First Wipe The Table – Part Two Of Three – What Holds Me Back?
You have your own role to play. No one else can do it for you.
Every one of us was designed with a purpose. That means you! Every human has a unique gift, or giftings, and a calling to use them for the betterment of the people around you, the community, and the world. Great things can be achieved by mere humans who don’t give up. Don’t ever disdain this thought.
You were created as an utterly unique individual. If you do not fulfill your own destiny, no one else can do it for you, and the world will have been deprived. When we begin to use our gifts, not only do we stir up the atmosphere around us in a positive, creative way, but we begin to notice something else. There is a joy, and an internal energy that starts flowing inside you, permeating your unhappiness, as we do the work of birthing our gifts.
The Product Of Our Good Decisions Will Show Right Results
God gave gifts to every human, in order that we may all help, repair, teach, and better our world – to whatever size and scope it is designed for you. When you are ready to do the real work of developing your gifts, then you fix yourself to build, not destroy your own life, and the lives of those around you. You are now targeting yourself towards your own success! How amazing is this decision!
It also displays another facet of God’s love, towards us, as the Bible says He is glorified when His gifts in us “bear much fruit” (John 15:8) – in other words, when the product of our good decisions with His gifts shows great results. Do you believe you’re made for this?
Why Is It So Difficult To Get Going And Activate Our Giftings?
( OR, Am I Ready To Do The Work Of Change?)
Numerous reasons for failure include:
- It’s too much effort, and I’d rather not tackle it
- I’m defeated from achieving it because of someone (something)
- I’d rather have fun
- I don’t see a plan to attain success
- I don’t really know what my giftings are
- I don’t believe I have much to offer
- I’m too ashamed of myself to think I could do well and win
- I’d rather make excuses, and take the path of least resistance than change my current lifestyle.
Sadly, there is only one person that can change your attitude, and we all know that person. (Hint – You often see them in the mirror…)
However, when we get sick and tired of the ‘same old same old’ routine, when the frustration overtakes the laziness, when self-pity and misty dreams don’t fill our longings any more, THEN is the time to ask, “Am I ready to do the work of change?”
It starts with a PLAN – in writing.
- What do you want to achieve – the end goal?
2. What are the barriers to completing it? Write them down.
3. How can you deal with the challenges? List a sequence.
4. Have you parcelled the task(s) into small, measurable, realistic and reachable steps?
5. What resources do you have to help complete your objective?
* IMPORTANT*
Here is where the strange title comes for this article. VERY often, we already know what we’re called to do, but we’re waiting for the BIG break .We’re waiting to be recognized by that talent scout, to win the lottery, to have that sympathetic ‘dream -person’ do our hard work for us, to have that distant great-great aunt you’ve never met die and leave her limitless fortune all to you – – in short, we’re playing “Enchanted Gambling. ” Let’s face it, we already know -The odds are not respectable, reasonable, or responsible for our success in this game.
Why do we waste our time doing what leads to little progress? Well, first, because human nature looks for the easy road. We find it much easier to blame someone or something else for our failures. We have been taught to self-please and embrace laziness -a dastardly enemy that will deprive you of ultimate happiness and success. We need to adjust our mind-set, force out slothfulness, and embrace real work, design a game-plan, and install Self -discipline as our best friend. The battlefield engages first in our mind. Aim yourself to triumph at the more profitable – and probable – business of investing in the power God has already given you!
Character Growth Is Usually Our Biggest Challenge
Secondly, we often overlook the simple things God has already given us to do, because we perceive them as beneath us, or boring. We want to jump right into the exciting stuff, without realizing that God gives us the training we need, in the small tasks we dislike.
That is the reason for the title, “First Wipe The Table”. Have you ever noticed that family and home life is the most difficult place to be happy and successful? It can be the landscape of our most challenging people, truly. And yet, it is the proving ground for the genuine-ness and maturity of your character. If you can prosper and be happy in -sometimes despite!- your close relationships, it’s a really good indicator that you’re ready to add more.
What skills are you learning in order to grow the relationships and activities closest to home? Do you practise good boundaries, clear, kind communication? Do you know how to have a healthy disagreement that results in win-win solutions? Learning -and practising -these skills is a vital part of preparing yourself for an advancement. However, personal growth doesn’t always come easily.
Recognize other people -often those closest to you – will often criticize what you have chosen to prioritize and pursue. They may have their own dysfunctional past, and not like the way you’ve changed. They may be especially unfriendly towards the way your new plan challenges their own issues or laziness. (We often see downright hostility when folks don’t want to face their shortcomings.) Be aware and prepared for this! It doesn’t always mean you have chosen the wrong thing! Certainly, give regard to what they say. Realize others may contribute useful safeguards from their own experiences. Consider their cautions and factor into your plan where necessary, but don’t let it deviate you from the path you know is right!
Start with small steps. First, wipe the table, as it were. Clear the “crumbs”, or obstructions from your vision. Prepare yourself an atmosphere conducive to working, to planning, to achieving your goal. Set the stage for your own success. Take care of little details and distractions that hinder you. Plan the best time and place to put your plan on paper. Even if you can only give limited time, do it regularly and relentlessly . Let it be known that THIS time is not to be interfered with. As you create a priority, the goal will set precedence in your life.
List the things your mind sees you doing. I’m not talking about un-Godly fantasies here. What thoughts do you keep coming back to? These relections often contain results that will benefit others. (Hint: It may not be anything those around you are interested in.) You may have a ‘secret life’ – something that fascinates or inspires you, a desire that keeps returning, thoughts that keep recurring. Pay attention. The real “YOU” is trying to tell you something!
God Has Pulled back From The ‘Divine Babysitter’ Role
Recognize you are the only one who can do something to fix this. It is not anyone’s fault, you cannot look to anyone to build your remedies and success. This is the hardest step – to realize It’s Up To YOU! Having said that, we also need to know, we are not alone. You may feel isolated, as if no one cares, but these days it seems God has pulled back from the Divine Babysitter role, and is asking us to use the tools He gave us long ago. Many of us have become lazy, and still expect Him to do everything for us. For the believer, those days have passed.
Part 3 – Ready To Begin?