6 Ways To Make Your Year Work

Many times the 'what' is easy to find (lose weight, go to the gym, increase income, come up with something life changing etc.), the 'how' however needs work and a lot of thought. Here are a few suggestions from my new year message 6 Ways To Make Your Year Work. Hope it will inspire you to be intentional and press on. Remember if you have a vision or a dream you have to protect it!

#1 - The majority is not always right - Many times people will convince themselves they cannot do something, then they will try to convince you that you can't either! Stay true to what you want and/or God has given you do to (Numbers 13:31-33). For more on this subject please read this post.

#2 - Be intentional -  When comes to our plans we need to be intentional and consistent otherwise circumstances, people, and/or familiarity can take us off track. (Numbers 14:1-7)

The verse above shows us 3 things that will try and steal your dreams:

1. Circumstances. They are the bad reports.
2. Doubters. They are the ones that carry the bad reports.
3. Familiarity. People got really familiar with their LORD. They would complain and even think that He didn't care about them anymore. They even forgot God's promises for them. Familiarity is a killer!

   
#3 -  The way you see yourself will affect your destination (Numbers 13:33). Romans 8:37 offers a solution for self image problem. 

#4 - Replace "I can't", with "How can I" (Philippians 4:13).

# 5 -  Be ready to sacrifice something you love for something you love even more. Nothing significant in life will ever happen without sacrifice. The potential of the effect is directly connected to the sacrifice you are willing to make. Sacrifice is meant to be hard and challenging. Suffering will stretch you but your world will get bigger and you will become stronger (1 Peter 5:10).

#6- Look for different behaviour, not different situation (2 Chronicles 26:5). Your situation might never change. The way you see your situation however might give you new perspective and insight of what to do and even turn a problem into profit. Make sure you seek God, he always know what to do.

This is one of the ways we shape the culture in our church.  

......................................................................................................................................................................................

The Elisha Principle

 

The Elisha Principle Here are a few thoughts from the life of the prophet Elisha that could help us accomplish what we want in life. I have called it 'The Elisha Principle'.

1 - Persistence pays off. In 2 Kings 2:1-6 we read how persistent Elisha was. He followed Elijah wherever he went. Even though Elijah kept on saying "Stay here Elisha!". There's was just no way Elisha would leave. Was Elijah perhaps making things more difficult to Elisha? Was he testing his character and willingness to serve? Note that during their journey from Bethel to Jericho and from Jericho to the Jordan there were no records of miracles. It was just plain stuff, no wonders or mighty displays.

From Genesis to Revelation God seems to reward persistence. He rewards those who persist on seeking Him diligently (Hb. 11:6). See also Gl. 6:9, Js.1:12, Rm.5:3-5 and plenty more here.

Here is the thing:I want you to be the most persistent follower of Jesus the world has ever known! Seek Him and you will find what you are looking for.

2 - Vision pays off. In 2 Kings 2:7-10 we see that Elisha knew exactly what he wanted and he asked for everything! - This is confirmed in verse 10. Let me ask you a few questions:

Do you know what you want? Can you actually see it? (v.10)

and if so...

Are you settling for less?  (Eph. 3:20)

Most people think they know what they want or come up with some sort of a place holder they call vision in order to look ok. When things get tough however, and I do mean real tough, they give up. Remember Js. 1:6-8, I highly recommend you make this text part of your meditation time.

3- Focus pays off. Are you getting distracted? Is your job diverting you from your calling? Is your personal comfort distracting you? How about fear? Our present culture is controlled by it. In verse 10-13 we see that Elisha had focus. He kept his eyes on the target at all times. He wouldn't let go! Note that he would not leave Elijah's side until he saw (v. 12) what he was looking for and took possession of the blessings he was seeking (v.13).

Are you focusing on what you want? Can you see it?

Most people say yes to both of the above questions but when you look into their lives they are just everywhere. Are you all over the place? If so the answer to both questions is NO. You cannot focus if your life is cluttered. How many things we are missing out because we are failing to see.

Why didn't the other prophets in this chapter get something from God, after all they also knew Elijah, they served God? Here is why, because they did not follow the same example as Elisha. Elisha set himself up for success because:

1) He knew what he wanted (Vision)

2) He did not get distracted (Focus)

3) He had the guts to persist (Persistence)

 

Powerful Prophet + Powerful Lessons = Powerful Life. God is no respecter of people (Ac.10:34), He shows no partiality. What He did then He does now! What He did for Elisha he can do for you.

......................................................................................................................................................................................

Grapes And Giants

Numbers 13 is a great chapter in the Bible. It describes how God's people dealt with some real problems. The Israelites were told to spy out the land they were about to enter as promised by God. Out of 12 people only 2 thought as God did. The result: 10 people talked 3 million out of their promise and destiny. Ten people melted the heart and stole the faith of millions of others. The Bible says that only Joshua and Caleb had the same heartbeat as God's.

Here is the thing;

God will show you what you can have before you can obtain it. He will allow you to see it before you can have it,

to Abraham He showed the stars

to Joseph He showed sheaves

to Peter He showed His church
to Joshua and Caleb He showed the promise land 

BUT,

God will want to know what you have to say about what he has for you.  

And that is the tricky bit:

I've seen what he is doing in our church BUT I don’t have the money nor the time to contribute.

I know God wants me to serve in his house, because Jesus came as a servant. BUT I don’t have the time to do it... I'm way too tired, busy, and is too much hard work.

God has showed me that I need to get planted in His house, BUT I  fear commitment.

And here is the deal: 

Where there are promises there are also problems. The bigger the grapes the bigger the giants.

There is however a reason why God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline. There is a reason why the Bible says that the godly are as bold as lions and that our confidence will be richly rewarded.

What has God been showing you lately; a vision, a need, a challenge, a change? What about your response, has it been based on faith or fear? Remember: Where there are grapes there are also giants, where there are promises there are also problems. But He has given us the power to overcome, in Him we are more than conquerors.

Men of Extraordinary Vision

We kicked off D7 Men with what I find to be a crucial thing in life: Vision.  Men in our society lack vision - not on my watch! As long as I live I will challenge the men around me to grab hold of what God intends for them. Men, you were created for a purpose and sitting watching TV eating junk is not one of them. I refuse to be surrounded by purposeless, visionless men.  

D7 Men are men of extraordinary vision

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. 

Proverbs 21:5

“You never just focus on what you’ve accomplished for the year; you focus on what you’ve accomplished relative to exactly what you said you were going to accomplish.”
– George Rathmann

You measure the success of your vision according to what you’ve planned and how much you’ve managed to accomplish toward that goal. Remember that the future belongs to those who plan for it, even though some people would rather spend more time planning their holidays than their life. As a D7 man you have to have vision.

When writing down your vision consider: 

1- God. 

Great vision requires remarkable, reckless faith. When devising a vision for your life make sure you make God’s priorities your priorities. Make sure your dreams are also God’s dreams, otherwise you might end up chasing the wind, just like king Solomon. (See Ecclesiastes 2:10-11, 17, 1:2-4, 1:5-8, 1:8-9)

2- The People in Your World
Teamwork makes the dream work. If you can achieve your vision by flying solo, then chances are you're not doing anything worthwhile. A big vision requires people. We can’t accomplish great things alone. Examples of people that had a great team: David (his mighty men), Jesus (the twelve disciples) and the Apostles (spirit filled men). Your vision should have the capacity to turn ordinary men into “giant killers”. So look after the people that God has put in your world. Don't take them for granted, they might become your best friends. Stay planted in God's house no matter what, serve the people in your world with a humble attitude and you will see that they will be more than willing to help you out.

3- The Clarity of Your Vision (thanks to Dr. John Maxwell for the insight)

Write the vision and make it plain on tablets
Habakkuk 2:2

Make sure you clarify your vision. Make sure you know what you want (James 1:6-8). Make you vision clear.

Clarity requires effort. Ask yourself these questions.

1) What are your deep concerns?
2) What are your values?
3) What strengths do you have?
4) How have your experiences shaped you?

These questions uncover how you are wired and what you value the most. Once the vision starts to come together in your mind, write it down and share it with someone you trust. As your vision crystallizes, you might want to surround yourself with inspirational resources (books, movies, paintings, people who can help you realise your vision).

Clarity specifies your direction. Why should we make the effort to see the vision clearly? Because vague visions cannot serve as compelling guides. Writing down your vision is a great way to make it clear. This will also provide you with direction, accountability and possible problems.

Clarity will determine your priorities. Every man has limitations. Limited time, limited resources, and limited energy. As such, nobody can have it all in life. In light of our limitations, we each have to make sacrifices and scale back the scope of our ambitions. Seeing the vision clearly helps us to prioritize which opportunities to bypass and which activities deserve our dedication. The choices we make either draw us closer to our vision or push us farther away from it. If we're unsure of the vision, then we won't know how to make decisions that carry us in the right direction. If we don't live by priorities we will live by pressures. So set your priorities right, at the very beginning.

How NOT to Be Double-Minded

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
–  Henry Ford

... but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:13-14

The answer is: You Focus and Press on. Ask yourself these questions.

Focus: Write down your short term and long term Goals.

Press on: How are you going to implement the above?

Take your time to read and meditate on these verses: Ephesians 3:20, 2 John 1:8, James 1:12, Galatians 6:9

Recommended Reading:
Believe That You Can by Jentezen Franklin

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.
Be All You Can Be by John Maxwell
Wild At Heart by John Eldredge