Let's Make it Happen!
The last 5 weeks, we have been talking about God’s plan for our lives which I believe is a life yoked with Jesus Christ. The question for us is not “what is the plan”, but “how do we make that plan happen”. To make a plan happen we must understand what sort of legacy we want to leave (the end result), what our priorities will/should be, and what is the purpose of our plan (the why). Once we have that all figured out, it is then up to us to make it happen. If I were to be honest, this is the step I usually have the most difficult time with.
Have you ever had a difficult time with starting a task? I do and I have come to realize that there are many reasons why this might be the case. The first and most obvious reason I have trouble starting a task is “fear of failure”. This happens when you feel you aren’t capable of achieving a task, so you don’t want to start. Interestingly this frequently happens when the task is connected to something that is very important to you. You would rather have an unfilled dream with the potential of it working out, than facing the disappointment of taking action and failing. The thing to remember in this case is that if you never engage in the task, you have failed already.
The second reason we might have a difficult time starting a task is the “feeling of being overwhelmed”. This happens when the task is so important and so big that we have a difficult time even understanding where to start. In this case we should try to take on the task in a more manageable volume or bite size increments. Try to figure out what you can do now and then go from there.
The third reason we might have a difficult time starting a task is “lack of motivation”. If lack of motivation is keeping you from starting a task, I encourage you to revisit your understanding of purpose and legacy. Sometimes envisioning the end result and understanding the reason for the task can reenergize and motivate us to start what we have been putting off.
Finally, the fourth reason we might have a difficult time starting a task is “fear of success”. This may seem strange because who would fear success, but surprisingly many people do. The reason people may fear success is the realization that things will change and/or be different. When I think about what would happen if I were to successfully align my life with Christ (God’s plan for me), I realize my life would be different. There are aspects I love about my current life, and I worry how they would change and what I would lose. Scripture even promises that we will lose some things! The Apostle Paul says that it was his experience in his letter to the Philippians church.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. - Philippians 3:7-9
In the case of fear of success, we have to recognize, like Paul, that what we gain is so much more important than what we lose and press forward. This Sunday we will be closing our sermon series, “The Plan” and dive more into this discussion. Join us at either the 8:30 or 10:45 am worship services.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
