Dan did an amazing leadership lesson last night on the importance of having vision and living up to our God-given potential. We are all called, set apart, and gifted with talents and abilities that God wants us to use but in order to be effective for Him, there are some steps we need to take!
The first thing to do to accomplish that work which God has set apart for you to do (Eph. 2:10) is to make an assessment of what you believe about Who you are in Christ. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so he is." So many Christians focus on their pasts, their failings, their mistakes. No one is perfect and God has made provision for those things and the times that we have blown it. Confess, repent, & release. If Paul could do it after years of murdering Christians, so can You! (Phil. 3:13-14) You are an awesome, loved, valuable person that God created and Jesus died for. You are heir to all that He has, and precious. Believe in who He says you are, rather than what you or others think about who you are! (Col.1:12-14) God's opinion matters most and He thinks you are amazing!
The second task is to take an inventory of yourself. What do you do well? What do you love doing? What do you wish you could do & have a desire to learn? What things are hard for you to do but you enjoy doing them anyway? Be honest. Pretend you are your best friend and evaluate your strengths with the love and perspective of that friend. Turn off the negative, critical voice in your head that's arguing and fussing with your list. Don't listen to one word of it. This is a list of possibilities and potential, not just current facts! A critical factor in determining strengths is how you feel while doing it. We all assume that if we're good at something, it's our "calling" and we're stuck with doing it forever. That's not necessarily true. Sometimes our temperment sets us up for certain tasks and we may be really good at them but they're not truly the areas that God wants us to cultivate. As you're working ask yourself "Do I feel energized or drained? Is this making me feel motivated or bored?" Gifts are meant to be uplifting, enjoyable, & energizing. Even if it doesn't come easily, but you LOVE doing it, you should put it in the "strengths" category. Ability isn't always the critical, determining factor. As an example, I'm good at teaching children. I've done it for years, it comes naturally, & it's easy for me. God uses that ability to do what is necessary for our ministry. In that sense it is a "gift". However writing, worship, & women's ministry are the things that Energize me at this stage of my life. I love those 3 things and would gladly do them full time if God opened that door. So while I continue to serve Him by working with the children, I make sure to allow time in my busy schedule to "indulge" in my passions. Think about it - What tasks energize you? What things do you feel passionate about?
Now look at your lists again. What is stopping you from doing those things you love or would love to learn? Again, be honest. Money, time, insecurities, perfectionist demands, lifestyle...what is hindering you? If you've turned off the negative voice, perhaps your next step is prioritizing. A critical step in prioritizing is to pare down the list of things you're doing that drain you & don't need to be done by you! Oh sure, there are things we Have to do & I'm not advocating irresponsibility, but most of us take on way more than necessary. Delegate, eliminate, & learn to say NO (even to things you're "good" at!) Once you're finished removing these time, energy, and money stealers you should have some room in your life for launching, learning, practicing, & growing. Don't be afraid to take a risk and try something new. It may take preparation, time, energy & perhaps even some finances, but if you love it your life will be improved. Don't settle! Don't talk yourself out of your dreams and desires. Put your vision in front of you, evaluate the steps to move into that vision, & ask God to open all the doors you need opened in order to accomplish it (Ps. 37:4). After all, if it is truly vision that He put in you, He's ready and willing to help you achieve it!!
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