a life that you aren't super proud of today...but change is always possible. But change only happens TODAY! You can't change yesterday. The enemy wants you to keep saying that you will change tomorrow, but NOW is the only acceptable time for change! If your future is going to be better, it will demand something changes today. I often say, "That if you keep thinking the way you always thought, then you will be getting what you always got." It is true.
Things only change when we change the way we do things! Many times people have a desire to live for God, but they never see the fruit that they should be seeing in their lives. God promised that we would be fruitful, but too many people live fruitless. Healthy trees produce fruit. Not perfect trees. Just healthy. Health comes from being connected to the right things. We understand that a tree needs water to thrive and be fruitful, and so do we! We must remain connected to Jesus, the Vine (John 15), so that the Holy Spirit can flow into our daily lives and allow us to be fruitful.
Maybe you have lived for years as a fruitless believer. Believing in God. Going to church. Praying on occasion. Helping others when asked. But you know there should be more. You know Jesus died for more than this. Then change. TODAY. Open your Bible and begin to read. Start by pausing right now and worshiping God for a few minutes. Pray and plug into Jesus. Determine that you will be committed to attending church every Sunday and get connected to a small group or serve team. It's not rocket science. But it will require change!
We serve a God who is relentlessly pursuing us, loving us, showing us grace, and giving us mercy! He does not relent or hold back. God is unwavering and unyielding in His desire for us to walk in fellowship with Him. He is relentless! And we should be relentless as well.
We should have relentless COURAGE! It is easy to be courageous when you are at the pep rally, but when you step in between the white lines and guys are trying to knock your head off...that's a different story. Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." It is true. The plan is simple. Talking about having courage is easy. Displaying it in the midst of the fight is not. You need to possess courage so that you can believe the best even when you can't see it! You need to have courage to press on when you feel like giving up! You need to obtain the courage necessary to run the race God has marked out for you to run! And this courage must be relentless. Everyday. Believing. Pressing. Running.
We should also have relentless GRATITUDE! There is no reason to limit our gratitude today, as if we have to save something to be grateful for tomorrow. The truth is, the more we live with a grateful heart, the more things we will see on a daily basis that we should be thankful for. So much of your joy and happiness is tied to your ability to remain thankful and express gratitude. Think about it. Most joyful people are thankful people. Most individuals with a happy attitude choose to live in consistent gratitude. Don't be stingy with being grateful. Don't hold back giving thanks. Live a life of relentless gratitude, and God will continue to supply you with things to be grateful for.
Everyday champions are RELENTLESS. Daily developing the courage we need to fulfill our purpose and daily declaring gratitude for all that we have!
God has a relentless nature. Unyielding. Unwavering. Never shrinking back. Out of His relentless nature comes a relentless mercy that flows from His relentless love. The Bible declares in Lamentations that God's mercies are brand new every morning, and Paul tells us that God is rich in mercy! His love was not only poured out for us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross, but it is given to us each and every day through fresh mercy!
God is so relentless that Hebrews 13:5-6 says - For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
God is relentless about walking with you and being in relationship with you. He is never going to fail you, leave you, or abandon you. That is a relentless promise coming from a relentless God. The Lord is your helper. Your defender. Your source. So why would you be afraid of the words or actions of other humans? Your God is relentless! He will provide for you and protect you. He will make sure you get what you need, and He will guard what you have. He will be your supplier and your shelter. God is relentless about being who His Word declares Him to be! God didn't just make a promise years ago, God keeps His promises today!
"Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow." - Psalm 25:4
I was 13 years old and traveling with my family to the beach for our summer vacation. The car directly in front of us had a customized license plate, and everyone in our van was trying to guess what all the letters and numbers sounded out. This is when I discovered I had a problem. Not with my family, phonetics, or solving riddles. I couldn't see the letters on the license plate. Everyone in the car could read each individual letter, and I thought they were all joking. They weren't. When we returned home from vacation, I went to the eye doctor and got some glasses. I could see. And my whole world changed. I remember being completely amazed that people had been seeing this clearly all around me every day, while my world had been a relative blur.
The trouble with having vision problems is that most of the time you don't know you can't see until you can see. I thought my eyesight was normal. I was certain that what I was seeing was what all my friends were seeing as well. Boy, was I wrong! Those glasses changed my vision. And they changed my life. Sometimes, life can be the same way. We think we are seeing clearly, but in all reality our vision is blurry. We believe that people are seeing and experiencing the same things we are, but actually their view is completely different.
After I got my vision checked, it made sense why I was having a hard time that season hitting the baseball. Once I put those glasses on, it looked like the pitcher was throwing a beach ball towards the plate instead of pebble. I went from not being able to see the ball to not being able to miss the ball, and all of a sudden I began to have a higher level of success on the field. I have discovered that in life, as well as baseball, success usually follows vision...clear vision!
Sometimes it is difficult for us to comprehend the enormous impact of small things being done consistently over the course of time. We are so enamored with quick, instant, and effortless that we almost ignore the productivity found in lengthy commitment. As a society, we are not nearly as interested in "the small ways to win big" as we are the "big ways to win fast." But let's face it -every beautiful cathedral in Europe was built one stone at a time, and every successful company was built one idea at a time...over time. Rome wasn't built in day. It was built daily.
Too often, we live for the microwave miracle instead of focusing on garden growth. Producing fruit in a garden takes care, cultivation, and composure. And producing the results you desire in your life will require the same. Unfortunately, the changes you want to see in your life won't happen overnight or become a habit in one week. Things that last usually don't come fast! Instead, commitment yourself to putting into practice the small things that make a big impact over the course of your life. Here a few small things that make a big difference:
1. Attitude
In Ephesians 4:23, the Apostle Paul encourages us to allow the Holy Spirit to renew our thoughts and attitudes. New attitudes take you to new altitudes. It might appear to be minor and insignificant on the surface, but your attitude sets the course of your thinking and therefore determines the flow of your life. You can't live the life that God created you for while walking around with a negative attitude and toxic thoughts. It is simple. Your attitude shapes your day. Your days make your years. Your years frame your life. It all starts with your daily attitude!
2. Accountability
We were not made to do life alone. We need friends and mentors who are holding us accountable to the standards we have set for ourselves. James 5:16 says, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." It is essential that we all have someone in our life that we can honestly talk with concerning our failures and our fears. We find healing and health in those relationships. It might not appear to be that important today, but without accountability you will find yourself living below your potential and falling short of your dreams. It is a small thing, but it makes a huge difference in the long-term journey of life.
A positive, renewed attitude along with accountability will put you on the pathway of becoming an Everyday Champion!
Everyone would love to skip the training process and end up at the marvelous result. Forget the treadmill and broccoli. Just give me the weight loss. Avoid the preparation. Just give me the good job. Pass over learning. Just give me the wisdom. It is the reward we all desire, but we aren't nearly as excited about the work that comes before it. Most training isn't enjoyable, but it is all essential. Training is tough. Uncomfortable. Challenging. Nearly unbearable at times. Downright dreadful at others. However, the process of preparation is positioning you for future success. There is no substitute for training!
The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to "train yourself to be godly" (1 Tim. 4:7). That lets us know that godliness won't happen naturally. Nor will it happen easily just because we love Jesus or prayed a specific prayer. Godliness requires training. Training takes repetition. And repetition takes time. Here are a three tips to help you during your training process:
1. GET A PLAN
Every football coach goes into each game with a specific game plan. They don't try to figure out what to do once the competition begins; instead, they walk onto the field with a predetermined method for success. And that is what we all need. We must have a game plan and a strategy in order to run our race and WIN! These are a few things you should include in the plan:
- Bible Reading - Set a time and place. Also, follow a predesigned plan (available at youversion.com).
- Prayer Time - Set a time and place. Also, follow a predesigned pattern so have some direction as what to pray for.
- Books - Read. Read. And read some more.
2. GET A GROUP
There is a reason CrossFit happens in groups...because nobody would endure that type of torture by themselves. Groups are beneficial because in a group you find inspiration, motivation, accountability, and encouragement. These are all things we need in our daily lives as well. So you need to find a group of people to do life with. People you can talk to when things are not going well, and people that can celebrate with you when things are the best they have ever been!
3. GET A COACH
Andy Stanley says that coaches help you "go further, faster." I couldn't agree more. Having a coach in your life gives you a tremendous advantage and allows you to miss some potential pitfalls that might have tripped you up. A coach has already walked the pathway and desires to help you navigate your journey more efficiently. If you want to fulfill your purpose and maximize your potential, then you need a coach!
Godliness won't happen overnight, but it will happen if you commitment to the training process. You won't be a finished product by the end of the week, but you will be on the right pathway if you get a plan, get a group, and get a coach!
Many times we underestimate the power of what we think about on a daily basis, and we live unaware of the impact that our negative thinking has on the big picture of our lives. Anxiety, anger, stress, worry and fear make a mess of our joy, peace, faith, love and purpose on a regular basis. However, we are not making the connection between those emotions and our recurring thought patterns. We blame those feelings on what is happening around us instead of what is happening in us. The truth is — you have what it takes to overcome those issues! The Word of God would not instruct us to not worry if it wasn’t possible (Phil.4:6). The Bible would not say that we have access to peace that exceeds our human understanding if it was not true (Phil.4:7). God placed the Holy Spirit within us, so that we can conquer the emotions that are hindering our ability to become everything God desires for us to be. And winning this battle always begins with our thoughts!
Proverbs 4:26 says, “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” Careful thought means to be thorough, not flippant. It suggests moving with caution, not carelessness. We must all think carefully about the paths we are creating for our feet to walk down. And the direction that our life is moving is a reflection of what our mind is thinking. When your thoughts are reckless, your life will be a wreck; on the contrary, when your thoughts are governed, your life will be guided. The pathway you are carving for your feet to walk in the future is being chiseled out by the thoughts you are thinking today! Giving careful thought to your thoughts is a sure way to help yourself remain dedicated and faithful to the life you desire to live.
Every day, your mind is either leading you toward defeat or victory. Do not underestimate the enormous power your daily thoughts have on your destiny. Take control of your thinking, and build a pathway for your life!
Romans 8:28 NLT - And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Everyone feels like quitting at some point. People feel like quitting on their job, their church, their dreams, their commitment to God, and even their families. The desire of wanting to throw your hands up and scream "I quit" isn't an original thought... nor is it uncommon. Even good people want to give up. However, I have discovered through the Word of God that true champions never quit... even when they are faced with disappointment, disaster, or almost certain death.
I cannot imagine what was going through the mind of young Joseph as he stood in the pit and heard his own brothers negotiating the price of his life with the Ishmaelite slave traders. As Joseph was establishing his new life as a slave in Egypt and experiencing success, his owner's wife lies about Joseph trying to rape her (Genesis 39). While he was in jail for this false accusation, Joseph meets the cupbearer for Pharaoh, interprets his dream, and is totally confident that his request for the cupbearer to help him get out of jail will be granted. Instead he is forgotten and disappointed again (Genesis 40). But through all the bad days and reoccurring disappointments and let downs... Joseph eventually rises to the top (Genesis 41). Champions never quit. And because he did not quit, God used him to save his entire family during the famine.
You may have faced serious disappointments in your life. People have sold you out for a good laugh at your expense. Your boss promised but never delivered. Your parents decided to go their separate ways. You knew that you were next in line for a promotion, but instead you got laid off. You were confident that you passed the last test only to discover that you weren't even close. And today your journey through life feels like one disappointment after another... you are not alone. Joseph faced many difficult moments, but he overcame it all because he never quit! Don't let the disappointments of life cause you to stop moving forward. Walk through the dark valley. Crawl through the mud. Limp down the road. But whatever you do, don't stop!
1. Have you ever been unfairly accused? Did it make you want to quit? What made you keep going?
2. How can you ensure that you will never quit? What steps do you take everyday to make quitting not an option?
3. Write out the reasons that you want to keep going and pray that God will empower your decision to not quit.
4. Write Romans 8:28 on a notecard and put it on your mirror. Determine that you will memorize and internalize it this week.