You may be the greatest obstacle you face in your PurposeQuest. It's not the economy, your education, how much money you have, or your age. The problem isn't any of those things. The problem is you. More specifically, it's the way you think.
What's more, you are probably trying to change yourself while holding on to old thought patterns, expecting different results while you think the same thoughts. You are seeking a personal transformation, and you are focusing on changing your habits, knowledge, spiritual disciplines or place of employment. If you are the problem, then wherever you go and whatever you do, you take you with you, along with your old habits of thought. When that happens, even if you pray or read the Bible more, you won't see any difference in your life.
You need to change your mind if you are going to change yourself. It's that simple, but that difficult.
SEND THEM HOME
In Matthew 14, Jesus had taught a large crowd of people in a remote place:
WE STILL CAN'T DO IT
So the disciples learned their lesson, right? Wrong! In the very next chapter, they complained to Jesus that there was no way they could feed a smaller crowd in a similar situation (see Matthew 15:29-39). Jesus did the same thing He did in Matthew 14 and fed the crowd with what the disciples had. The disciples were still stuck in old patterns of thinking and that limited their creativity and ability to solve the problem that was before them.
How about you? Are you any different than those early disciples? The challenge isn't what you have and don't have. It's how you think about what you have, it's how you think about who you are. If you don't think you can, then you won't. What's more, you won't even try. If you think you can or if you think God can through and with you, then God will plant new ideas and thoughts just like He did with the disciples when He said, "You give them something to eat."
Paul was clear. If you are going to be transformed, you must do so by renewing your mind (see Romans 12:1-2). That won't just happen, however, unless you take steps to make it happen. You must learn to be ruthless with your old thoughts that have gotten you nowhere and replace them with thoughts that can take you somewhere, thoughts full of faith and possibilities, not thoughts full of defeat and pessimism.
We will continue this discussion next week, but for this week, I want you to become aware -- aware of what you are thinking. Listen to yourself think; listen to what you say. Try to be more conscious of how you are limiting yourself, or how you are limiting what God can do with your loaves and fishes. Then next week we will look at what to do so that your thinking will no longer be the problem but the solution to your lack of progress in your PurposeQuest. Have a great week!
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SPECIAL NOTICE: Don't miss the third broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 4 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network. You don't need any special equipment or software. Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast. The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section. The show will air every Wednesday at the same time.
You can download and listen to the first two shows by going to station's archives.
Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787. Here is a description of the next show:
Episode Three: Stop Doing What You Love. . . So You Can Do What You Love
What's more, you are probably trying to change yourself while holding on to old thought patterns, expecting different results while you think the same thoughts. You are seeking a personal transformation, and you are focusing on changing your habits, knowledge, spiritual disciplines or place of employment. If you are the problem, then wherever you go and whatever you do, you take you with you, along with your old habits of thought. When that happens, even if you pray or read the Bible more, you won't see any difference in your life.
You need to change your mind if you are going to change yourself. It's that simple, but that difficult.
SEND THEM HOME
In Matthew 14, Jesus had taught a large crowd of people in a remote place:
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat" (Matthew 14:15-16).
What was the problem here? Was it the lateness of the hour? Was it the lack of food that the disciples had? Was it that the crowd, in their zeal to follow Jesus, had not given enough thought about what they would eat?
The problem was this: The disciples were thinking too small and, consequently, only saw one option available to them at that moment. They suggested that Jesus dismiss the meeting and send the people home. Jesus had another idea and that was to take what the disciples had, bless it and then feed the people with that. We know that this is what He did and the crowd of 5,000 plus women and children were fed with twelve baskets of leftovers. When you think too small, you do what the disciples to do: you send your opportunities away because you don't think you have what it takes to seize the moment.WE STILL CAN'T DO IT
So the disciples learned their lesson, right? Wrong! In the very next chapter, they complained to Jesus that there was no way they could feed a smaller crowd in a similar situation (see Matthew 15:29-39). Jesus did the same thing He did in Matthew 14 and fed the crowd with what the disciples had. The disciples were still stuck in old patterns of thinking and that limited their creativity and ability to solve the problem that was before them.
How about you? Are you any different than those early disciples? The challenge isn't what you have and don't have. It's how you think about what you have, it's how you think about who you are. If you don't think you can, then you won't. What's more, you won't even try. If you think you can or if you think God can through and with you, then God will plant new ideas and thoughts just like He did with the disciples when He said, "You give them something to eat."
Paul was clear. If you are going to be transformed, you must do so by renewing your mind (see Romans 12:1-2). That won't just happen, however, unless you take steps to make it happen. You must learn to be ruthless with your old thoughts that have gotten you nowhere and replace them with thoughts that can take you somewhere, thoughts full of faith and possibilities, not thoughts full of defeat and pessimism.
We will continue this discussion next week, but for this week, I want you to become aware -- aware of what you are thinking. Listen to yourself think; listen to what you say. Try to be more conscious of how you are limiting yourself, or how you are limiting what God can do with your loaves and fishes. Then next week we will look at what to do so that your thinking will no longer be the problem but the solution to your lack of progress in your PurposeQuest. Have a great week!
*****************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Don't miss the third broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 4 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network. You don't need any special equipment or software. Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast. The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section. The show will air every Wednesday at the same time.
You can download and listen to the first two shows by going to station's archives.
Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787. Here is a description of the next show:
Episode Three: Stop Doing What You Love. . . So You Can Do What You Love
Do you enjoy what you are doing, but don’t feel like you are making the impact you would like to make? Do you see the problems in the world and wish you could make more of a difference? If so, then join John Stanko and his special guest, Bill Hobbs, director or Urban Youth Impact in West Palm Beach, Florida as they discuss Bill’s “longest drive” – his journey from professional golf to inner city youth work.
Good word on this Monday' Memo. I love your statement, "You need to change your mind if you are going to change yourself." Jesus calls it repentance. We'll never change ourselves if we don't repent (change our mind). The Kingdom within will never be realized without it, thus Jesus' statement, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Posted by: Carman | June 05, 2008 at 10:35 AM
You have been so instrumental with your teaching to my life.You have opened my eyes the moment i read your newsletters. you are blessing to my life keep it up my mentor,pastor and teacher.
Posted by: Walter Bosire | June 11, 2008 at 09:59 AM
I first and last met you in Nairobi mid 2006, I had earlier communed with you, hope you can recall, you may if you visit my website above. I am writting from my hospital bed after a car crash, and yes, you're still sound to mentor me out of my current pit. God really abundantly bless your mission and ministry.
Posted by: NJENGA rowland | June 23, 2008 at 01:58 PM