Recently I published a word “Are You Ready for Change.” In it I reviewed several messages that I gave at the start of this year which challenged our followers to live their dreams. If you have not completed the process that I laid out in that blog, I highly encourage you to do so.
Why am I pushing this so intensely?
All to often I see men and women, Believers in Christ, who have settled for second best. Some have even settled for third, fourth, fifth… well you get the picture. I hate that. I know we’re not supposed to use the word “hate”, but I do. I hate it.
Here’s why…
Jesus died on the cross so that we could live victoriously here on earth. Yet, so many of us have been lied to over the years. We’ve believed false church doctrines that told us health, prosperity, and dare I say it, success are for the few, not for all. This just isn’t the case. These are and should be byproducts of every Believer’s life.
But when we believe these lies this is what happens…
We settle. We don’t go for our dreams. We say things like, “it’s just not practical.” The saddest moment for me, when I don’t live up to my potential in Christ, is when I realize that someone else has suffered because I did not trust that God would provide.
What if?
What if Moses took one look at the burning bush and said… “nah!”? Or if David decided Goliath was just too big? I tell you, billions… generations upon generations of people would have been affected by their choices. How many people will miss out because you chose NOT to give God you absolute best?
So where do I start?
We know we could just send you back to the blog, and if you’re not quite sure what I’m talking about, I recommend that you check that out HERE. But once you’ve had a chance to catch up, head back here, where I’ve provided a handy checklist to assist you on the journey. That being said, I know how difficult it is to get started.
Let’s start here…
- Get Alone with God: Take one hour during your week to sit alone with God. Just sit quietly, asking God to define your call in “one word.” Remove any distractions and don’t get up for the entire hour, making sure that you’ve heard correctly, and haven’t made assumptions.
- Next, evaluate these three areas of your life: Health, Lifestyle, and Career. Write down where you wish to be this time next year.
- Now, make a list of your personal goals for the future—asking the Lord how this ties in with your goals for the future.
- Write down manageable steps for this current year that will push you toward those goals. These should challenge you, while still remaining possible to achieve.
- Find an accountability partner. Ask someone you trust to stand with you in prayer, support you with words of encouragement, and promise to check in on you from time-to-time, to see that you are fulfilling your goals.
- Once you’ve completed these steps, ask the Lord what familiar spirits have held you or your family back in the past. Identify specifically if an orphan spirit or a poverty spirit is at work in your life.
Here are a few ways these spirits work…
- Orphan Spirit
- Needs to compete and stand out
- Or turns inward and chooses to isolate and remain completely independent
- Fear, insecurity and constant need of reassurance from leadership
- Performance oriented
- Always judging others weaknesses
- Poverty Spirit
- Chronic long-term lack—no matter how much money they make, the cycle won’t break
- Thinks they have to give all of their work away
- Complains about paying others for their due labor
- You think you win when you get something for free
- Does not tithe or bring offerings to the Lord
- Resents wealthy people
- Has a habit of making poor financial choices
- Criticizes someone for spending money that they have
- Repent for partnering with those spirits. Run to the Word of God. Check out the decrees and declarations at the end of this blog. These will keep you going on the rough days.
- Take time to celebrate your successes with something you really enjoy.
We want to encourage you to take these steps. I have already heard of one testimony from a person who has committed to one hour a day of personal development, during early morning, and before work begins. What they discovered after they started this process was that God has directed them to learn just what they needed most for this season. This one hour, if committed to over the course of the year, will end up giving them over 200+ hours of extra training they wouldn’t have had time for during their regular business hours. Incredible!
God is good. Do you see what setting goals can do? Even if they miss a few hours over the course of this year, they will still be more advanced at the end of the year than they would have had they never made the goal at all.
We’re believing great things for the Body of Christ in this new season! At the end of the day, we know it’s Christ who lives within us who gives us strength. Be encouraged friends! YOU WILL FINISH… AND FINISH WELL!!!
