Author: Jason Potter

Last night, we studied Hannah in the Book of 1 Samuel. Hannah vowed to God, that if He would give her a child, she would give him back to God. Through this prayer, God speaks to Hannah, through Eli, and pronounces that she will have a child.

As a parent, there’s no greater gift than a child. That’s why Hannah was so desperate for one. After all, this was her natural purpose; to produce children.

Her child was the center of much passion and desire. But her child was God’s gift to her for His purpose

Samuel, Israel‘s last judge, did mighty works. But perhaps the greatest was that God used him to establish the kingdom’s king. You see, it was Samuel, who God sent, to anoint David, as king.

So no Hannah. No Samuel. No “King” David.

What’s my point?

You have a gift that drives passions and desires. That gift has been given to you by God. It’s your gift. But it’s for His purpose.

So like Hannah, don’t give up on it. It will come in its own time. And when it does, make sure that you develop it and give it back to God.

It may be your gift. But it’s for God‘s purpose.

When you have something ahead of you that you want, how excited do you get? Do you get giddy and smile!?

Why is that? It’s because you have something in the future that is pulling you forward. We’re expecting something good.

Then, there are other times that we’re filled with dread, because what’s ahead of us is not desirable. Potentially painful or difficult. We’re expecting something bad.

All that said, regardless of what you were looking forward to, how you feel in the present is determined by your expectations of your near future.

With this in mind, let me give you something to consider, in order to set proper expectations for the future.

“Things are rarely as bad as you think they are. But can almost always be better than what you make them out to be.”

What’s the point?

If you will manage your expectations, you will always be excited about your future.

Don’t spend all your time dreading about what you have to do. Start being grateful for what you get to do. Don’t over romanticize what’s ahead. Fully appreciate the journey your on today.

Do this, and you will always be saying, “looking forward to it!”

It’s impossible for you to lose! You are set up to win. No exceptions. You may have setbacks. You may make mistakes. But you will never lose.

I love this quote!

Winners never quit and quitters never win.

Vince Lombardi

Remember, I said you’re a winner. End of discussion.

Now that you know this, reframe the way you think. Start thinking like a winner.

Know that every setback is your comeback. Every mistake is a growing pain. You can’t lose. You can only win. As long as you don’t quit. So don’t quit

It’s Monday. And it’s already started.

You don’t feel as enthusiastic as you were. You’re stressed about the things you have to do this week. You’re worried about the consequences of what you didn’t finish last week. Things you didn’t see coming have shown up.

What are these things? These are things that you’ve told yourself are true about Monday. It’s what everyone around you has told you about Monday. And because of that, you’re counting on Monday to be “Monday.”

Don’t do this! And if you have done this, stop it! There is no logical reason that Monday should be bad or stress you out! You’re just following the culture.

Instead, expect Monday to be great! Expect it to be full of opportunity! Expect it to be The continuation of the best week of your life

Will this stop all stress and circumstances in your life? Of course not! But check this out! I love this quote

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.

Zig Ziglar

The point is changing the way you think doesn’t change your circumstance. But it will change how well you’ll be able to handle that circumstance.

Need more proof? Let’s go to the authority. Let’s go to scripture

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

James 1:2 ESV

Notice, the verse says “when,” not “if.” Things are going to happen! You can count on it! But life doesn’t happen to you. It happens for you. So whatever comes your way, just know it should be expected, and you can “count it all joy.” 😉

One of the greatest obstacles you will ever have to overcome is getting results.

When you get results, you’re immediately tempted to feel satisfied and settle for what you’ve achieved.

Good is the enemy of great.

Jim Collins

If you are doing good, that means you’re telling yourself you are good “enough.” But if you want to be great, you have to expand beyond what is good, and pursue what is beyond you. And what’s beyond you is a moving target.

So before you celebrate, be careful. Be careful that you are not merely acknowledging a milestone, but rather settling for what is good.

Greatness is always delayed.

Keep going! Don’t stop now!

Question. When something goes wrong, who or what do you blame?

Let’s be honest. We totally do this. We find “excuses“ to assign blame for our errors. We say stuff like, “sorry I’m late. Traffic was terrible.“ But the truth is, we didn’t leave in enough time, so we must develop a scapegoat to assign our blame to, in order to feel better about ourselves.

Instead of confronting the real issue(s), we hide it. We excuse it. We allow it to continue. And our excuses become our companions.

And just so you know, your excuses are like your girlfriend/boyfriend that none of your friends like. But they don’t tell you that, because they know you can’t handle that. 😁

In light of this, wouldn’t you agree that it’s best to say bye to your excuses? Wouldn’t it be better to ditch those things that hold you back from being better? Of course it would! So why do we make excuses?

The same reason sinners don’t want to repent. No one likes to be wrong. In fact, scripture weighs in with this wisdom:

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Proverbs 21:2 ESV

But the counterintuitive truth is you can’t be right, until you are wrong. You have to identify and acknowledge the problem. I love this quote.

You can’t change until you change.

Grant Cardone

Do you get it? Sounds silly, but it’s true. You can’t change a single thing until you make a change, or actually acknowledge you need a change. Otherwise, you’ll stay the same, keep your excuses, and keep getting the same results, over and over again.

So what do you say!? Let’s work on ditching those excuses and start being better. Let’s commit to being responsible and watch our lives completely shift in the direction of our dreams and goals.

And if you won’t do this, I’ve got to ask the question: “What’s your excuse?” 😀

If you’ve ever had a set back, or been frustrated by unexpected events, keep reading. Because I’ve been where you are. You’ve had a change of plans.

You’ve had your heart set on a particular goal or reality. But something happened, and has caused you to lose hope in ever ”arriving.”

So let me tell you this. A change of plans is not a change in destiny.

Your course of action may have been altered, but you’re end goal is still the same. And it’s reachable!

I love the following quote.

“We make plans, and God laughs.”

Unknown

We live by an omnipotence fallacy, where we think by knowing enough, we can assume full control. The truth is, you can never know enough to make plans against the unknown.

So instead of having faith in your plan, have trust in your God. And expect to get to your destination. Regardless of how you get there.

Just a little tip. Learn to embrace the change of plans. I don’t know who said this, but I live by this quote.

“Blessed are the flexible. For they shall not snap.”

Unknown

Next time you feel like you’re about to “snap,” because you had a change of plans. Remember to embrace it, be flexible, and maintain the conviction that God’s purpose for you is still intact

Life is the pursuit of purpose. Along the way are wins and losses. Great joys and heartaches.

No matter what. Don’t complain. Even if you have “the right” to complain. Don’t do it.

The moment I complain about what I have and don’t have, I’m positioning myself outside of the realm of faith and responsibility.

I have what I have for a reason. I don’t have what I don’t have for a reason.

Rather than complain. Trust God. Be grateful. Dare to dream bigger. Pray for understanding. Pursue excellence. Expect good things to happen.

But above all, don’t complain.

How do you feel when someone encourages you? How about criticism? If your most people, you love encouragement, but distain criticism. So why are we so quick to give what we can’t stand?

Disclaimer

Helpful, well intended criticism is necessary, and should even be welcomed. However, when receiving criticism, it’s important to consider its validity and its source.

Back to the topic at hand

It’s of my opinion that judgement is toxic to the one that judges and all those that listen to it. Again, we’re NOT talking about discernment. This is in regard to the act of assaulting one’s actions and motives with negative assumptions.

So why do we judge?

Here’s a few reasons to consider. Though, you may “judge” me on these. 😝

1. Envy (you judge what u wish u we’re/had)
2. Denial (it’s easy to judge others, than yourself)
3. Bitterness (having blind anger/hate for some one or thing)

What’s the better alternative?

Rather than find and pass judgement. Look for reasons to complement and encourage. Tell someone what you wish to hear.

Anyone can tear down a person with their critiques. But only a person of grace can truly comprehend and execute sound encouragement.

Love this verse

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

So what’s it going to be? Encourage or Criticize? Make that choice with the next person you encounter today! 😉

In basketball, a quick way to get beat is to “play the other team’s game.” Or to let your opponent determine the pace. To allow them to establish dominance on the court.

I was reminded of this example while reflecting on the value of knowing your “purpose.” We all have unique gifts, personalities, desire, inclinations, etc., that come together in a powerful “calling” for a specific “purpose.”

Here’s the point.

Stop worrying about others and trying to replicate their calling(s). Rather, fully embrace and work on our own.

God has a distinct purpose and calling for you. Do yourself a favor and start working on it and in it. That’s where passion and certainty come from. “Playing your game.”

Forget about what others are doing. Their wins are not your wins. And their losses are not yours. They have no reflection on who and what you are suppose to be. You are merely in process towards your “perfection.”

Conclusion.

Fulfill your destiny. Simply do you. After all. There’s only one “you” for a reason. 😉