Delegation – Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

“Delegation Empowerment”

Posted on 21 Jun 202121 Jun 2021 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

Proverbs 2:6, “For the Lord gives Wisdom; From His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding” (NKJV)

To succeed in life and leadership you must do these three things:

1. Decide What’s Important: The story’s told of a family who moved to the country to get away from the city. They decided to raise cattle so they bought a ranch. One day a friend visited them and asked what they’d named the new ranch. Dad said, “I wanted to call it The Flying-W, but Mom wanted to call it The Suzy-Q. Our son likes The Bar-J, but our daughter preferred The Lazy-Y. So we compromised and called it The Flying-W, Suzy-Q, Bar-J, Lazy Y Ranch!” The friend asked, “How are your cattle doing?” Dad replied, “We don’t have any. They didn’t survive the branding”! Sounds comical, but truth is Indecision Is Dangerous! Therefore, the first thing you need to do then is Decide! The word “Decide” means “To resolve in the mind as a result of consideration; to settle (as an issue or contest), or to give a judgment concerning a legal case.” It’s Latin Origin “Decidere” means “Determine” from “Caedere” which means “To Cut”. In other words, when you make a Decision it’s similar to cooking beef…you don’t throw the whole cow on the fire! You “Decide” what portion you want, and “Cut” that away and cook that Only! Likewise, make a clear decision about what you want in life, and then cut away time to focus on that Only! After all, it’s better than Dividing up your time among several things that don’t matter to you, only to end up Multiplying your headaches as a result! Therefore – decide what’s important to you! And when it comes to ministry, seek God’s Wisdom; Knowledge and Understanding for Direction and Guidance. Let God tell you what is for your hands alone, and what can be handed to others. Because it’s vital to your obedience that you don’t confuse the two. Numbers 18:5-7, “…The work of the priesthood is my exclusive gift to you; IT CANNOT BE DELEGATED – anyone else who invades the Sanctuary will be executed.” (MSG) You see, there are some assignments that cannot be delegated (no matter what your position, title or authority may be). Remember, everything we do is as unto the Lord, because we are always ultimately working for the Lord. Therefore, you need to decide which things remain with you and which can be given away! In the case of the priesthood, God let them know, this is non-negotiable, delegate it and someone is guaranteed to die! Which lets us know that not all things can be delegated. Therefore, we need God’s direction so we don’t lose our own life and blessings, nor cost someone else theirs! Those things that are non-negotiable become a part of your priority listing. If it can be negotiated and you can (without disobedience) delegate them elsewhere, do so! If not, you’ll find yourself with a full agenda that has no room for God or His blessings on your life. And if you should find that you’re that busy, you’re too busy! Take some time this week to sit down and decide what stays on your to-do-list and what can be reassigned to someone else. You don’t want your busyness to cost you God’s best! Remember the story above, the whole purpose of the ranch was for them to have cattle. But all the cattle died because they couldn’t survive the branding of such a long name from a group of people who didn’t sit down and decide what was best. Don’t kill off your blessings for the same reason.

2. Prioritize Your Time: Too many of us are like the store owner who got so busy trying to keep the place clean that he forgot to open the front door! Again, it sounds comical, but the reason he was in business was to serve customers and make a profit, not get distracted by secondary things. Therefore, base your life’s decisions on your Priorities! And if you need help figuring out what they are, ask God: “For the Lord gives Wisdom; from His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding”. You don’t want to end up like the store owner, who has a clean store and No Customers…Which Translates No Profit! So, Prioritize What Is Important Then Focus Your Attention On That! And Don’t Get Distracted In the Details Of Things That Don’t Matter! Proverbs 4:23-27, “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; IGNORE ALL SIDESHOW DISTRACTIONS. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.” (MSG) That word ‘ignore’ is defined as, ‘to intentionally disregard; to fail to consider something as significant.’ That’s the tunnel vision you have to have when it comes to fulfilling your priorities. You need to learn how to intentionally disregard all sideshow distractions and focus on what God assigned your hands to do. When something is designated a priority it means it’s more important than anything else. Therefore, you can’t afford to be distracted from your priority since it’s the most important thing on your agenda! Your priorities need to be carried out by you, but what falls low on the totem pole of the to-do-list, can be delegated to others! Again, I admonish you, do not confuse what is your priority, with the things that are merely options that can be delegated to others.

3. Learn To Motivate Yourself: Truth is, most times, nobody else will! Think about it: When tragedy struck his life, we read: “…David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David STRENGTHENED HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD” (1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV). You need to learn how to do that too. Encourage Yourself! Truth is, life has a way of hitting you below the belt…so you have to learn how to recover and do so quickly! And many days your recovery will be lonesome. But you ever notice when someone has had surgery and they take them into the recovery room, the doctor or nurse will tell you not to stay too long or there’s no point in you staying at all? They’re just going to rest or sleep the rest of the night anyway. Well, when you go through something traumatic and you’re upset because no one is there, take heart, you’re just in recovery! Of course it’s not fun having to be in something or deal with something on your own, but it’s a part of your process of healing and recovering. Don’t fight it. Use that alone time as Quiet Time to get your second wind from having the wind knocked out of you! It’s your time to re-inflate yourself and bounce back, but it’s often best done alone. Jude writes, “But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20). To succeed in life you must learn to encourage yourself, by building up yourself in the faith (which is your foundation) and praying in the Holy Ghost (which is your strength and power)! Yes, it knocked the wind out of you, but the Holy Ghost will breathe on you again and You Will Bounce Back! You cannot be in leadership and always need someone to hold your hand; wipe your tears; fight your battles; pat you on the back; give you kind words of encouragement etc. Motivating yourself and encouraging yourself is a priority that you should never attempt to delegate to anyone else, it is your responsibility alone!

Now, I know you’re probably asking “what has this all got to do with Delegation?” Well, to be honest, you have to do Your Part First before you can delegate anything to anyone else! Which means you need to Decide what your Priorities are (make a decision); then schedule your time for what’s Important to you and don’t get deterred or Distracted by minor details; then when you run into Discouragement along the journey (and you will, because we all do), you must learn how to Encourage Yourself in the Lord! In other words, do what YOU have to do FIRST! Then DELEGATE everything else!

Matthew 25:14-18, “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and DELEGATED responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities…” (MSG) You are not God, you can’t be everywhere at the same time, doing everything for everybody! God never assigned that task to you! What He has entrusted to your hands to handle, handle it, and nothing more! The rest should be delegated responsibilities to others depending on their abilities. Which also means, as a leader, you need to know those you work with! You need to know their strengths and weaknesses so when it’s time to delegate, you’re not wasting a year trying to figure out who should receive what. In the story, the man was going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities to each according to their ability. But what you should take note of is that he didn’t need to have a meeting with them; he didn’t call for a board or committee decision; he didn’t need to pray, fast and shut in for 40 days and nights to figure out who to delegate what to. He knew his people and what they could and could not handle. As a leader, you need to remember that prior to delegation!

Now to the part of Delegation! “You’re going to wear yourself out – and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself” (Exodus 18:18 NLT) President Reagan said, “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.” Yet in our eagerness to please God we take on responsibilities that are “…too heavy…to handle…by [ourselves]”

For example, Moses was spending every waking minute listening to complaints from long lines of people. Finally his father-in-law said, “You’re going to wear yourself out – and the people too,” and advised him to appoint capable leaders to “help…carry the load, making the task easier for you” (vs. 22). It was a win-win solution; the people got help faster, and Moses became a better efficient effective leader. And what was the solution that brought this to pass? DELEGATION! You see, Moses had his part to play, and others had theirs too! Likewise, you need to prioritize your life in the same manner. Decide What You Need To Do, Then Delegate The Rest…and in the words of President Reagan…”Don’t Interfere”! Micro-managing people is just as wasteful of a time as an unnecessarily overloaded schedule!

One Bible teacher writes, “One of our greatest challenges…is determining what God DOESN’T want us to do! We love God, we love His people, and we see many needs. But sometimes good intentions cause more harm than good…When you become aware of a need, don’t automatically assume God wants YOU to meet it! The only reason to perform ministry is when God clearly tells you it’s His Will. If you’re overwhelmed…you’re probably doing more than God asked. Therefore, pray about the assignments you take on, so you don’t rob yourself and others of God’s best.”

I remember counseling a leader in church that said she was just exhausted! She said I have no time or energy…I just run from one thing to the next! So I asked her what do you do? Well, she gave me an ear-full! She’s the women’s ministry director, the Sunday school superintendent, an ordained Elder, youth leader, choir director, Pastor’s secretary and part of the hospitality and ushers ministries! I asked how large is your church? She said it’s approximately 250 people. I said wait a minute there’s over 250 people in that church from Sunday to Sunday and yet YOU are the ONLY one doing all of this? She said yes, after 10 years of this I guess it’s finally time to ask for some help! I must be real honest with you all, and don’t judge me either, but I could’ve slapped sister-girl silly! I couldn’t think of a prayer, a scripture, or an encouraging word to give her. Everything in my head said just tell her the truth…THE PROBLEM’S NOT THE CHURCH, THE PROBLEM IS YOU! Seriously, who in their right mind would juggle all of that when there is obviously ample help that was never sought out! And then the bells went off! And I realized who she was…she was ME! I remembered wearing more hats than all the hat stores on the east coast combined! And Never Once Asking For Help! Just aggravated, stressed, miserable in ministry and not happy at all in life in general! But I was Busy…Needed…Helpful…Useful…Important…But Overwhelmed, Overloaded and Struggling!

That’s when the words came to ask her if she could take just one thing on her long To-Do-List and say that’s the one thing I love doing everyday…that’s the one thing I couldn’t live without doing…what would it be? And you would never guess! What she loved the most…Wasn’t Even On Her To-Do-List! You see, the church had a weekly newsletter, and she loved to write! Yet, she never once handed in any of her writings to the newsletter! She said she was always too busy, she never had the time! Well, after meeting with her and her Pastor, we had an idea (well, technically, I had the idea, the pastor was heartbroken, but he was at least humble enough to accept some helpful input and insight). My suggestion? Pull her out of everything she was doing and put her on the newsletter committee ONLY.

Well, 2 years later she is now the editor and writer of the newsletter, has her own ministry staff and her first book of poetry will be out this Fall! She said something that I hold dear to this day, she said: “I never knew peace was so simple to attain…its simply found in the passion of performing your purpose”.

People of God, that is my prayer for you today! That you stop being busy and start being productive in your purpose!

Jon Walker states: “Imagine if God created you to be the Michelangelo of this age, but you stayed so busy doing all kinds of things – good things – that you never got around to painting and sculpting. You’d end up missing the best because you got distracted chasing the good. What a disappointment…for God…and all the people who would have been blessed if you’d stayed focused on your original purpose.”

Saints, Do What YOU Need to Do Then Learn to Delegate the Rest! Release the Burdens God never meant you to carry, and focus on what He called you to do! There’s No Greater Joy and No Greater Peace! Delegation is Not Succumbing to Weakness, it’s Embracing the Strength of Others to Help Strengthen You!

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” (Theodore Roosevelt)

“If you delegate tasks, you create followers. If you delegate authority, you create leaders.” (Craig Groeschel)

“If you want your business to grow, delegation will be your salvation.” (Julian Hall)

“Delegating work works, providing the one delegating works, too.” (Robert Half)

“The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels.” (Eli Broad)

“The first rule of management is delegation. Don’t try to do everything yourself because you can’t.” (Anthea Turner)

“You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” (David Allen)

“Deciding what NOT to do is as important as deciding what TO DO.” (Jessica Jackley)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “The Truth About Exercising and Aging”

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“Rest is NOT a Sin!”

Posted on 19 Jul 2019 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

Mark 6:30-32, “The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; LET’S TAKE A BREAK AND GET A LITTLE REST.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat. So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves…” (MSG).

The Bible speaks in a negative way about “IDLENESS”. After all, it’s defined as, “avoiding work; lazy; not in use; having no purpose or basis; doing nothing of relevance.” Its Old English origin literally means, ‘empty and useless.’

The Bible says this in Proverbs 6:6-11, “Go to the ant, you Sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O Sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber – So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man” (NKJV). The Message Bible says it like this: “You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!” (MSG)

This is not in reference to those who are working, but to those who are not! They haven’t even tried! Don’t even give a little bit of effort. Never making the slightest of attempts! This speaks of those who are idle, those who avoid work, those who are lazy, not in use, floating through life with no purpose or basis to their existence, accomplishing absolutely nothing that has any relevance. They’re called lazy, foolish sluggards who in the end can only look forward to a dirt-poor life with poverty being their permanent houseguest! Saints, make sure this is NOT descriptive of you! Do not attempt to use REST as your excuse for LAZINESS!

Then 1 Timothy 5:13 goes on to say, “And besides they learn to be Idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only Idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not” (NKJV). Of all the things you can learn in life, make sure idleness is not the subject you pass with flying colors! You see those who are idle have nothing of value to share with anybody. All they have is gossip because they’ve learned to become busybodies, who are only busy running their mouths! And you have to be careful around people like that because the Bible says they go from house to house! Make sure they don’t visit you! These are the wrong guests to entertain!

The Bible Refers to those who are “LAZY” by such loathsome words as “Slothful,” “Sluggard,” and “Slack Hand”! We do not want our names listed in these categories! Therefore, before we talk about REST make sure you’re one who has earned it, and not one who uses it as an EXCUSE for Laziness and Idleness! God will not confuse the two when He hands out blessings and curses, so I suggest you likewise not confuse the two!

Now, the Bible Refers Very Positively about LABOR and WORK in the following Scriptures:

Luke 10:7, “Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because WORKERS Are Worth What They Earn. Don’t move around from house to house” (CEV);

1 Corinthians 3:8-9, “The one who Plants is just as important as the one who Waters. And each one will be Paid For What They Do. Apollos and I WORK Together For God, and You are God’s Garden and God’s Building” (CEV);

Ephesians 4:28, “If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and WORK Hard, so you will Have Something to Give to People In Need” (CEV);

1 Thessalonians 4:11, “Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to WORK Hard, Just As We Taught You To Do” (CEV).

Given the Admonition that we are to WORK six days and rest one (Exodus 34:21, “Do your WORK in Six Days and REST On the Seventh Day…” CEV), we might conclude that the Bible is about all work and no fun. However, that is far from the truth!

Jesus Expected His Disciples to “Come Aside” periodically for REST, and Scripture has repeated references to the Benefits of “Making Merry”:

Proverbs 15:13, 15, “A Merry Heart Maketh a Cheerful Countenance…but he that is of a Merry Heart Hath a Continual Feast”;

Proverbs 17:22, “A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like a Medicine…”;

Luke 15:32, “It was meet that we should Make Merry, and Be Glad…”

The Bible speaks of More than Seventy Days a Year in which “No Customary Work” is to be done!

Leviticus 23:7-8, “In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do No Servile Work Therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do No Servile Work Therein”. That word ‘servile’ is defined as, ‘excessively willing to serve or please others; of or characteristic of a slave or slaves.’ Its Latin origin ‘servilis’, from ‘servus’ literally means ‘slave.’ In other words, this rest break was speaking of those who actually did Work! And by its definition they worked hard, as hard as slaves, excessively willing to serve and please others. There’s been times when we’ve all worked our hearts out on projects, only to attempt to sit down, and before our behind could hit the cushion, another assignment was given! And yet, as hard as we are to work, God let’s us know that we are not to ALWAYS, ALL THE TIME, WORK! There are times when you are to take a break and get a little rest! Especially since rest is NOT a Sin!

The seven-day feasts that mark Passover, Tabernacles, and Weeks, as well as the Feast of Trumpets, and every Sabbath Day Are Included in this time of rest where no servile work is to be done!

In addition to Rest and Prayer, Leisure days in the Bible are associated with food, gift-giving, singing, and great joy: Revelation 11:10, “And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth”.

A time of Rest from work is Advocated for those who are experiencing grief: Matthew 14:10-13, “So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard it, He Departed From There By Boat To a Deserted Place By Himself…” (NKJV).

It is Advocated for those who are seeking Spiritual Empowerment to do God’s Will: Matthew 4:1, 11, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (NKJV).

It is Advocated for those who are entering into an intense period of Prayer: Matthew 14:23, “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He Went Up On the Mountain By Himself to Pray. Now When Evening Came, He Was Alone There” (NKJV).

And it is Advocated for those who are Newly Married: Deuteronomy 24:5, “When a man has taken a New Wife, he shall Not go out to War or be Charged with Any Business; he shall be Free at Home One Year, and bring Happiness to his Wife whom he has taken” (NKJV). [That last one might’ve saved a lot of ministry marriages if we had simply applied it!]

Listen, keep this in mind: The word “Leisure” means “Time Spent in or free for Relaxation or Enjoyment”. Its Origin is the Old French word “Leisir” from the Latin word “Licere” which means to “Be Allowed”. People of God, Allow Yourself Leisure Time! You’ve Earned It, You Deserve It, You Need It, and Most Importantly, the Bible Commands It! Yes, the Bible is indeed in favor of those who Labor and Work Hard! But Likewise the Word is Not Silent Regarding the Leisure Time of Rest and Play that is Needed to Balance Out the Believers Life! So keep your 50/50 Balance in Life, Work and Play, and Enjoy a Long, Healthy Life!

Understand this: You Will Never Renew Until You Rest! And what does the Bible say about Rest? “And He said to them, [As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and REST A WHILE – for many were [continually] coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat” (Mark 6:31 AMP).

One of the hardest things to do for many of us, especially in leadership, is to “take a break” without feeling guilty and selfish; or worse, feeling like a failure because everything on your “to do” list didn’t get done. Here’s a news flash: There Will Always Be More To Do! There will always be more deadlines, meetings, appointments, assignments, etc. Which is why one of your biggest challenges will be learning the difference between setting high standards for yourself – and setting unrealistic, impossible ones! Think about it: It’s hard enough trying to make time to get done what you NEED to get done, but that doesn’t compare to the sheer exhaustion of attempting to do something you were never assigned to do in the first place! Therefore, in order to get a handle on your schedule, erase anything non-essential that you’ve penciled in yourself! Truth is, many of us are running around all over the place, completely exhausted and spent, ignoring our loved ones, burned out, miserable, and all because we’re doing more than God ever assigned to our hands! Therefore, here’s some homework for you. Sit down with a pen, pad and your schedule, and make sure you’re supposed to be doing all the stuff you’ve been doing! Remove your unnecessary agenda entries and rearrange your hectic schedule! And I’ll even take it further. Sit yourself down from the committees, auxiliaries, ministries, and leadership positions that God never told you to accept! Have enough maturity to go to your leaders and be honest that you added more to your plate than you can digest in a healthy manner. Learn to tell people ‘no’ without excuse or explanation! Stop over-committing yourself! Stop allowing people to guilt you into stuff! Take your hands off all the stuff God never entrusted you to hold! Sometimes success means knowing when to get somewhere and sit down!

Because to make matters worse, we often claw our way to our idea of success only to discover that we don’t like the pressures that go with it. So what should we do? Learn to Walk Away! Jesus Did! “The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; LET’S TAKE A BREAK AND GET A LITTLE REST.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat. So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves…” (Mark 6:30-32 MSG).

Jesus understood that if you don’t take a break – You’ll Break! And isn’t that the truth for many of us? We have such busy schedules and long to-do lists that we rarely get a chance to even eat. And even when we do eat, it’s late and definitely not what we should be eating! Which leads us to a whole new list of problems with bad dieting, over-weight, sickness, ailments and disease. Which only adds on to those problems by adding painful bodies, multiple medications and expensive doctor visits! And the vicious cycle goes on and on.

And what is Jesus Advice: “…LET’S TAKE A BREAK AND GET A LITTLE REST.”

And what does the word “Rest” mean? “To cease work or movement in order to relax or recover strength; allowed to be inactive in order to regain or save strength or energy.” Do you notice the blessings in rest from this description? For one, you Recover and Regain Strength! You see, Exhaustion Wears You Out! It Drains You of Strength and Weakens You, Inside and Out! In fact, the word “Exhaust” means “to tire out completely.” Its Latin Origin “Exhaurire” literally means “Drain Out”. Now please explain to me how can you be of any good use to your family, friends, job, business, ministry or even to yourself if you’re Completely Tired and Drained Out?! You Can’t! Which is why it’s so important for you to know when to Take a Break! Remember, you can’t Give what you don’t Got! No one can Drink from you if you’re always Drained! The word ‘drain’ is defined as, ‘to cause to run out; to become dry; to deprive of strength and resources; to empty of content; to be used up.’ I reiterate, No One Can Drink From You If You’re Always Drained, Dry, Deprived, Weak, Empty and Used Up!

Saints, Rest is NOT a Sin, It’s a Necessity!

Another added blessing from the definition of ‘Rest’ is that you become Inactive! Many would consider that a negative, but actually it’s not all that bad. One of the definitions of “Inactive” is simply “Not currently being used.” And this can be for your own good! Truth is, sometimes you don’t know how much you do until you stop doing it! And that’s a truth for those around you too who are accustomed to you doing everything! Sometimes you need to stop, so someone else can start! You’ll never know what those around you are capable of if you don’t give them the opportunity to show you. You my friend, as gifted, anointed, blessed, and talent as you are, you are still NOT God. You are here to Represent Him, NOT Be Him! You can’t be everybody’s everything, and then wonder why you have nothing left for yourself! My pastor loves to say, “Stop Giving Away What You Need to Keep for Yourself!” And maybe it’s time you heed that advice. Maybe it’s time you spend an inactive season, where you’re not being used, and it’s okay!

Elijah thought he was the only one too, until God Himself let him know He had 7,000 additional servants! 1 Kings 19:13-18, “When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?” Elijah said it again, “I’VE BEEN WORKING MY HEART OUT FOR GOD, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’M THE ONLY ONE LEFT, and now they’re trying to kill me.”God said, “Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. MEANWHILE, I’M PRESERVING FOR MYSELF SEVEN THOUSAND SOULS: the knees that haven’t bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven’t kissed his image.” (MSG) Like Elijah, I know you’re “working your heart out for God”, and it feels like since you’re doing Everything, you are the only servant God has, but I assure you, you are not all God has left! God has other servants that can do what you do, and several who can do it better. So, believe me when I tell you, taking an ‘inactive season’ off duty will not depress God, nor cause the heavens to go in chaos, it will not rob the angels of an assignment, it will not give advantage to hell, and it will not stop the spreading of the Gospel nor the building up of the Kingdom of God, nor will it kill the Body of Christ!

Saints, Rest is NOT a Sin! Trust me, you will not lose your Standing in God if you go somewhere for a season and Sit Down!

Another blessing you reap from the definition of ‘Rest’ is that You also Regain Energy! Rest is like a Vitamin, You Should Take it Daily and Take a Supplement Too If Need be! The word “Energy” is defined as “The strength and vitality required for sustained activity.” It’s Greek Origin “Energeia”, from “Ergon” literally means “Work”. When you REST you become Re-Energized! So When You Go Back to Work, Your Strength is Sustained! And “Sustained” comes from the Latin Origin “Sustinere”, from “Tenere” which means “To Hold”. You see, once you get some REST, then you get back to work you’ll be able to hold yourself together because you took the simple time to re-energize! It’s hard to hold yourself together when you feel like you’re being torn in 20 different directions at the same time! That’s why it’s so easy for us to fall apart, because we’re too exhausted and weak to hold ourselves together. That’s why rest is so vital! In other words, REST is a Blessing! So, don’t under-estimate it, don’t devalue it, don’t disregard it, don’t over-look it! GET IT! And like medicine, take it in the right doses so you can recover!

The last blessing from the definition of ‘Rest’ is that you become Relaxed! And “Relax” means “to make or become less tense, anxious, or rigid; rest from work or engage in a recreational activity.” It’s Latin Origin “Relaxare”, from “Laxus” literally means “To Loose”. In other words, if you want to get a hold on things…Relax and Loosen Up! I know you’re gifted, talented, anointed, awesome, powerful and everyone loves you and wants you apart of everything they do, however if you don’t take a break…you will break! And in order for you NOT to break down, you have to break up your schedule! Balance it out! Have your meetings, but go out for a meal with the family too. Nail that presentation, but go get your nails done too. Coordinate that event, but get your 5 year old niece and enjoy a coloring book too. You have to have balance if you are going to avoid toppling over!

Which is why you should:

1…Make a list of the things that only YOU can do, then delegate the rest or let them go. Not every piece of mail that comes to the house has your name on it! So stop taking other people’s mail and stop acting like your middle name is “occupant” too! You can’t do it all no matter how awesome you are or think you are. And if you are in the company of those you can’t trust to delegate work to, you’re about to go out of business anyhow;

2…Learn to make small steps and celebrate small accomplishments for that’s what life is made of. If you only get 2 things done on your list of 20, eat a piece of chocolate and be happy! You at least accomplished something, there are many who didn’t even take the time to write a to-do list out, let alone do anything on it;

3…Don’t allow the stuff that’s still undone, to undo you. By God’s grace and mercy we see another tomorrow. And as long as He has work for you to do, you will continue to see another tomorrow. And when you don’t, you can still rejoice because your work here is done. Remember Jeremiah 29:11, God’s plan is not for you to have a plan, a back-up plan or a plan B! Simply do what needs to be done, and what’s left undone leave for tomorrow. God knows what needs to be accomplished in each day. And He certainly knows your future, so stop letting today stress you, you have a promising future ahead, it will get done, trust God day by day, He has a great, unstoppable plan for your life. No More Worrying! Matthew 6:30-34, “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never seen – don’t you think He’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and how the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give you entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (MSG);

4…Strive for balance; don’t even become addicted to what you enjoy. For instance, some of us have a tendency to even turn good things into disasters. It’s great that you love your job, but you can’t have a wife and three kids at home and get home at midnight 7 days a week! Balance is always the order of the day. And the word “Balance” is defined as “an even distribution of weight ensuring stability”. To have a stable life, keep your scales between work and play even;

5…Don’t allow overachievers to put you into overdrive. You’re in it for the long haul. You win when you pace yourself. Competition kills! So stop peeking over at the agendas of others. You have no idea what they HAVE to do. To Have Great Insight, Simply Keep Your Eyes On Your Own Vision;

6…Take time for the people who matter most, otherwise you’ll lose them. Busyness is a destroyer of relationships/friendships. And truth is, all the success in the world won’t compensate for the joy and treasure of your family and loved ones! Always keep the main thing the main thing, and the main thing will always be your loved ones First!

People of God, It’s Vital That You Learn How to Walk Away, Take a Break and Rest! Believe it or not, but there’s a Blessing in REST! However, You Don’t Want Rest In Peace to Be the Only Blessing You Get! Remember, JESUS is an Advocate of REST! Therefore, Your Challenge is Simple: Take a Break and Get a Little REST!

Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a REAL REST. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (MSG)

“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” (Dr. Maya Angelou)

“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.” (William S. Burroughs)

“Life is all about balance. You don’t always need to be getting stuff done. Sometimes it’s perfectly okay, and absolutely necessary, to shut down, kick back, and do nothing.” (Lori Deschene)

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” (Alan Cohen)

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.” (Author Unknown)

“You have permission to rest. You are not responsible for fixing everything that is broken. You do not have to try and make everyone happy. For now, take time for you. It’s time to replenish.” (Author Unknown)

“The six best doctors: sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise, and diet.” (Wayne Fields)

“When you rest in His presence, you rest in the knowledge that He is in control.” (Dr. Michelle Bengtson)

“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.” (Ralph Marston)

“It is very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying, it allows us to clear our minds, focus and find creative solutions to problems.” (Thich Nhat Hanh)

“You’re killing yourself for a job that would replace you within a week if you dropped dead. Take care of yourself.” (Author Unknown)

“Rest and your energy will be restored.” (Lailah Gifty Akita)

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.” (Author Unknown)

“If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?” (Author Unknown)

“When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better and you start to attract better. Everything starts with you.” (Author Unknown)

“Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first, it means me too.” (L.R. Knost)

“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” (Mandy Hale)

“Taking care of yourself is the most powerful way to begin to take care of others.” (Bryant McGill)

“Beautiful girl, take care of yourself. No one else knows what your soul needs.” (AstonG)

“Make your happiness and personal growth a priority in your life. The more you take care of yourself, the more you can take care of others.” (Author Unknown)

“The best cure for the body is a quiet mind.” (Napoleon Bonaparte)

“Your mental health is more important than the test, the interview, the lunch date, the meeting, the family dinner, and the grocery run. Take care of yourself.” (Author Unknown)

“Remember to take care of yourself. Sometimes you get so busy taking care of others that you forget that you are important too.” (Author Unknown)

“Take care of yourself, you never know when the world will need you.” (Rabbi Hillel)

“Today, do something for You; relax, clear your mind, take a break, go for a job, watch the sunset. Enjoy the simple things. Enjoy You!” (Brooke Griffin)

“Three steps to a Happy Life: 1) Don’t stress yourself with useless people who don’t even deserve to be an issue in your life; 2) Never invest too much emotion at one thing because if you do, you will end up hurting yourself; 3) Learn to live life without worries because God will take care of everything, trust and just have faith.” (Author Unknown)

“Self-care is a deliberate choice to gift ourself with people, places, things, events and opportunities that recharge our personal battery and promote whole health – body, mind, and spirit.” (Laurie Buchanan)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWord

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “The Health Benefits of Tea and Coffee”

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“Delegation Empowerment”

Posted on 15 Aug 2018 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

Proverbs 2:6, “For the Lord gives Wisdom; From His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding” (NKJV)

To succeed in life and leadership you must do these three things:

1. Decide What’s Important: The story’s told of a family who moved to the country to get away from the city. They decided to raise cattle so they bought a ranch. One day a friend visited them and asked what they’d named the new ranch. Dad said, “I wanted to call it The Flying-W, but Mom wanted to call it The Suzy-Q. Our son likes The Bar-J, but our daughter preferred The Lazy-Y. So we compromised and called it The Flying-W, Suzy-Q, Bar-J, Lazy Y Ranch!” The friend asked, “How are your cattle doing?” Dad replied, “We don’t have any. They didn’t survive the branding”! Sounds comical, but truth is Indecision Is Dangerous! Therefore, the first thing you need to do then is Decide! The word “Decide” means “To resolve in the mind as a result of consideration; to settle (as an issue or contest), or to give a judgment concerning a legal case.” It’s Latin Origin “Decidere” means “Determine” from “Caedere” which means “To Cut”. In other words, when you make a Decision it’s similar to cooking beef…you don’t throw the whole cow on the fire! You “Decide” what portion you want, and “Cut” that away and cook that Only! Likewise, make a clear decision about what you want in life, and then cut away time to focus on that Only! After all, it’s better than Dividing up your time among several things that don’t matter to you, only to end up Multiplying your headaches as a result! Therefore – decide what’s important to you! And when it comes to ministry, seek God’s Wisdom; Knowledge and Understanding for Direction. Let God tell you what is for your hands alone, and what can be handed to others. Because it’s vital to your obedience that you don’t confuse the two. Numbers 18:5-7, “…The work of the priesthood is my exclusive gift to you; IT CANNOT BE DELEGATED – anyone else who invades the Sanctuary will be executed.” (MSG) You see, there are some assignments that cannot be delegated (no matter what your position, title or authority may be). Remember, everything we do is as unto the Lord, because we are always ultimately working for the Lord. Therefore, you need to decide which things remain with you and which can be given away! In the case of the priesthood, God let them know, this is non-negotiable, delegate it and someone is guaranteed to die! Which lets us know that not all things can be delegated. Therefore, we need God’s direction so we don’t lose our own life and blessings, nor cost someone else theirs! Those things that are non-negotiable become a part of your priority listing. If it can be negotiated and you can (without disobedience) delegate them elsewhere, do so! If not, you’ll find yourself with a full agenda that has no room for God or His blessings on your life. And if you should find that you’re that busy, you’re too busy! Take some time this week to sit down and decide what stays on your to-do-list and what can be reassigned to someone else. You don’t want your busyness to cost you God’s best! Remember the story above, the whole purpose of the ranch was for them to have cattle. But all the cattle died because they couldn’t survive the branding of such a long name from a group of people who didn’t sit down and decide what was best. Don’t kill off your blessings for the same reason.

2. Prioritize Your Time: Too many of us are like the store owner who got so busy trying to keep the place clean that he forgot to open the front door! Again, it sounds comical, but the reason he was in business was to serve customers and make a profit, not get distracted by secondary things. Therefore, base your life’s decisions on your Priorities! And if you need help figuring out what they are, ask God: “For the Lord gives Wisdom; from His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding”. You don’t want to end up like the store owner, who has a clean store and No Customers…Which Translates No Profit! So, Prioritize What Is Important Then Focus Your Attention On That! And Don’t Get Distracted In the Details Of Things That Don’t Matter! Proverbs 4:23-27, “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; IGNORE ALL SIDESHOW DISTRACTIONS. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.” (MSG) That word ‘ignore’ is defined as, ‘to intentionally disregard; to fail to consider something as significant.’ That’s the tunnel vision you have to have when it comes to fulfilling your priorities. You need to learn how to intentionally disregard all sideshow distractions and focus on what God assigned your hands to do. When something is designated a priority it means it’s more important than anything else. Therefore, you can’t afford to be distracted from your priority since it’s the most important thing on your agenda! Your priorities need to be carried out by you, but what falls low on the totem pole of the to-do-list, can be delegated to others! Again, I admonish you, do not confuse what is your priority, with the things that are merely options that can be delegated to others.