The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo 323: I Am Not the One!

I am sitting at a computer in a safari lodge in Kenya, and I went on a great game drive today.  You can check out my upcoming report on my blog if you are interested, but right now, we have other important business to which we need to attend.

Last week, I mentioned Moses and his encounter with the burning bush.  Moses started out strong by declaring, "Here I am!"  It was downhill from there, however, as Moses presented excuse after excuse of why he could not do what God wanted him to do.  I actually turned this series of excuses into a message that I gave entitled, Moses Produces the Best Excuses. 

Let's take a look at Moses' first excuse and see if it has any relevance for your own PurposeQuest.

I AM NOT THE ONE!

When God told Moses what he was to do, he said in so many words, "I am not the one!"  To be specific, Moses responded, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11).  It seems that Moses was suffering from low self-esteem.  God had just confirmed Moses' purpose to him, something Moses already knew, yet Moses tried to explain why he wasn't the one to do the deed.  Have you ever done the same thing?  Are you doing it now?

You pray to know and fulfill your purpose. When God reveals it to you, however, you are most surprised when God complies with our request.  A litany of excuses often follows that revelation when you inform God that you don't have the talent, time, money, education, experience, or permission from your spouse to do His will.

Are you struggling with low self-esteem or lack of confidence in your PurposeQuest?  Then you can take some consolation that Moses struggled with the same thing, yet went on to do great things.  If you need some additional and more personalized assistance, however, you will need to read on.

THREE VERSES

Here are three verses that I recommend you study this week if low self-esteem is your problem.

1. "As God's fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain" (2 Corinthians 6:1).  You are not alone.  When you function in your purpose, God is with you.  He is your co-worker.  If you were alone, you may have cause for concern.  God is working with you, however, to help you accomplish the task.
2. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20-21).  More than simply being with you, God lives in you.  You can learn how to surrender to the Jesus who lives in you and works through you.  That makes you a carrier of something and Someone special, and that Someone empowers you to fulfill your purpose.
3. "But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16).  The Spirit came to give you the mind of Christ. Why are so surprised when you have it?  You should be surprised when you don't.  When you realize that you have this mind, you will be more confident in your abilities, or rather God's abilities, to finish the job He assigned you.

The coming week is as good a week as any to confront your low self-esteem or lack of confidence.  Honestly assess where you are in regard to God's purpose for your life.  If you are thinking or saying, "I am not the one," you can simply start saying, "I am the one."  That simple confession can change your life from one of purpose drifting to purpose cruising.  Move beyond your limitations this week and join others who have stopped putting their faith in their own abilities to put their faith in God.  As you do that, I know you will have a great week!

Monday Memo 322: Here I Am!

I've been in a seeking mood lately as I usually take some time as the year ends to seek the Lord for the future. This week I've been revisiting Moses and his encounter with the Lord at the burning bush. There are some lessons in that encounter I've been thinking about, and I invite you to think along with me. To do that, however, you will have to read on.

THE BURNING BUSH

Moses approached the burning bush because he was curious. I'm sure he had seen many burning bushes in the scorching desert heat, but this one was different because it burned and wasn't consumed. There are two purpose lessons there. First, if you follow your curiosity, it will often lead you right where you need to be. Second, when you are in your purpose, you are like that burning bush. You burn but you aren't burned out or consumed. Your purpose energizes you.

So Moses went over the bush and a voice, the voice of the Lord to be specific, spoke to him. Moses' response was interesting and appropriate. He said, "Here I am!" I am sure the Lord knew where Moses was, so this comment wasn't for God's benefit. It was Moses' way of saying, "I'm here and I'm ready to hear." What's more important, he indicated that he was ready to do God's will before he knew what God was going to say.

When you and I say "Here I am" when we are seeking the Lord for purpose and direction, we are really saying, "Lord, I trust you and I say 'yes' before I know to what I am saying yes." That is faith and we know that faith pleases God. So "here I am" is pleasing to God's ears.

HERE-I-AM ATTITUDE

I know someone who was once struggling to find their purpose and a pastor gave that person some good advice. He said, "During your search, why not thank God for your purpose before you know what it is? " I think that was here-I-am advice and leads to a here-I-am attitude. You present yourself at attention, like a good soldier, awaiting your orders. Then you wait to hear what they are, giving thanks in the meantime.

I wrote in my journal this morning, "Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do, wherever you want me to do it." I am listing all the things that have me curious at this time, to see if any of them will lead me to a burning bush. Whether they do or not, I am waiting, listening and thanking, and that puts me in a perfect position to hear from Him. So this week say "Here I am" and then wait and see what comes your way. If you do that, I know you'll have a good week!

***************************************************************************************

Happy Thanksgiving this Thursday to all my friends and readers in the United States.

I will be in Nairobi from November 25-30 and then in Zimbabwe from November 30 to December 10. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one purpose session, please write and let me know.

I will also be conducting another Pacific Institute seminar in Zimbabwe on December 3 and 4. If you would like to register, please write and let me know. The Pacific Institute training changed my life and it has the power to change yours, too.

Monday Memo 321: Your Board of Directors

I'm confused, which may not be big news for you, since you figured this out a while ago. There seems to be a glaring contradiction in the Bible.

At one point, John wrote this:

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him (1 John 2:27).

All right, I have no need for anyone to teach me, according to John.

Yet Paul wrote this:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11).

Paul declares that teachers are in the "big five." One wrote I don't need a teacher; the other stated that teachers were critical to my development as a believer. Which one is correct? How can we resolve this contradiction? To find out, of course you must read on.

JOHN WAS RIGHT

John wrote his letter to some who had teachers telling them that Jesus was not the Christ. John identified those teachers are liars, telling the reader that they knew better. The "anointing" inside them taught them and bore witness that Jesus was indeed who He said He was. There were some things, according to John, that believers knew just because the truth was in them. They had no need for anyone to confirm or teach them.

One of those things that believers "know," in my experience, is the truth about their purpose. No one can give or assign you a purpose. It is in you and, when you hear or see it, it rings true. I would say it is part of the "anointing" that John refers to, for it is something that is personal and directly assigned by the Lord Himself.

Yet your purpose increases your need for the church and the "big five," which includes pastors and teachers. You can't stand alone once you find what only you can find and know -- your purpose.

PAUL WAS RIGHT, TOO.

As usual, there is no contradiction in the Bible on this point. There are some things you know, like your purpose, but there are other things you need to learn, like doctrine, right behavior and values. Your purpose sets you apart, but your need for coaches, mentors and teachers makes you part of a team, and that team is often found in the church. This doesn't mean that your purpose isn't relevant in the world of business, medicine or education. It just means that you won't be as effective as you could be if you don't embrace those in the church who are assigned to instruct and guide you in the ways of God.

I hope you aren't waiting around for someone to tell you what your purpose. That is something only you can find out and only you can recognize when it comes. At the same time, if you know your purpose, I hope you are a part of a team that can help equip and train you to be effective and relevant. Purpose is personal but your expression is not, and that's where some miss it. Often no one can help you find your purpose but many can help you fulfill it.

I have written in the past about your need for a personal board of directors, people who are living or dead who can train and teach you. (I have included below a past memo that discussed this issue.) Who is on your board of directors? Who inspires you to better performance? Who challenges you to grow and develop? Who helps clarify your values and then helps insure that you live them? This would be a good week to first clarify your purpose and then to recognize and maybe even formalize your team of teachers and mentors who give you life and direction. Make a list of who they are, or make a list of who you would like them to be. Don't be confused, however, about their role. Only you can find your purpose but only they can help make it all that God wants it to be. Have a great week!

***************************************************************************
Feel free to join the debate on my blog. The question there is, "Can you give your way to prosperity?" I've already received some that I am sure you will want to see. I hope you will add yours to the discussion.

Download Memo on personal board of directors: Memo 169.doc

Monday Memo 320: You Can't Sow Wheat and Reap Corn

I can still remember one painful lesson from my time as a pastor. While the pastor of a church in Orlando, Florida, I spent hours and hours in prison ministry. I assumed that God would help my church grow as I spent time ministering to inmates and their families. I thought that inmate's families would come to my church and then the inmates would also come when they were released from prison. I further thought that if I ministered to those whom nobody wanted, God would send the kind of people to the church that anyone wanted.

It never happened that way.

I finally realized the futility of my strategy when we had one last inmate stay with a family in the church, only to see him leave and rip them off as he left town. This had happened many times, but I stubbornly stayed the prison ministry course as a means of church growth. At that point, , however, I was angry with that man and disgusted with the lack of progress in the church. As I was praying one day, it occurred to me the flaw in my plan. I saw that I had been planting wheat and expecting corn, and I had no right to be angry (although I was). Let me explain what I mean.

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

I had been sowing heavily into the prison ministry and the prison ministry was prospering. The church ministry was not. If I had spent the time on the church that I had spent in prisons, the church would have grown as I had wanted it to. I saw that my strategy was based on wishful thinking and not sound principles. It was like a farmer planting wheat seeds and expecting a corn crop. That would be a ridiculous plan and, quite frankly, so was my church growth strategy. It was doomed to failure from the outset and I was the last one to find out.

So what's the lesson here for you?

SOUNDS SO SPIRITUAL

The problem is that some strategies sound so spiritual, but they aren't. There are those who say that if you serve someone else's vision, God will give you your own. That sounds spiritual, but I'm afraid it's another example of sowing wheat and expecting corn.

I've known some pastors who have taken care of other's children, while expecting God to take care of their own. It sound spiritual but it's a flawed strategy.

I've seen people give their money away, expecting to receive it back it in abundance. They are playing a spiritual lottery, hoping that their next gift will hit the jackpot and bring a big return. They don't invest their money wisely and consequently give more and more out of desperation.

There are those who pray for money and God gives them an idea. They want cash but God wants them to apply their idea and derive their blessing from hard work and diligence. When they refuse, they lack, but it's not because God isn't faithful. It's because they had a bad plan and wrong expectations.

Where purpose is concerned, you cannot spend time doing something that isn't your purpose and expect to make progress. For example, if your purpose is to write, then you must spend time writing if you are going to be successful. Doing everything else but writing and then expecting to succeed as a writer is sowing wheat and expecting to reap corn.

Is it time to examine some of your strategies for success? Are they based on sound principles or wishful thinking? Are you like me, sowing wheat and expecting corn in any area of your life? The good news is that I have sown in my purpose the last seven years and the return has been great. It's not too late for you to sow correctly and reap accordingly. Don't hesitate for a minute to abandon your flawed strategy to pursue one that is based on common sense and God's laws. God wants to bless you, but you have to do your part and not expect God to cover your bad thinking or wrong assumptions.

**************************************************************************************
I have decided to postpone my Alaska cruise for 2008. I'll keep you posted on any future cruise plans.