I'd like first to thank God for having been with Michel and myself during our last Saturday event at Living Word Association. The event seemed to have been even more interesting than the previous Saturday if I have to rely on anecdotal account of it based on private conversations with some participants.
Last Saturday, we reviewed the few key points of the previous sessions and I added some more stories and concepts. What I have been trying to accomplish is to give back to people their autonomy with regards to their ability to make promises and keep them, to take engagements and fulfill them and to be co-worker with God in their own lives. It is the search of a genuine independence that is not at odd with their submission to God's will. Independence is an achievement. It is not really a gift. It has to be earned. St. Paul recognized that he needed to discipline himself so that he could be a good soldier for Christ (1 Corinthians 9:27 - But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified).
When we've gathered sufficient independence and we know that we can really do things, we gain a new measure of boldness and confidence. As Covey said, "Real self-respect comes from dominion over self, from true independence." You may wonder, 'but I thought we experience victory by grace!?' Yes, you wondered right. And a small something that shouldn't be forgotten is that the grace is that gift of Christ's power to do all thing within us. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" [Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)]. God does his part which is in a sense our resources and we do our part which are our initiatives.
As it is written in Philippians 2:13, 'For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.' And in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NKJV) "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." These two verses speak of God's work in man and with man. The last verse reminds us that 'therefore' we can abound in the work of the Lord. It is not God who will abound but rather us. This has been made possible because Gos initiated the victorious process a priory - grace.
We can not do what God does. He gave you his free resources - that's his grace in case you are wondering. Your part and mine is to recognize our divine assets, our resources and to take initiatives. In other words to be proactive. If we work like that we won't have to feel ashamed, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" 2 Timothy 2:15. There is an expectation put on us. We have to be the mover.
So as always you are not alone on this. Christ is with you and I should even say He is working in you so that you can make it and that you can outperform yourself. First, recognize His available resources, be it spirituals, materials or else - then wisely take initiatives and don't forfeit your pro-activity like the big brother in the prodigal son's story who expected and waited for his loving Dad to throw a party for him. The party never happen despite Daddy big heart! Don't wait. If He has given you the resources and He has given you the right to use them as an heir or heiress - then do like me, throw yourself a party 'na esprit ya bien'!
Having said that, I need to bring into focus two more points to help some of us to be practical during this month dedicated to change that matters.
A) The First Creation: Mission Statement
To write a personal mission statement, we must begin at the very center of our Circle of Influence. The circle of influence is that part of our circle of concern that we can actually do something about. Stop lamenting and focusing on things that are beyond your control, beyond your influence. This center of influence is composed or made up of your most basic paradigms. Paradigm if you remember is the lens through which we see the world and the maps we used to see our lives. It is here that we deal with our vision and our values. People do sometime change when they get confronted with significant problems or when stroked by tragedy or when they face serious potential crises. I recall the story of a crazy guy who became quite the serious type when he had his first born child. For strange reasons, that new baby made him reconsider his lifestyle and life values. We do not need to wait for some major drama for us to really choose the right map we want to follow about our life. You can easily do that by thinking three years from now and try to write your own eulogy or imagine all your folks trying to give theirs on your funeral. You might just be able to reach something deeply hidden in you that you value most about life, which you might consider as conferring true purpose and meaning to your life. Dr. Covey had this to say:
"To Begin with the End in Mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. People often find themselves achieving victories that are empty, successes that have come at the expense of things they suddenly realize were far more valuable to them. People from every walk of life -- doctors, academicians, actors, politicians, business professionals, athletes, and plumbers – often struggle to achieve a higher income, more recognition or a certain degree of professional competence, only to find that their drive to achieve their goal blinded them to the things that really mattered most and now are gone. How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most. We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we Begin with the End in Mind. If you carefully consider what you wanted to be said of you in the funeral experience, you will find your definition of success. It may be very different from the definition you thought you had in mind. The two additional unique human endowments that enable us to expand our proactivity and to exercise personal leadership in our lives are imagination and conscience. The most effective way I know to Begin with the End in Mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based Because each individual is unique, a personal mission statement will reflect that uniqueness, both in content and form."
With
that in mind, write your personal mission statement. And anything that
will demand your attention away from your personal mission should be
considered as a probable distraction. Be like St. Paul and be purpose
driven. Realize that things that are weight in your life and doesn't
assist you in fulfilling your personal mission statement are probably
not important things that you should drag along with you anyway (2 Timothy
2:3-4).
Tomorrow I'll touch the last point of Covey's leadership style - part B - before we delve into Maxwell's world of Leadership.
Have a nice day and evening in Jesus' name,
Gatera I. Eric
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