2021-11-29
Proverbs 29:25 NKJV
Fourth, change your mindset. Does risk scare you? Are you discouraged by past failures? Do you not see the potential that opportunity offers? You won’t be able to move forward until you discover what is holding you back. “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” A snare is a trap. And when you begin to see your fears as a trap, you will want to be free from them.
Fifth, don’t wait for opportunity to knock. Opportunity seldom comes knocking; you have to go look for it. Assess your assets, talents, and resources. Doing so will give you a picture of your potential. “But I don’t have any special talents,” you say. Yes, you do. “God has…given each of us different gifts to use” (Romans 12:6 CEV).
Sixth, take the next step. It’s one thing to notice an opportunity; it’s another to act on it. Somebody once quipped, “Everyone has a great idea in the shower. But only a few people step out, dry off, and do something about it.” Choose the best opportunity you see, pray about it, do the best with it that you can, and keep going until you have done everything possible to make it happen. And when you have done your best – trust God to do the rest. Winston Churchill said, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” And where does courage come from? God! The psalmist said, “Trust in the Lord forever…for in…the Lord, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4 NKJV).
Soul food: Jos 5:1-8:29; John 14:15-25; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 28:5-8
2021-11-28
Jeremia 17:7 NLV
Tweedens, neem aksie. Inisieerders wag nie vir ander mense om hulle te motiveer nie. Hulle weet dis hulle eie verantwoordelikheid om vorentoe buite hul gemaksone te beweeg, en hulle maak dit ‘n gewoonte. President Theodore Roosevelt het gesê: ‘Daar is niks briljant of uitstaande in my rekord nie, behalwe miskien hierdie een ding. Ek doen die dinge wat ek glo gedoen moet word. En as ek besluit om iets te doen, doen ek dit.’ Die Bybel sê: ‘Vertrou op die Here en doen wat goed is. Woon in die land en geniet veilige weiding’ (Psalm 37:3 NLV).
Derdens, leer uit jou foute en hou aan vorentoe beweeg. Die goeie nuus vir inisieerders is dat hulle dinge laat gebeur. Die slegte nuus is dat hulle baie foute langs die pad maak. Hoe groter jou potensiaal, hoe groter is jou kans op mislukking. Senator Robert Kennedy het gesê: ‘Slegs diegene wat dit waag om baie te misluk, kan baie bereik.’
Is jy aanhoudend op die uitkyk vir geleenthede, of wag jy vir dit om na jou toe te kom? Is jy gewillig om te bid en ‘n tree in geloof te gee, of analiseer jy alles eindeloos? Die voormalige voorsitter van Chrysler, Lee Iacocca, het gesê: ‘Selfs die regte besluit is verkeerd wanneer dit te laat geneem word.’
Wanneer laas het jy iets wesenlik in jou lewe geïnisieer? As jy nie onlangs vorentoe uit jou gemaksone beweeg het nie, moet jy dalk jou inisiatief aan die brand skop. Die Bybel sê: ‘…Hy is julle helper, Hy is julle skild’ (Psalm 115:11 NLV). Dit beteken dat God jou sal help om sukses te behaal. Hy sal jou ook beskerm wanneer jy misluk en jou weer op die regte pad bring.
Sielskos: Gen 14:18; Ps 110; Heb 5:5-11
Jeremiah 17:7 NCV
Next, we need to take action. Initiators don’t wait for others to motivate them. They know it’s their responsibility to move themselves forward beyond their comfort zone, and they make it a habit. The Bible says, ‘Trust in the LORD and do good. Live in the land and feed on truth’ (Psalm 37:3 NCV). If we stay where we are, waiting for someone else to move us out of our comfort zone, we won’t experience the amazing things that can happen when we step out in faith and trust God.
We then need to learn from our failures and keep moving forward. The good news for initiators is, they make things happen. The bad news is, they make lots of mistakes along the way. The greater our potential, the greater our chance for failure. It’s not about ‘if’ we make a mistake, but ‘when’. Nobody likes to fail, but we’ve only really failed if we refuse to get up again and learn from our mistakes.
Take a minute to think about and answer these questions: Are you constantly on the lookout for opportunity, or do you wait for it to come to you? Are you willing to pray and take a step of faith, or do you endlessly analyse everything? When was the last time you initiated something substantial in your life? If these questions reveal that you haven’t moved yourself forward out of your comfort zone lately, you might have to rekindle your initiative.
The Bible says, ‘You who respect the LORD should trust him; he is your helper and your protection’ (Psalm 115:11 NCV). That means God will help us to succeed. And when we fail, He’ll support, protect and redirect us.
Gen 14:18; Ps 110; Heb 5:5-11
Jeremiah 17:7 NKJV
Second, take action. There is an old saying “you can if you will.” Initiators don’t wait for others to motivate them. They know it’s their responsibility to move themselves forward beyond their comfort zone, and they make it a practice. President Theodore Roosevelt said, “There is nothing brilliant or outstanding in my record, except perhaps this one thing. I do the things I believe ought to be done. And when I make up my mind to do a thing, I act.” The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good [take action]; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3 NKJV).
Third, learn from your failures and keep moving forward. The good news for initiators is, they make things happen. The bad news is, they make lots of mistakes along the way. The greater your potential, the greater your chance for failure. Senator Robert Kennedy said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
Are you constantly on the lookout for opportunity, or do you wait for it to come to you? Are you willing to pray and take a step of faith, or do you endlessly analyze everything? As former chairman of Chrysler, Lee Iacocca said, “Even the correct decision is wrong when it was taken too late.” When was the last time you initiated something substantial in your life? If you haven’t moved yourself forward out of your comfort zone lately, you might have to jump-start your initiative. The Bible says, “He is [your] help and…shield” (Psalm 115:11 NKJV). That means God will help you to succeed. And when you fail, He will protect and redirect you.
Soul food: Gen 14:18; Ps 110; Heb 5:5-11
2021-11-27
Deuteronomy 31:7 NCV
When God gives us an unconditional promise, all we need to do is wait for it to happen. But when He makes a conditional promise, we have a part to play in order to see it fulfilled. Sometimes that calls for taking the initiative. For Israel, it meant being willing to face opposition and drive the occupying nations from the promised land so it could be theirs. ‘Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in front of the people, “Be strong and brave, because you will lead these people into the land the LORD promised to give their ancestors, and help them take it as their own. The LORD himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry”‘ (v.7-8 NCV).
God encouraged Joshua to take the initiative, promising that He would go ahead of Joshua and act on his behalf if Joshua would carry out the task and trust Him. And He’s saying the same thing to us today.
Here is what it means to take the initiative: 1) Knowing what you want. We can’t be indecisive and be effective at the same time. We need to be clear about what we want and what God wants us to do, otherwise we’ll come to a standstill and never move from where we are.
2) Being willing to take risks. When God gives us a job to do, He’s promised to go before us and arrange the circumstances in our favour. Taking the initiative can be scary. Faith in God doesn’t eliminate fear – it overcomes it. So be brave and take the initiative.
Jos 1-4; John 14:1-14; Ps 118:10-18; Prov 28:1-4
