Most people want to achieve some level of greatness. Some folks want great fame, others, great wealth. There are folks that seek great positions and others seek great celebrity. I know folks my that want to leave an imprint on their corner of the world and some that seek to great parents and even great servant leaders…but I truly believe most folks want to achieve some level of awesomeness.Here are a few steps that might be of encouragement to you, from a guy that is trying to be a part of the Divine’s plan of redemption for mankind as I have the privilege of serving a great church.
1) HUMBLE YOURSELF
God teaches us, through the Bible to humble ourselves. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up.” Humility is an attitude and a lifestyle. When we humble ourselves before God, we’re saying, “God you are right and I am wrong.” That’s humility. And if we humble ourselves before God, there’s no limit to what He can reveal to us. God refused the proud and gives Grace to the humble. Humble yourself before God and he will teach you things you never thought you could learn. Pride and arrogance is for the slow learning types. Don’t go there. Live and learn God’s way: Humble yourself!
2) SEEK WISE COUNSEL
I’m not sure why this is so challenging, but for many of us, this is a tough and stress-filled activity. One of the most powerful things we can attempt, is to ask for help. I’m not sure what part of childhood or adolescence taught us to never ask for help. Maybe it was the effort to be Rambo or Wonder Woman, but there is a clear reason as to why the Divine created such a unique tapestry with His diverse creation of mankind. He has placed people in our path’s to learn from. They are there to be strong in our weakness, and to learn from…even if it is what not to do. Humble yourself by choosing to see God in the right perspective. Choose to make the corrections that you know are needed in your life TODAY – don’t wait until you are on the backside of the wilderness. Learn to encircle your dreams and goal with a diverse group of folks and watch what God might to in you and for you through other, especially as we love and trust them.
3) CULTIVATE A TEACHABLE SPIRIT
Are you teachable? Don’t you love it when God gives us an ’aha’ moment? God wants to reveal things to us that we never thought we could learn, but we must first be teachable. I think the most devastating attitude is terminal certainty. I’m talking about the person that really thinks that have arrived. At 58 years of age, I am more interested in growing, stretching and learning than at any point in my life! Have a teachable spirit and God will reveal profound spiritual things to you. Be a Daniel, have a teachable spirit. Await the ’aha’ moments. Pray for them, prepare for them, get ready!!! God is going to blow your mind.
4) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL
Acknowledging that God is in control is the beginning of so many good things in our lives. I regularly hear Christian leaders speak of what God has been saying to them in their times of meditation and study and prayer and I’m often amazed. He tells them the most profound things, yet all I ever hear is: Chuck – get out of the way!” After so many extraordinary, joy-filled and sometimes gut wrenching agony, I know that I know that the Divine is most certainly in control. The way that I sabotage God’s plans for me to succeed is when I allow myself to forget that He is never not in control! Acknowledging that God is in control is saying Lord I’m going to move out of the way and let you be God. Let’s save ourselves a lot of grief and acknowledge God for who He really is. Move over and let God be God in your life. And you’ll experience a peace and sanity that you never thought possible. You don’t have to live and learn the hard way. Start living and learning God’s way. Humble yourself. Acknowledge that he is control and yield yourself to his plan. Have a teachable spirit, and seek good advice. Let Jesus have the last word: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)How about that for a resume builder – God raises you up, praises you, blesses you, delivers you…and it all happens as a result of your humility, wise counsel, teachable spirit and acknowledgement that God is in control.Simple, right? I didn’t think so either. I’m still learning the hard way.
