392: What's Bugging You?

My father had apple trees in his backyard and he was always fighting bugs that threatened his fruit. I don't have apples but I grow vegetables and I have to fight the same problem. Did you know, however, that you have the same problem, even if you don't garden or have fruit orchards?  You battle fruit bugs all the time and may not even realize it.  Don't believe me?  I challenge you to read on and see if it's true.

WHAT'S BUGGING YOU?

We have been talking recently about the expectation and even the command that you be fruitful. In my purpose meetings over the years, I have identified three significant enemies, let's call them bugs, to your ability to be fruitful.  Here they are:

1. Bug One: Fear - How many fears can you think of that  prevent you from being creative? I can think of fear of failure, poverty, ridicule, family, culture, authority, inadequacy, and success. Can you think of any others? If you are going to express your creativity, you must face and overcome the oppression of fear. It will paralyze your efforts and cause you to procrastinate, hoping for a more opportune time. Remember what Paul wrote his disciple Timothy: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). If you are afraid, what are you prepared to do about it this week?

2. Bug Two: Comparison - When you look at what you do and compare it to what others have done, it can cause you to stop being creative. In your opinion, you aren't "as good" as the other person. Stop and think about that. What is good where creativity is concerned? Is creativity a process and can your simple efforts today lead to stellar creativity tomorrow? Is it wise to compare your initial or even mature efforts to what someone else may have spent a lot of time developing?

Paul described an important principle that he used when he looked at his work: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12-13). Why not do something creative this week and discipline yourself not to compare it what anyone else has done. Is it the best it can be right now? If it is, then I would say you have done a good job.

3. Bug Three: Perfectionism - Way back in Monday Memo 154, I described the little old man that lives inside you, waiting to criticize and disqualify what you create because it isn't good enough. I know of only One who is perfect, and He is God. While you should strive for excellence and your best performance, you can never expect it to be perfect. The pursuit of perfection is unrealistic and will hinder you from doing something great just because it isn't perfect.

I can't find a verse that talks about perfectionism, but I can find one that speaks to excellence: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). Perhaps the distinction between perfection and excellence will help you do something this week that you haven't done just because it isn't the best that anyone can do.

DEBUGGING

It's time to debug your life and thinking so that you can be fruitful.  Which one of the bugs above is bugging you?  You will only debug by recognizing it for what it is: a hindrance to a God-ordained process.  When you see that, you will look it in the eye and stare it down.  You will learn to overcome your enemy, your bug, only when you know what you are dealing with.

I close by asking you another question:  If you are a spiritual person and creativity is spiritual, and Jesus also commanded it, why don't you produce fruit more often and in greater quantities?  I hope I have helped you identify some of the obstacles and I further hope that you will enter into a season of creativity that begins now as you finish this Monday Memo. Have a great and fruit-filled (and bug-free) week!

    Feel free to write your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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UK TRIP: I will be in the UK from March 27 to April 6. I will publish my speaking/touring schedule on my blog as I get it this week and include it in next week's Memo as well.

THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received the following email from Kenya this week, written by Pastor Francis at the Upako Orphanage:

This is to let you know that we received $1000 from you through Sarah Network for the feeding of the orphans at Upako Centre Nairobi.We are indeed very grateful to you and all involved in this and we have channeled the money to the children's food kitty and to no other use. I will give the breakdown of what we bought with the money after use.

I also want to congratulate the wonderful people who visited Kenya with you and got the opportunity to visit Upako,they too made a difference and may God bless all of you. Finally, keep us in prayer so that you may continue helping Upako Children alongside other projects in Kenya.

Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  Won't you consider helping orphans and widows today? You can read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 800 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

FACEBOOK:  I continue to update my personal page on Facebook.  Check it out and let's be friends when you have a chance.  Also you can find me on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow me.

Comments

[nats]

Thank you so much for this article. It is exactly what the doctor ordered for me. I woke up feeling restless about my life because I had met some ex colleagues over the weekend and they seemed to be doing so well in their lives compared to me and I have been feeling inferior BUt after reading this I realise that I need to DEBUG.

[Stephen Heiks]

John, I appreciate this MMM very much. We have been in the "debugging" process for some time. Actually the training course we are in right now is part of that. We love removing those bugs from ourselves and others.

[Ted Miller]

John, Thanks for another great Monday Memo! I appreciate the weekly challenge.

[Damien]

Thank You so much for still sending me Monday Memos

May God Almighty pour His rich Blessings on you

Yours Faithfully,

Damien

[Joe Sarria]

John,

an excellent memo!

thank you for your weekly coaching.

Joe Sarria

[Damien]

This is a word in season for me, thank you for your faithfulness to serving the Lord through the Monday Morning memo. I am so blessed by your heart for Zimbabwe, I am from there. It is so good to hear what your ministry is doing back home