...and that's the way I WANT IT!!!!

I remember in the late 90's when I was serving a church in Ohio.  My Pastor there introduced me to the teachings of Dr. John C. Maxwell.  Maxwell has written numerous best-selling books on the subject of leadership, with his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership being one of my favorites to this very day.  Back then, Maxwell was Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, CA, and did a monthly mentoring club via cassette/CD called The Injoy Life Club, appropriately named for his company, Injoy.  This club sent leadership lessons to church leaders each month along with lesson notes for you to fill in the blanks.

In one of these lessons, John stated that he had not originally planned on being a pastor, but instead had a degree in counseling.  His story goes that he was so excited to be able to help those in need of hope, that he went into his first few counseling sessions with great enthusiasm!  But when they would report back to him the next week for the next session and he asked them how things were going, the response was mostly that things were going the same as they had been the week before!  Didn't he give good advice?  Of course, he did!  Sound and Biblical advice.  Was there follow-up?  Yes.  So you what was the issue?!?  The same one that exists today.  Those people didn't WANT to change!  They either loved the drama, or wanted the magic pill that made everything better with one single dose!

You know the people I'm talking about!  They're the people who always find themselves in the middle of some kind of situation.  They're mad at someone or someone else is mad at them.  They've been done wrong by a friend (usually former friend) or someone is causing a crisis type dilemma.  One thing is for certain, it is almost NEVER their fault!!!  Always quick to point out the faults in others while ignoring their own, they normally have some level of delusion of grandeur that has blinded them to the real truth of the circumstance.  I was counted among these people!  But thank God, I've been DELIVERED!!! :-)  Seriously, about five minutes of conversation and the negativity starts to boil out, IF it takes that long!  So you get the picture.  Maybe you got a better picture when you looked in the mirror!  Just sayin'.

So how do we overcome this?

1.  Speak Biblical truth.  This is where 99% of us will do EXACTLY...nothing.  We will be the ones about whom Dr. Maxwell remembered.  We may say that we're going to do it, but then it drops from the priority list quicker than last year's New Year Resolutions!  But you have GOT to start speaking OUT LOUD the things you WANT to be, not the things you think you ARE!  The Bible tells us who we are in Christ.  You've heard me talk about how I say some Biblical truth each day that is taken straight from scripture.  They are taped to my bathroom mirror at home so I see them every day to remind me.  If you would like a copy, click here and you will be directed to my blog where I listed them.  Print them off!  Use them!

2. Speak practical truth.  My pastor, Danny Chambers, recently spoke of a speaker he heard once who challenged the audience to put the phrase "and that's the way I WANT it!" right after everything they would say about themselves.  It teaches you to pay attention to the way you speak!

     "I'm sick...and that's the way I want it!"

              "I had a bad day at work...and that's the way I want it!"

                                 "I didn't get that contract at work...and that's the way I want it!"

If we start speaking the way God speaks about us and sings over us, we would start to see changes in our lives!  I HAVE!!!  Ask anyone that knows me and is close to me right now!  There is POWER in words!!!!

3.  Expect goodness.  But when trouble comes, recognize it for what it is.  Read by clicking here what scripture says in John 16:33.  That's not an option.  We should EXPECT goodness, but recognize trouble as just an attack to distract or discourage us.  Your biggest breakthroughs are often preceded by your biggest breakdowns.  Pastor Danny says, "The size of your challenge is usually an indication of the size of your future!"

4.  Worship in your pain.  David did.  Click here.  David had just had to pretend to be insane and Abimilech had sent him away.  And he starts exalting the name of Christ.  Worship does two things in our pain.  First, it takes the focus OFF of our pain and puts it ON Christ.  When we focus on other things, we can't focus on present trials.  And second, it creates an attitude of hopeful expectation for God to step in and work.  These are the ways He responds best!!!  Write this down: "What you magnify will mess you up or lift you up!"  Are you magnifying Christ, or do your words magnify your problem?

Most people win or lose their battles on the battlefield that's between their ears - their minds.  What you entertain there will manifest into speech.  What you speak manifests into your life and who you are.  BE CAREFUL!  BE WISE!!!

I could go on and on here with what God has taught me.  But this is enough for now.  I have a feeling you may need to start practicing putting "and I want it that way" after everything you say about yourself.  Know that I'm praying for you as you get this and read it and hopefully start applying it.

Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly.  I welcome your comments!  PLEASE leave one!!!  Here's how:
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THANK YOU for stopping by!  Till next time...

Discouragement

One of my pastors at Oasis Church of Nashville, Adonis Lenzy, spoke this past Sunday on being stretched in times of discouragement. I, myself, have found that I have been on polar ends of the courage spectrum in recent days, and all depending on the day. 

God has taken me to this verse. "So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!" (Psalms 31:24 NLT) This verse lets me know that my God is a God of courage!!! He is a God that WANTS me FILLED with courage!!!

I've come to recognize the power of discouragement. I've faced it's power over a recent season of my life. I've made choices I've wished I had not made. I've been rejected, abandoned, and had my "wilderness" (for those of you Bible peeps who know what I'm talking about!). I can't measure what I've been through, neither do I want to! I'll only say that I've faced enough to know I don't want to face it at a deeper level. 

Look here: "Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love." (1 Corinthians 16:13, 14 NLT) These verses are not exhaustive in scripture. They are just a couple of examples. But how many of you know that God will not ask of you that which He will not empower you to do?!? So when you face a moment or a season which causes your head to bow, your shoulders to slump, your eyes to droop, your pace to slow, or your morale to dip, KNOW that it is NOT of God!!!

Will God allow moments or seasons that are hard to go through? Absolutely. Sometimes discipline is necessary. So is "stretching," to use a term from Pastor Adonis. Our faith, our resolve, our TESTIMONY can not strengthen without first being tested. "Testing" means it is being exercised, worked out. Ever lift weights? When you do it the first time, or the first time in a long time, what happens the next day? You're SORE!!! It hurts to wash your hair!!! You try to think of more than one reason to put one foot in front of the other because it hurts to even IMAGINE it!!! But, what happens when we work out on a regular regimen?the resistance is still there, but not the every moment soreness. So it is with our lives in Christ. 

Our faith must be exercised. God knows this. He is our "coach," if you will. A good coach not only sees your talent, but your potential. And he or she will push you to help you see it in yourself! God does this in our Spiritual lives. And when He does have to discipline us, as mentioned earlier, He has even given us encouragement through those times as well!!! "For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” (Hebrews 12:6 NLT) You are LOVED!!! You are HIS CHILD!!! Be ENCOURAGED!!! What a coach!!!

Have an awesome day today!!!