“Take Some Initiative”

Proverbs 6:6-11, “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)

Far too many of us are sitting around wasting time waiting for someone to come along and tell us what to do next!

The story’s told of a man who was employed by a duke and duchess. One day he was called in to speak to his employer. “James, how long have you been with us?” said the Duchess. “About 30 years, Your Grace,” he replied. “As I recall you were employed to look after the dog,” she said. “Yes, Your Grace.” “James, that dog died 27 years ago,” said the Duchess. “Yes, Your Grace,” said James, “I was waiting for you to tell me what you would like for me to do next”

As comical as it sounds, many of us are just like James! 10 years later and we’re still waiting to be told what to do next. In ministry 15 years and still waiting to be told what to do next. What’s the problem? A LACK OF INITIATIVE! Why do we fail to take initiative? BECAUSE WE DON’T REALIZE THE HEAVY CONSEQUENCES OF OUR INACTION! Solomon writes in our text from: Proverbs 6:6-11, “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)

People of God, whatever we do—or neglect to do for that matter—always catches up with us eventually! 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, “Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” (MSG)

I reiterate, we are accountable for what we DO and for what we leave UNDONE! Saint’s, God’s Inspection of the Work You’ve Done, or Left Undone, is Coming and You WANT to Pass His Test! Therefore, No More Hesitation, Laziness or Procrastination, Get Your Works in Order TODAY! Luke 9:62, “Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (MSG)

Those who procrastinate end up like the man in playwright James Albery’s verse: “He slept beneath the moon, he baked beneath the sun. He lived a life of going-to-do; and died with nothing done.” Don’t let this be descriptive of your life and legacy!

Paul writes: “…God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well…” (Romans 12:6 NLT).  The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, LET US USE THEM…” (AMP); and the Message Bible states it like this: “So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, LET’S GO AHEAD AND BE WHAT WE WERE MADE TO BE…” (MSG).

Knowing your ability is one of the keys to understanding life’s assignment. However, you can only plan and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU’VE GOT TO TAKE SOME ACTION, TAKE SOME INITIATIVE AND BECOME WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MADE TO BE!

Notice 2 things about taking the Initiative:

1…TAKING INITIATIVE CLOSES THE DOOR TO FEAR: Although none of us wants to admit it, we all have fears. The question is, are we going to control them or allow them to control us? Norman Vincent Peale said: “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” To have any chance at getting what we desire, we need to work for it. Nothing is as discouraging or draining as hanging on to an Uncompleted Task. The longer we let things slide, the harder they become. And the hardest work is often the accumulation of many easy things that should have been done yesterday, last week or last month! So how do you get rid of a difficult task? JUST DO IT! Stop talking about it and become it! Turn the blueprint into a building! It’s time you Step out of Fear and Walk by Faith! Truth is, once you become engulfed in doing it instead of talking about it, you’ll find yourself too busy to focus on fear! But standing still and just looking at it will always give you the anxiety that it cannot be accomplished! So today, determine to send your resume in for that job. So what you don’t qualify, they may be looking for some new blood to train and shake up the office. After all, what’s the worst that could happen, they tell you no!? Surely, that won’t stop you from breathing and continuing on with life. Listen: If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose, so get to producing it! You do know that you don’t have forever, right?! So, go back to school, learn to drive, apply for the job, go after the grant, start the business, move out of state, etc…whatever you plan to do, know that you only have a limited time on earth to get it done, so start Today, since Yesterday is Gone, and Tomorrow is NEVER Guaranteed to Come!

2…TAKING THE INITIATIVE OPENS THE DOOR TO OPPORTUNITY: People who take the initiative and work hard may succeed, or fail. But anyone who doesn’t take initiative is Guaranteed to Fail! So, today ask God, “Is there a decision I should be making? Is there a problem I should be solving? Is there a project I should be starting? Is there a goal I should be setting or striving toward? Is there an opportunity I should be seizing?” Solomon writes, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB). It’s better to be 80% sure, and start, than to wait until you’re 100% sure, because by then the opportunity may have passed you by, never to return again. So today, DETERMINE TO TAKE SOME INITIATIVE! Remember This: Doors Don’t Stay Open Indefinitely! Think about it, when you come home, you enter the door and close it behind you! You don’t leave the door open indefinitely! Likewise, supermarket doors close, business doors close, school doors close, office doors close, bank doors close, restaurant doors close, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Lord & Taylor, Payless and even most Laundromats and 99 cent stores all close! No Door Stays Open Indefinitely! So while you have the opportunity of an open door, Walk Through It Before It Closes…For Good! That position may not be available tomorrow; that grant and scholarship may not be offered next year; that mortgage and dealership flyer may not come in the mail again; the chance to travel may not happen again! Write that book on that topic before someone else does; record that song today; even go out on a limb and tell that person how you really feel about them, today! Are you getting this? Open doors of opportunity do not stay open indefinitely! So, find your courage, take heart and go for it! Take Initiative Now!

The Bible says this: “…Steep yourself in God-reality, GOD-INITIATIVE, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.” (Luke 12:29-32 MSG). However, please understand that you can only pray, plan and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH AND ACT! 

A Chinese Proverb says, “He who deliberates too long before taking a step, will spend his whole life on one leg.” What does that mean you ask? Well, your body was built with two legs for stability. And procrastination, or holding one foot in the air, however never actually taking the step, will forever cause you to, like the Chinese Proverb “…spend his whole life on one leg” which translates, unsteady and unstable! And what does the Bible have to say about that? James 1:5-8, “If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord,  being a double-minded man, UNSTABLE and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].” (MSG)

You Cannot Walk in the Promises of God On the Feet of Unsteady, Unstable, Wavering Faith!

So TODAY, DETERMINE TO WALK BY CONFIDENT FAITH AND PUT YOUR FOOT ON IT! WHY? BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD PROMISED: “That’s right. If you diligently keep all this commandment that I command you to obey—love God, your God, do what he tells you, stick close to him—God on his part will drive out all these nations that stand in your way. Yes, he’ll drive out nations much bigger and stronger than you. EVERY SQUARE INCH ON WHICH YOU PLACE YOUR FOOT WILL BE YOURS. Your borders will stretch from the wilderness to the mountains of Lebanon, from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand in your way. Everywhere you go, God-sent fear and trembling will precede you, JUST AS HE PROMISED.” (Deuteronomy 11:22-25 MSG).

SO PUT YOUR FOOT ON IT AND KEEP WALKING BY FAITH! TAKE SOME INITIATIVE, FOR THE PROMISE IS ALREADY YOURS!

Another reason we never get started is because we focus on tomorrow INSTEAD OF TODAY! But the only time over which you have any control is the present. James writes: “Look here, you people who say, ‘tomorrow we are going to a certain town…We will do business there and make profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:13-14 NLT).

Edgar Guest wrote: “The greatest of workers this man would have been—tomorrow. The world would have known him, had he ever seen—tomorrow. But the fact is he died and he faded from view, and all that he left here when living was through, was a mountain of things he intended to do—tomorrow.”

The idea of tomorrow can be very seductive, BUT THE PROMISE IT HOLDS IS OFTEN FALSE AND UNFLATTERING! SO NO MORE PROCRASTINATION ABOUT TOMORROW, TODAY TAKE SOME INITIATIVE!

Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, observed, “The greatest time wasted, is the time getting started.” If you think about it: The hardest part of writing a letter is penning the first line. The hardest part of making a tough phone call is picking up the receiver and dialing the number. So how do we overcome this difficulty? The Bible says, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG).  In other words, figure out what you’re supposed to do for God, AND THEN DO IT!

One of the last obstacles between Israel and the Promised Land was the River Jordan. But God had a plan. He told the priests carrying the Ark that when they stepped in the river, the waters would roll back.

There are 2 important lessons here for you:

1…NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU QUIT HOLDING BACK: You can’t wait for everything to be perfect! You can’t wait until all your fears subside! You must take the initiative now! Overcomers understand that Momentum is your friend! As soon as you start moving forward, certain things become clearer and easier. And when the momentum gets strong enough, many of the problems actually take care of themselves. Maybe you’ve heard the story of the tourist in a small town who asked an old man, “Can you tell me something this town is noted for?” After a moment’s hesitation he replied, “Well, you can start here and go anywhere in the world you want.” That’s true of you too. Where you finish in life isn’t determined so much by where you start, AS BY WHETHER YOU START! If you’re willing to get started, there’s no telling just how far you’ll go! SO STOP HOLDING BACK AND TAKE SOME INITIATIVE! You Can Start Right Here, And Go Anywhere! The priests had to carry the Ark and step into the water! In other words, They Had To Move Forward to Attain the Promise! YOU HAVE TO DO LIKEWISE! SO PICK YOURSELF UP AND GET TO STEPPING! YOUR PROMISE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

2…YOU MUST BE WILLING TO PERSEVERE: The Jordan River didn’t dry up the moment the priest stepped into it. God dried it up 26 MILES UPSTREAM, so they had to wait till all that water passed by (See Joshua 3:14-17). Why did God do it that way? Because He sees the big picture! God planned an opening wide enough for not just one or two, but for MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE TO CROSS! So trust God, and take the initiative! Just by your obedience to God and trust in Him, you never know the opening your initiative has set for many others to walk through as well! Your Perseverance Is Not Just For You! So take some initiative, and get to stepping, there’s a multitude waiting on you to make a move!

 TODAY, DETERMINE TO TAKE SOME INITIATIVE AND GET MOVING!

The word ‘initiative’ is defined as: “the ability to act independently and with a fresh approach; the power or opportunity to act before others do; a new development or fresh approach to a problem; to do something without being prompted by others.” Sounds a lot like the ants don’t you think? “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…” (MSG) This year is the year where you start to walk by faith. This is the year where you start to focus on fulfilling vision. It is not the year that you repeat past failed behaviors of waiting around to see what someone else is going to do first. No! This Year Make a Move, and Do So On Purpose and With Purpose! You Never Know Who You Will Inspire By Your Initiative to Do the Same Thing!

Another key to hold onto is that initiative is developed by the independent act of approaching something in a fresh way. Which means, while you’re sitting here waiting for someone to tell you what they’ve always done, God is waiting for you to use your brain and think of what hasn’t been done already! Take a Fresh Approach! We need no more clones in the church. Ask God to give you initiative that keeps its’ eyes on the future, not on the past; eyes to see what can be done, not on what’s already been done. This Year Fresh Focus, Fresh Faith, Fresh Initiative!

Let’s Go!

“Initiative is doing the right thing without being told.” (Victor Hugo)

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“A lot of people never use their initiative, because no one told them to.” (Banksy)

“Personal initiative is self starting and proactive; works independently of outside influence or control.” (Author Unknown)

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” (Arthur Ashe)

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” (Milton Bene)

“Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” (Sheryl Sandberg)

“Taking initiative is a form of self-empowerment.” (Stephen R. Covey)

“Your success is your responsibility. Take the initiative, do the work, and persist to the end.” (Lorii Myers)

“Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious or aggressive, but recognizing your responsibility to make things happen.” (Sameer Mathur)

“Genius is initiative on fire.” (Holbrook Jackson)

“Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.” (Seth Godin)

“It doesn’t matter if a million people tell you what you can’t do, or if ten million tell you no. If you get one yes from God, that’s all you need.” (Tyler Perry)

“Prolonged idleness paralyzes initiative.” (Author Unknown)

“I like to grasp the initiative and not give my opponent peace of mind.” (Mikhail Tal)

“Being proactive is more than taking initiative. It is recognizing that we are responsible for our own choices and have the freedom to choose based on principles and values rather than on moods or condition. Proactive people are agents of change and choose not to be victims, to be reactive, or to blame others.” (Stephen Covey)

“Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions.” (Bo Bennett)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Know Your Leafy Greens”

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“Take Some Initiative!”

Proverbs 6:6-11, “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)

Far too many of us are sitting around wasting time waiting for someone to come along and tell us what to do next!

The story’s told of a man who was employed by a duke and duchess. One day he was called in to speak to his employer. “James, how long have you been with us?” said the Duchess. “About 30 years, Your Grace,” he replied. “As I recall you were employed to look after the dog,” she said. “Yes, Your Grace.” “James, that dog died 27 years ago,” said the Duchess. “Yes, Your Grace,” said James, “I was waiting for you to tell me what you would like for me to do next”

As comical as it sounds, many of us are just like James! 10 years later and we’re still waiting to be told what to do next. In ministry 15 years and still waiting to be told what to do next. What’s the problem? A LACK OF INITIATIVE! Why do we fail to take initiative? BECAUSE WE DON’T REALIZE THE HEAVY CONSEQUENCES OF OUR INACTION! Solomon writes in our text from: Proverbs 6:6-11, “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)

People of God, whatever we do—or neglect to do for that matter—always catches up with us eventually! 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, “Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” (MSG)

I reiterate, we are accountable for what we DO and for what we leave UNDONE! Saint’s, God’s Inspection of the Work You’ve Done, or Left Undone, is Coming and You WANT to Pass His Test! Therefore, No More Hesitation, Laziness or Procrastination, Get Your Works in Order TODAY! Luke 9:62, “Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (MSG)

Those who procrastinate end up like the man in playwright James Albery’s verse: “He slept beneath the moon, he baked beneath the sun. He lived a life of going-to-do; and died with nothing done.” Don’t let this be descriptive of your life and legacy!

Paul writes: “…God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well…” (Romans 12:6 NLT).  The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, LET US USE THEM…” (AMP); and the Message Bible states it like this: “So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, LET’S GO AHEAD AND BE WHAT WE WERE MADE TO BE…” (MSG).

Knowing your ability is one of the keys to understanding life’s assignment. However, you can only plan and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU’VE GOT TO TAKE SOME ACTION, TAKE SOME INITIATIVE AND BECOME WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MADE TO BE!

Notice 2 things about taking the Initiative:

1…TAKING INITIATIVE CLOSES THE DOOR TO FEAR: Although none of us wants to admit it, we all have fears. The question is, are we going to control them or allow them to control us? Norman Vincent Peale said: “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” To have any chance at getting what we desire, we need to work for it. Nothing is as discouraging or draining as hanging on to an Uncompleted Task. The longer we let things slide, the harder they become. And the hardest work is often the accumulation of many easy things that should have been done yesterday, last week or last month! So how do you get rid of a difficult task? JUST DO IT! Stop talking about it and become it! Turn the blueprint into a building! It’s time you Step out of Fear and Walk by Faith! Truth is, once you become engulfed in doing it instead of talking about it, you’ll find yourself too busy to focus on fear! But standing still and just looking at it will always give you the anxiety that it cannot be accomplished! So today, determine to send your resume in for that job. So what you don’t qualify, they may be looking for some new blood to train and shake up the office. After all, what’s the worst that could happen, they tell you no!? Surely, that won’t stop you from breathing and continuing on with life. Listen: If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose, so get to producing it! You do know that you don’t have forever, right?! So, go back to school, learn to drive, apply for the job, go after the grant, start the business, move out of state, etc…whatever you plan to do, know that you only have a limited time on earth to get it done, so start Today, since Yesterday is Gone, and Tomorrow is NEVER Guaranteed to Come!

2…TAKING THE INITIATIVE OPENS THE DOOR TO OPPORTUNITY: People who take the initiative and work hard may succeed, or fail. But anyone who doesn’t take initiative is Guaranteed to Fail! So, today ask God, “Is there a decision I should be making? Is there a problem I should be solving? Is there a project I should be starting? Is there a goal I should be setting or striving toward? Is there an opportunity I should be seizing?” Solomon writes, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB). It’s better to be 80% sure, and start, than to wait until you’re 100% sure, because by then the opportunity may have passed you by, never to return again. So today, DETERMINE TO TAKE SOME INITIATIVE! Remember This: Doors Don’t Stay Open Indefinitely! Think about it, when you come home, you enter the door and close it behind you! You don’t leave the door open indefinitely! Likewise, supermarket doors close, business doors close, school doors close, office doors close, bank doors close, restaurant doors close, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Lord & Taylor, Payless and even most Laundromats and 99 cent stores all close! No Door Stays Open Indefinitely! So while you have the opportunity of an open door, Walk Through It Before It Closes…For Good! That position may not be available tomorrow; that grant and scholarship may not be offered next year; that mortgage and dealership flyer may not come in the mail again; the chance to travel may not happen again! Write that book on that topic before someone else does; record that song today; even go out on a limb and tell that person how you really feel about them, today! Are you getting this? Open doors of opportunity do not stay open indefinitely! So, find your courage, take heart and go for it! Take Initiative Now!

The Bible says this: “…Steep yourself in God-reality, GOD-INITIATIVE, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.” (Luke 12:29-32 MSG). However, please understand that you can only pray, plan and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH AND ACT! 

A Chinese Proverb says, “He who deliberates too long before taking a step, will spend his whole life on one leg.” What does that mean you ask? Well, your body was built with two legs for stability. And procrastination, or holding one foot in the air, however never actually taking the step, will forever cause you to, like the Chinese Proverb “…spend his whole life on one leg” which translates, unsteady and unstable! And what does the Bible have to say about that? James 1:5-8, “If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord,  being a double-minded man, UNSTABLE and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].” (MSG)

You Cannot Walk in the Promises of God On the Feet of Unsteady, Unstable, Wavering Faith!

So TODAY, DETERMINE TO WALK BY CONFIDENT FAITH AND PUT YOUR FOOT ON IT! WHY? BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD PROMISED: “That’s right. If you diligently keep all this commandment that I command you to obey—love God, your God, do what he tells you, stick close to him—God on his part will drive out all these nations that stand in your way. Yes, he’ll drive out nations much bigger and stronger than you. EVERY SQUARE INCH ON WHICH YOU PLACE YOUR FOOT WILL BE YOURS. Your borders will stretch from the wilderness to the mountains of Lebanon, from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand in your way. Everywhere you go, God-sent fear and trembling will precede you, JUST AS HE PROMISED.” (Deuteronomy 11:22-25 MSG).

SO PUT YOUR FOOT ON IT AND KEEP WALKING BY FAITH! TAKE SOME INITIATIVE, FOR THE PROMISE IS ALREADY YOURS!

Another reason we never get started is because we focus on tomorrow INSTEAD OF TODAY! But the only time over which you have any control is the present. James writes: “Look here, you people who say, ‘tomorrow we are going to a certain town…We will do business there and make profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:13-14 NLT).

Edgar Guest wrote: “The greatest of workers this man would have been—tomorrow. The world would have known him, had he ever seen—tomorrow. But the fact is he died and he faded from view, and all that he left here when living was through, was a mountain of things he intended to do—tomorrow.”

The idea of tomorrow can be very seductive, BUT THE PROMISE IT HOLDS IS OFTEN FALSE AND UNFLATTERING! SO NO MORE PROCRASTINATION ABOUT TOMORROW, TODAY TAKE SOME INITIATIVE!

Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, observed, “The greatest time wasted, is the time getting started.” If you think about it: The hardest part of writing a letter is penning the first line. The hardest part of making a tough phone call is picking up the receiver and dialing the number. So how do we overcome this difficulty? The Bible says, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG).  In other words, figure out what you’re supposed to do for God, AND THEN DO IT!

One of the last obstacles between Israel and the Promised Land was the River Jordan. But God had a plan. He told the priests carrying the Ark that when they stepped in the river, the waters would roll back.

There are 2 important lessons here for you:

1…NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU QUIT HOLDING BACK: You can’t wait for everything to be perfect! You can’t wait until all your fears subside! You must take the initiative now! Overcomers understand that Momentum is your friend! As soon as you start moving forward, certain things become clearer and easier. And when the momentum gets strong enough, many of the problems actually take care of themselves. Maybe you’ve heard the story of the tourist in a small town who asked an old man, “Can you tell me something this town is noted for?” After a moment’s hesitation he replied, “Well, you can start here and go anywhere in the world you want.” That’s true of you too. Where you finish in life isn’t determined so much by where you start, AS BY WHETHER YOU START! If you’re willing to get started, there’s no telling just how far you’ll go! SO STOP HOLDING BACK AND TAKE SOME INITIATIVE! You Can Start Right Here, And Go Anywhere! The priests had to carry the Ark and step into the water! In other words, They Had To Move Forward to Attain the Promise! YOU HAVE TO DO LIKEWISE! SO PICK YOURSELF UP AND GET TO STEPPING! YOUR PROMISE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

2…YOU MUST BE WILLING TO PERSEVERE: The Jordan River didn’t dry up the moment the priest stepped into it. God dried it up 26 MILES UPSTREAM, so they had to wait till all that water passed by (See Joshua 3:14-17). Why did God do it that way? Because He sees the big picture! God planned an opening wide enough for not just one or two, but for MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE TO CROSS! So trust God, and take the initiative! Just by your obedience to God and trust in Him, you never know the opening your initiative has set for many others to walk through as well! Your Perseverance Is Not Just For You! So take some initiative, and get to stepping, there’s a multitude waiting on you to make a move!

 TODAY, DETERMINE TO TAKE SOME INITIATIVE AND GET MOVING!

The word ‘initiative’ is defined as: “the ability to act independently and with a fresh approach; the power or opportunity to act before others do; a new development or fresh approach to a problem; to do something without being prompted by others.” Sounds a lot like the ants don’t you think? “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…” (MSG) This year is the year where you start to walk by faith. This is the year where you start to focus on fulfilling vision. It is not the year that you repeat past failed behaviors of waiting around to see what someone else is going to do first. No! This Year Make a Move, and Do So On Purpose and With Purpose! You Never Know Who You Will Inspire By Your Initiative to Do the Same Thing!

Another key to hold onto is that initiative is developed by the independent act of approaching something in a fresh way. Which means, while you’re sitting here waiting for someone to tell you what they’ve always done, God is waiting for you to use your brain and think of what hasn’t been done already! Take a Fresh Approach! We need no more clones in the church. Ask God to give you initiative that keeps its’ eyes on the future, not on the past; eyes to see what can be done, not on what’s already been done. This Year Fresh Focus, Fresh Faith, Fresh Initiative!

Let’s Go!

“Initiative is doing the right thing without being told.” (Victor Hugo)

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“A lot of people never use their initiative, because no one told them to.” (Banksy)

“Personal initiative is self starting and proactive; works independently of outside influence or control.” (Author Unknown)

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” (Arthur Ashe)

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” (Milton Bene)

“Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” (Sheryl Sandberg)

“Taking initiative is a form of self-empowerment.” (Stephen R. Covey)

“Your success is your responsibility. Take the initiative, do the work, and persist to the end.” (Lorii Myers)

“Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious or aggressive, but recognizing your responsibility to make things happen.” (Sameer Mathur)

“Genius is initiative on fire.” (Holbrook Jackson)

“Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.” (Seth Godin)

“It doesn’t matter if a million people tell you what you can’t do, or if ten million tell you no. If you get one yes from God, that’s all you need.” (Tyler Perry)

“Prolonged idleness paralyzes initiative.” (Author Unknown)

“I like to grasp the initiative and not give my opponent peace of mind.” (Mikhail Tal)

“Being proactive is more than taking initiative. It is recognizing that we are responsible for our own choices and have the freedom to choose based on principles and values rather than on moods or condition. Proactive people are agents of change and choose not to be victims, to be reactive, or to blame others.” (Stephen Covey)

“Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions.” (Bo Bennett)

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: “Avoid the Multitasking Meltdown”

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word “WIPED OUT”

LETS STAY CONNECTED!
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“If You Don’t Like What You See, Change It!”

The Bible’s story is one of Change from Genesis, the book of “Beginnings,” to Revelation, where God Himself says: “…Behold, I make all things New…” Therefore, whatever your situation is today, Change Is Possible Through Him!

“It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.” (Bob Proctor).

However often you’ve repented, confessed and tried changing, God Can Change What You Can’t – And Make the Change Last!

The Scripture is Still True: “Now Unto HIM That Is ABLE…” (Jude 24). The word “Able” means “Having the Power, Skill, or Means To Do Something; or to be Skillful and Competent”. Its Latin Origin “Habilis” literally means “Handy”. Therefore, Regardless to How Long You’ve Been Like This, or “Its” Been Like This, Your God Is Able to Change You and “It” For the Better, For Good! How? Because He Has the Power To Do It, He Has the Skill To Do It, He Has the Means To Do It, And He Is Competent Enough To Do It! So, Put It In His Hands, Because He Is ‘Handy’ Enough to Handle It! It’s Time For You to Change, No More Excuses!

I love Bikram Choudhury’s point of view on Change, he said: “Never too old, never too bad, never too late, never too sick to start from scratch once again” So I Reiterate, No More Excuse! It’s Time For You to Change!

However, Change Requires Understanding Certain Principles. Let’s see what they are:

1. YOU DON’T NEED TO CHANGE OTHERS IN ORDER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE: “I’d be happier if only he’d stop…”; “Things won’t improve for me until she starts…” Such beliefs make you focus on the Problem and Not the Solution, Ignore Realistic Options and Feed Depression! Therefore, follow the admonition of the Word of God: “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best YOU CAN WITH YOUR OWN LIFE” (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG). Instead of trying to change others, which only produces Resistance and Resentment, Let God Show YOU What YOU Need To Do Differently To Improve YOUR Handling Of The Problem! You See, When You Stop Doing What Doesn’t Work and Change Your Reactions to the Problem, Others Often Change Spontaneously! “In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks” (Warren Buffett). You’re Getting Nowhere Trying to Patch Up the Leaks In Other People’s Lives/Boats! Instead Reserve That Energy and Be More Productive By Changing Your Own Boat and Saving Your Own Life! Sometimes, you have to step back even from those whom you love and let them handle their own life, as you get a handle on yours. Galatians says to carefully explore who you are and the work you have been given and sink yourself into that, not into them! Work on becoming the person God has intended you to be and the works that He has entrusted to your hands to fulfill. That alone will keep you busy for a lifetime! Instead of concentrating on them, concentrate on you and make improvements on your own building. Does your attitude need adjusting, your faith need increasing, your hope need refreshing, your trust need deepening? Does your habits and addictions need to be addressed? Does your marriage or family or children have issues that you’ve unsubscribed from because you keep renewing the issues from everyone else’s lives and crisis? Can you become a better believer, leader, spouse, coworker or boss? Does your prayer life need improving and your consecration need more consistency? Do you need to add more time to your Word study? Are you flowing or stagnant in your anointing? Are your gifts stirred up and set on fire or just dashed in ashes? In other words, we are all a work in progress, but you’ll get stuck in your progress if you keep comparing yours to theirs, or trying to fix theirs instead of your own. You’ve been given this one life, make it the best it can be, which will never happen if you’re constantly working overtime to change them and theirs, but taking vacation, sick, personal and comp days when it’s time to change you and yours! REMEMBER: YOU DON’T NEED TO CHANGE OTHERS IN ORDER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

2. TRUE CHANGE BEGINS BY ADDRESSING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: Bitterness and Frustration over problems just result in distancing from God, leaving you to handle the issue in your own strength. Surrendering to Him Changes You Fundamentally, Challenging Pride, Envy, Resentment, Fear, Dishonesty, and the like…Which Are All Characteristics of Poor Life Management! “Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God…” (Lamentations 3:40 MSG). With “…our lives under God…,” we’re more Honest, Self-Aware, Able to Perceive Realistically; We’re Respectful, and Prepared to Become A Better Person! But This Requires You To Tighten Your Relationship With The Lord! You Need Him Near For The Change To Take Place But You Have To Keep In Mind:  “Come Near To God, And God Will Come Near To You…” (James 4:8 NCV). Did you recognize the order of Nearness? The Responsibility Falls On YOUR Shoulders FIRST! “Come Near To God…” and AFTER you do “…God Will Come Near To You…” You See, The Only Thing Holding Up Your Process of Change, Is Your Procrastination to Come Near To God FIRST!  If you want Him to Come Near and Change You, You’ve FIRST got to Come Near Him In Communion!  So, Renew Your Relationship With Him, FIRST, and He Will Do The Rest! So many have made their relationship with God out to be a 911 distress call only! That’s the basis of their communication. They get in a jam, and cry out to God. Is that wrong? Of course not. But it is if it’s the only time in which you do! Imagine being married, but the only time you speak to your spouse is when you’re in a jam! The only time you spend time with your spouse is so they can get you out of the trouble you got yourself into. What if the only intimacy you have with your spouse is when there’s a crisis? Exactly how long do you think this marriage is going to survive such a one-sided damaged relationship? Well, God is the very same way! He values relationship. After all, He gave us the life, death and life again of His only begotten Son for no other reason than so He could develop a relationship with us as His children also. Therefore, don’t you think that a relationship with Him is going to require more than a ‘help me God’ conversation? A relationship with God is talking to Him; listening to Him; complimenting, praising and worshiping Him. It’s trusting Him, and having faith in Him. It’s leaning on Him when you know there’s no other way for you to remain on your feet. It’s loving on Him, consistently. It’s faithfulness and unconditional love. It’s lovingly mentioning His name, and letting everyone know that you belong to Him alone. When is the last time you romanced God that way? If you had to stop and think about it, your relationship with God needs some immediate repair work done! God doesn’t want to change you from a distance, He desires an up close and personal relationship, so, how near (or far) have you allowed yourself to become? Selah…REMEMBER: TRUE CHANGE BEGINS BY ADDRESSING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!

3. YOU MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE UNCONDITIONALLY: In the early stage of therapy, counselors bump into the “Change-If” syndrome. The client sees change as a strategy of give-to-get: “I’ll change if they are willing to do…If not, I won’t” With God, your reward for changing is intrinsic. You get the joy of His approval, plus all the benefits that follow from being a Changed Person! This includes God’s Gift of “…salve to put on your eyes, so you can see” (Revelation 3:18 NIV). The ability to see things clearly will enable you to understand the problem and deal with it effectively, Regardless of What Someone Else Does, or Doesn’t Do! You Have to Want Change For Yourself, And Not Based On Anyone Else’s Actions, or Lack Thereof! So, Just In Case They Don’t Get Any Better Keep in mind: “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together” (Marilyn Monroe). Whether the Friendship or Relationship Stays Intact Or Not, You Need to Make the Decision to Change Yourself, For Yourself, Unconditionally! Think about it, what if they decide they are very comfortable with their dysfunction and see no need nor reason to change, does that mean you’re supposed to stay the same too? Absolutely Not! If your friendSHIP or relationSHIP or leaderSHIP has been damaged, and water is leaking everywhere and it’s about to sink, do you stay in the boat with them because you’ve both been in this same boat with each for such a long time? Or, do you make the executive decision that something needs to change, and quickly?! When a lifeboat comes alongside you and they say, ‘you can go ahead if you want to, I’ll stay right here, nice and comfortable where I’ve always been’, do you sit back down and remain in a dysfunctional dingy or do you leave them to their craziness and get out into that available lifeboat, even if it means the saving of your own life and the loss of theirs, at their own hands? It may sound harsh, but you can’t live your life boxed into the decisions of how others have decided to live theirs. Love you unconditionally enough to change you, even if they remain the same. REMEMBER: YOU MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE UNCONDITIONALLY!

4. YOU MUST ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT CHANGE MEANS LETTING GO OF THE PAST: Whatever You Cling To Ultimately Controls You! If the offense resulted from your actions, or the loss from your poor judgment, Confess It To God, Receive Forgiveness and Leave It At the Cross! If it was the other person’s fault, but you’ve held onto it because you think you’re the innocent party and “deserve your pound of flesh,” Remember: the Freedom and the Options You Miss Are Too High a Price For the False Comfort of Being Right! “Be kind and compassionate to one another, Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God Forgave You” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV) Or better yet, another translation says it like this: “Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive One Another As Quickly And Thoroughly As God In Christ Forgave You” (MSG). This will Release You From the Chains of Resentment and Give You Back Your Future! If You’re Bound by Chains of Regret Over “coulda, shoulda, woulda,” God Stands Ready to Make Your Future Better Than Your Past Could Ever Have Been (Joel 2:25, “I’ll Make Up For The Years…” MSG). Dr. Maya Angelou clearly agreed because she said: “Someone was hurt before you, wronged before you, hungry before you, frightened before you, beaten before you, humiliated before you, raped before you…YET, Someone Survived…You Can Do Anything You Choose To Do” And you can choose to ask God to help you change so He can make up for the years! Please, Choose to Change Your Cold, Unforgiving Heart, and Enjoy a Better Life! Keeping in mind: “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward” (C.S. Lewis). Far too many waste years of their lives pointing fingers, laying blame, making excuses and justifications, giving reasons, but never changing. Today is the day where you break this bad habit! Whether it happened 30 seconds, minutes, weeks, months, or years ago, let it go! The forgiveness is for you not for them! It’s so you can finally be free from your emotional prison that’s causing you to go mentally insane! Do your part of asking for forgiveness, and extending forgiveness, then leave the rest in God’s hands as you change what He’s strengthened your hands to handle! REMEMBER: YOU MUST ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT CHANGE MEANS LETTING GO OF THE PAST.

5. CHANGE MEANS ACCEPTING RISK: Your anxiety will kick in and say, “What if I don’t get the job? What if the economy fails? What if I make the effort to change but they don’t?” We like ironclad guarantees. The predictable always feels less threatening than sticking our necks out! But the Price of Our Security Often Means Remaining Stuck With the Status Quo! Sometimes Your Greatest Risk Is Taking No Risk At All! God Often Requires You to Leave the Path That Feels and Looks Safe, For the One That Feels and Looks Risky! Why? Because: “NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses” (Hebrews 11:1 AMP). Your Faith Is Full-Proof Assurance, God’s Confirmation, the Title Deed Guaranteeing That the Change You Want Will Take Place If You Act On It! “Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action” (Walter Anderson). “Change” in its simplest definition means “To Make Or Become Different” That’s all God is looking for you to do! Take a Risk and Do Something Different! After all, all that you have been doing up til now hasn’t worked, so What Have You Got To Lose? Ask yourself, “If I Dare to Change, What Could I Finally Gain?” Because: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten” (Tony Robbins) Break out of that neat little box with the bow that you’ve trapped yourself in all these years. For once, don’t follow the crowd! Don’t do what everyone is telling you, you ought to do. Seek God, hear what He has to tell you, then follow His lead! Let 2019 be the year you take a risk on YOU! You’ve spent enough of your years taking risks on everybody else and their lives, families, businesses, education, ministries, churches, vision, goals, and dreams. This time is your time to take a risk on you! REMEMBER: CHANGE MEANS ACCEPTING RISK!

6. CHANGE WILL HAPPEN IF FAILURE IS NOT ALLOWED TO STOP YOU: Fear of Failing Often Stops Us From Trying, Yet Many of God’s Best People Experienced Failure On Their Way to Success! Consider Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, etc…All of Them Succeeded Only AFTER Dealing With Personal Failure! Indeed, the Richest, Most Profound Change Often Happens AFTER We’ve Tasted Failure! Until then we tend to be cocky and of not much use to God! Peter failed the Lord miserably, and at the most crucial moment (Matthew 26:50, 72, “…some men came forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him…Again Peter denied it and swore with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”  GWT). But even after that, Peter grew, becoming Christ’s Choice to Lead His Newly Empowered Church On the Day of Pentecost, Winning Three Thousand Souls (See Acts 2)! So Don’t Let Failure Stop You! You Can Change! Even the Apostle Paul went from beating Christians to becoming one and leading many! “Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, IT ISN’T!” (Richard Bach) Yes, Even After All Your Failures, You Too Can Still Change! You’re not too old; it’s not too late; and you haven’t messed up too bad! God can bring recovery out of your ruins if only you’d trust Him! REMEMBER: CHANGE WILL HAPPEN IF FAILURE IS NOT ALLOWED TO STOP YOU!

In a Nutshell: You’ve been this way long enough! Therefore, no more excuses, reasons or justifications! Today simply determine to Change Your Life For the Better! REMEMBER: IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, CHANGE IT!

“Your Life Does Not Get Better By Chance, It Gets Better By Change” (Jim Rohn)

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at, change.” (Wayne Dyer)

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” (Socrates)

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” (Jimmy Dean)

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” (George Bernard Shaw)

“Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving and progressing.” (Mandy Hale)

“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” (Author Unknown)

“Don’t be afraid to change. You may lose something good but you may gain something better.” (Author Unknown)

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” (Carol Burnett)

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” (Oprah Winfrey)

“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.” (Author Unknown)

“The 3 C’s of life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.” (Author Unknown)

“Small changes eventually add up to huge results.” (Author Unknown)

“Embrace change. True success can be defined by your ability to adapt to changing circumstances.” (Connie Sky)

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” (Rumi)

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” (John Maxwell)

“Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.” (Author Unknown)

“You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.” (Author Unknown)

“Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes.” (Author Unknown)

“The key to change is to let go of fear.” (Rosanne Cash)

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” (Gail Sheehy)

“Changing the world begins with the very personal process of changing yourself. The only place change can begin is where you are, and the only time you can begin is always now.” (Author Unknown)

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” (Robin Sharma)

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” (Author Unknown)

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: “Myths and Facts About Therapy”

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word “DIRECT”

LETS STAY CONNECTED!
Daily Dose With Dr. Shermaine: https://dailydosewithdrshermaine.wordpress.com
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“If You Don’t Like What You See, Change It!”

The Bible’s story is one of Change from Genesis, the book of “Beginnings,” to Revelation, where God Himself says: “…Behold, I make all things New…” Therefore, whatever your situation is today, Change Is Possible Through Him!

“It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.” (Bob Proctor).

However often you’ve repented, confessed and tried changing, God Can Change What You Can’t – And Make the Change Last! The Scripture is Still True: “Now Unto HIM That Is ABLE…” (Jude 24). The word “Able” means “Having the Power, Skill, or Means To Do Something; or to be Skillful and Competent”. Its Latin Origin “Habilis” literally means “Handy”. Therefore, Regardless to How Long You’ve Been Like This, or “Its” Been Like This, Your God Is Able to Change You and “It” For the Better, For Good! How? Because He Has the Power To Do It, He Has the Skill To Do It, He Has the Means To Do It, And He Is Competent Enough To Do It! So, Put It In His Hands, Because He Is ‘Handy’ Enough to Handle It! It’s Time For You to Change, No More Excuses! I love Bikram Choudhury’s point of view on Change, he said: “Never too old, never too bad, never too late, never too sick to start from scratch once again” So I Reiterate, No More Excuse! It’s Time For You to Change!

However, Change Requires Understanding Certain Principles. Let’s see what they are:

1. YOU DON’T NEED TO CHANGE OTHERS IN ORDER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE: “I’d be happier if only he’d stop…”; “Things won’t improve for me until she starts…” Such beliefs make you focus on the Problem and Not the Solution, Ignore Realistic Options and Feed Depression! Therefore, follow the admonition of the Word of God: “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best YOU CAN WITH YOUR OWN LIFE” (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG). Instead of trying to change others, which only produces Resistance and Resentment, Let God Show YOU What YOU Need To Do Differently To Improve YOUR Handling Of The Problem! You See, When You Stop Doing What Doesn’t Work and Change Your Reactions to the Problem, Others Often Change Spontaneously! “In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks” (Warren Buffett). You’re Getting Nowhere Trying to Patch Up the Leaks In Other People’s Lives/Boats! Instead Reserve That Energy and Be More Productive By Changing Your Own Boat and Saving Your Own Life! Sometimes, you have to step back even from those whom you love and let them handle their own life, as you get a handle on yours. Galatians says to carefully explore who you are and the work you have been given and sink yourself into that, not into them! Work on becoming the person God has intended you to be and the works that He has entrusted to your hands to fulfill. That alone will keep you busy for a lifetime! Instead of concentrating on them, concentrate on you and make improvements on your own building. Does your attitude need adjusting, your faith need increasing, your hope need refreshing, your trust need deepening? Does your habits and addictions need to be addressed? Does your marriage or family or children have issues that you’ve unsubscribed from because you keep renewing the issues from everyone else’s lives and crisis? Can you become a better believer, leader, spouse, coworker or boss? Does your prayer life need improving and your consecration need more consistency? Do you need to add more time to your Word study? Are you flowing or stagnant in your anointing? Are your gifts stirred up and set on fire and just dashed in ashes? In other words, we are all a work in progress, but you’ll get stuck in your progress if you keep comparing yours to theirs, or trying to fix theirs instead of your own. You’ve been given this one life, make it the best it can be, which will never happen if you’re constantly working overtime to change them and theirs, but taking vacation, sick, personal and comp days when it’s time to change you and yours! REMEMBER: YOU DON’T NEED TO CHANGE OTHERS IN ORDER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

2. TRUE CHANGE BEGINS BY ADDRESSING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: Bitterness and Frustration over problems just result in distancing from God, leaving you to handle the issue in your own strength. Surrendering to Him Changes You Fundamentally, Challenging Pride, Envy, Resentment, Fear, Dishonesty, and the like…Which Are All Characteristics of Poor Life Management! “Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God…” (Lamentations 3:40 MSG). With “…our lives under God…,” we’re more Honest, Self-Aware, Able to Perceive Realistically; We’re Respectful, and Prepared to Become A Better Person! But This Requires You To Tighten Your Relationship With The Lord! You Need Him Near For The Change To Take Place But You Have To Keep In Mind:  “Come Near To God, And God Will Come Near To You…” (James 4:8 NCV). Did you recognize the order of Nearness? The Responsibility Falls On YOUR Shoulders FIRST! “Come Near To God…” and AFTER you do “…God Will Come Near To You…” You See, The Only Thing Holding Up Your Process of Change, Is Your Procrastination to Come Near To God FIRST!  If you want Him to Come Near and Change You, You’ve FIRST got to Come Near Him In Communion!  So, Renew Your Relationship With Him, FIRST, and He Will Do The Rest! So many have made their relationship with God out to be a 911 distress call only! That’s the basis of their communication. They get in a jam, and cry out to God. Is that wrong? Of course not. But it is if it’s the only time in which you do! Imagine being married, but the only time you speak to your spouse is when you’re in a jam! The only time you spend time with your spouse is so they can get you out of the trouble you got yourself into. What if the only intimacy you have with your spouse is when there’s a crisis? Exactly how long do you think this marriage is going to survive such a one-sided damaged relationship? Well, God is the very same way! He values relationship. After all, He gave us the life, death and life again of His only begotten Son for no other reason than so He could develop a relationship with us as His children also. Therefore, don’t you think that a relationship with Him is going to require more than a ‘help me God’ conversation? A relationship with God is talking to Him; listening to Him; complimenting, praising and worshiping Him. It’s trusting Him, and having faith in Him. It’s leaning on Him when you know there’s no other way for you to remain on your feet. It’s loving on Him, consistently. It’s faithfulness and unconditional love. It’s lovingly mentioning His name, and letting everyone know that you belong to Him alone. When is the last time you romanced God that way? If you had to stop and think about it, your relationship with God needs some immediate repair work done! God doesn’t want to change you from a distance, He desires an up close and personal relationship, so, how near (or far) have you allowed yourself to become? Selah…REMEMBER: TRUE CHANGE BEGINS BY ADDRESSING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!

3. YOU MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE UNCONDITIONALLY: In the early stage of therapy, counselors bump into the “Change-If” syndrome. The client sees change as a strategy of give-to-get: “I’ll change if they are willing to do…If not, I won’t” With God, your reward for changing is intrinsic. You get the joy of His approval, plus all the benefits that follow from being a Changed Person! This includes God’s Gift of “…salve to put on your eyes, so you can see” (Revelation 3:18 NIV). The ability to see things clearly will enable you to understand the problem and deal with it effectively, Regardless of What Someone Else Does, or Doesn’t Do! You Have to Want Change For Yourself, And Not Based On Anyone Else’s Actions, or Lack Thereof! So, Just In Case They Don’t Get Any Better Keep in mind: “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together” (Marilyn Monroe). Whether the Friendship or Relationship Stays Intact Or Not, You Need to Make the Decision to Change Yourself, For Yourself, Unconditionally! Think about it, what if they decide they are very comfortable with their dysfunction and see no need nor reason to change, does that mean you’re supposed to stay the same too? Absolutely Not! If your friendSHIP or relationSHIP or leaderSHIP has been damaged, and water is leaking everywhere and it’s about to sink, do you stay in the boat with them because you’ve both been in this same boat with each for such a long time? Or, do you make the executive decision that something needs to change, and quickly?! When a lifeboat comes alongside you and they say, ‘you can go ahead if you want to, I’ll stay right here, nice and comfortable where I’ve always been’, do you sit back down and remain in a dysfunctional dingy or do you leave them to their craziness and get out into that available lifeboat, even if it means the saving of your own life and the loss of theirs, at their own hands? It may sound harsh, but you can’t live your life boxed into the decisions of how others have decided to live theirs. Love you unconditionally enough to change you, even if they remain the same. REMEMBER: YOU MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE UNCONDITIONALLY!

4. YOU MUST ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT CHANGE MEANS LETTING GO OF THE PAST: Whatever You Cling To Ultimately Controls You! If the offense resulted from your actions, or the loss from your poor judgment, Confess It To God, Receive Forgiveness and Leave It At the Cross! If it was the other person’s fault, but you’ve held onto it because you think you’re the innocent party and “deserve your pound of flesh,” Remember: the Freedom and the Options You Miss Are Too High a Price For the False Comfort of Being Right! “Be kind and compassionate to one another, Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God Forgave You” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV) Or better yet, another translation says it like this: “Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive One Another As Quickly And Thoroughly As God In Christ Forgave You” (MSG). This will Release You From the Chains of Resentment and Give You Back Your Future! If You’re Bound by Chains of Regret Over “coulda, shoulda, woulda,” God Stands Ready to Make Your Future Better Than Your Past Could Ever Have Been (Joel 2:25, “I’ll Make Up For The Years…” MSG). Dr. Maya Angelou clearly agreed because she said: “Someone was hurt before you, wronged before you, hungry before you, frightened before you, beaten before you, humiliated before you, raped before you…YET, Someone Survived…You Can Do Anything You Choose To Do” And you can choose to ask God to help you change so He can make up for the years! Please, Choose to Change Your Cold, Unforgiving Heart, and Enjoy a Better Life! Keeping in mind: “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward” (C.S. Lewis). Far too many waste years of their lives pointing fingers, laying blame, making excuses and justifications, giving reasons, but never changing. Today is the day where you break this bad habit! Whether it happened 30 seconds, minutes, weeks, months, or years ago, let it go! The forgiveness is for you not for them! It’s so you can finally be free from your emotional prison that’s causing you to go mentally insane! Do your part of asking for forgiveness, and extending forgiveness, then leave the rest in God’s hands as you change what He’s strengthened your hands to handle! REMEMBER: YOU MUST ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT CHANGE MEANS LETTING GO OF THE PAST

5. CHANGE MEANS ACCEPTING RISK: Your anxiety will kick in and say, “What if I don’t get the job? What if the economy fails? What if I make the effort to change but they don’t?” We like ironclad guarantees. The predictable always feels less threatening than sticking our necks out! But the Price of Our Security Often Means Remaining Stuck With the Status Quo! Sometimes Your Greatest Risk Is Taking No Risk At All! God Often Requires You to Leave the Path That Feels and Looks Safe, For the One That Feels and Looks Risky! Why? Because: “NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses” (Hebrews 11:1 AMP). Your Faith Is Full-Proof Assurance, God’s Confirmation, the Title Deed Guaranteeing That the Change You Want Will Take Place If You Act On It! “Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action” (Walter Anderson). “Change” in its simplest definition means “To Make Or Become Different” That’s all God is looking for you to do! Take a Risk and Do Something Different! After all, all that you have been doing up til now hasn’t worked, so What Have You Got To Lose? Ask yourself, “If I Dare to Change, What Could I Finally Gain?” Because: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten” (Tony Robbins) Break out of that neat little box with the bow that you’ve trapped yourself in all these years. For once, don’t follow the crowd! Don’t do what everyone is telling you, you ought to do. Seek God, hear what He has to tell you, then follow His lead! Let 2019 be the year you take a risk on YOU! You’ve spent enough of your years taking risks on everybody else and their lives, families, businesses, education, ministries, churches, vision, goals, and dreams. This time is your time to take a risk on you! REMEMBER: CHANGE MEANS ACCEPTING RISK!

6. CHANGE WILL HAPPEN IF FAILURE IS NOT ALLOWED TO STOP YOU: Fear of Failing Often Stops Us From Trying, Yet Many of God’s Best People Experienced Failure On Their Way to Success! Consider Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, etc…All of Them Succeeded Only AFTER Dealing With Personal Failure! Indeed, the Richest, Most Profound Change Often Happens AFTER We’ve Tasted Failure! Until then we tend to be cocky and of not much use to God! Peter failed the Lord miserably, and at the most crucial moment (Matthew 26:50, 72, “…some men came forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him…Again Peter denied it and swore with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”  GWT). But even after that, Peter grew, becoming Christ’s Choice to Lead His Newly Empowered Church On the Day of Pentecost, Winning Three Thousand Souls (See Acts 2)! So Don’t Let Failure Stop You! You Can Change! Even the Apostle Paul went from beating Christians to becoming one and leading many! “Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, IT ISN’T!” (Richard Bach) Yes, Even After All Your Failures, You Too Can Still Change! You’re not too old; it’s not too late; and you haven’t messed up too bad! God can bring recovery out of your ruins if only you’d trust Him! REMEMBER: CHANGE WILL HAPPEN IF FAILURE IS NOT ALLOWED TO STOP YOU!

In a Nutshell: You’ve been this way long enough! Therefore, no more excuses, reasons or justifications! Today simply determine to Change Your Life For the Better! REMEMBER: IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, CHANGE IT!

“Your Life Does Not Get Better By Chance, It Gets Better By Change” (Jim Rohn)

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at, change.” (Wayne Dyer)

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” (Socrates)

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” (Jimmy Dean)

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” (George Bernard Shaw)

“Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving and progressing.” (Mandy Hale)

“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”

“Don’t be afraid to change. You may lose something good but you may gain something better.”

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” (Carol Burnett)

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” (Oprah Winfrey)

“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.”

“The 3 C’s of life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.”

“Small changes eventually add up to huge results.”

“Embrace change. True success can be defined by your ability to adapt to changing circumstances.” (Connie Sky)

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” (Rumi)

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” (John Maxwell)

“Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.”

“You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.”

“Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes.”

“The key to change is to let go of fear.” (Rosanne Cash)

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” (Gail Sheehy)

“Changing the world begins with the very personal process of changing yourself. The only place change can begin is where you are, and the only time you can begin is always now.”

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” (Robin Sharma)

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #BeChanged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Adult Vaccines: Which Ones Do You Need?”

“Take Some Initiative!”

Proverbs 6:6-11, “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)

Far too many of us are sitting around wasting time waiting for someone to come along and tell us what to do next!

The story’s told of a man who was employed by a duke and duchess. One day he was called in to speak to his employer. “James, how long have you been with us?” said the Duchess. “About 30 years, Your Grace,” he replied. “As I recall you were employed to look after the dog,” she said. “Yes, Your Grace.” “James, that dog died 27 years ago,” said the Duchess. “Yes, Your Grace,” said James, “I was waiting for you to tell me what you would like for me to do next”

As comical as it sounds, many of us are just like James! 10 years later and we’re still waiting to be told what to do next. In ministry 15 years and still waiting to be told what to do next. What’s the problem? A LACK OF INITIATIVE! Why do we fail to take initiative? BECAUSE WE DON’T REALIZE THE HEAVY CONSEQUENCES OF OUR INACTION! Solomon writes in our text from: Proverbs 6:6-11, “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)

People of God, whatever we do—or neglect to do for that matter—always catches up with us eventually! 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, “Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” (MSG)

I reiterate, we are accountable for what we DO and for what we leave UNDONE! Saint’s, God’s Inspection of the Work You’ve Done, or Left Undone, is Coming and You WANT to Pass His Test! Therefore, No More Hesitation, Laziness or Procrastination, Get Your Works in Order TODAY! Luke 9:62, “Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (MSG)

Those who procrastinate end up like the man in playwright James Albery’s verse: “He slept beneath the moon, he baked beneath the sun. He lived a life of going-to-do; and died with nothing done.” Don’t let this be descriptive of your life and legacy!

Paul writes: “…God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well…” (Romans 12:6 NLT).  The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, LET US USE THEM…” (AMP); and the Message Bible states it like this: “So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, LET’S GO AHEAD AND BE WHAT WE WERE MADE TO BE…” (MSG).

Knowing your ability is one of the keys to understanding life’s assignment. However, you can only plan and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU’VE GOT TO TAKE SOME ACTION, TAKE SOME INITIATIVE AND BECOME WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MADE TO BE!

Notice 2 things about taking the Initiative:

1…TAKING INITIATIVE CLOSES THE DOOR TO FEAR: Although none of us wants to admit it, we all have fears. The question is, are we going to control them or allow them to control us? Norman Vincent Peale said: “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” To have any chance at getting what we desire, we need to work for it. Nothing is as discouraging or draining as hanging on to an Uncompleted Task. The longer we let things slide, the harder they become. And the hardest work is often the accumulation of many easy things that should have been done yesterday, last week or last month! So how do you get rid of a difficult task? JUST DO IT! Stop talking about it and become it! Turn the blueprint into a building! It’s time you Step out of Fear and Walk by Faith! Truth is, once you become engulfed in doing it instead of talking about it, you’ll find yourself too busy to focus on fear! But standing still and just looking at it will always give you the anxiety that it cannot be accomplished! So today, determine to send your resume in for that job. So what you don’t qualify, they may be looking for some new blood to train and shake up the office. After all, what’s the worst that could happen, they tell you no!? Surely, that won’t stop you from breathing and continuing on with life. Listen: If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose, so get to producing it! You do know that you don’t have forever, right?! So, go back to school, learn to drive, apply for the job, go after the grant, start the business, move out of state, etc…whatever you plan to do, know that you only have a limited time on earth to get it done, so start Today, since Yesterday is Gone, and Tomorrow is NEVER Guaranteed to Come!

2…TAKING THE INITIATIVE OPENS THE DOOR TO OPPORTUNITY: People who take the initiative and work hard may succeed, or fail. But anyone who doesn’t take initiative is Guaranteed to Fail! So, today ask God, “Is there a decision I should be making? Is there a problem I should be solving? Is there a project I should be starting? Is there a goal I should be setting or striving toward? Is there an opportunity I should be seizing?” Solomon writes, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB). It’s better to be 80% sure, and start, than to wait until you’re 100% sure, because by then the opportunity may have passed you by, never to return again. So today, DETERMINE TO TAKE SOME INITIATIVE! Remember This: Doors Don’t Stay Open Indefinitely! Think about it, when you come home, you enter the door and close it behind you! You don’t leave the door open indefinitely! Likewise, supermarket doors close, business doors close, school doors close, office doors close, bank doors close, restaurant doors close, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Lord & Taylor, Payless and even most Laundromats and 99 cent stores all close! No Door Stays Open Indefinitely! So while you have the opportunity of an open door, Walk Through It Before It Closes…For Good! That position may not be available tomorrow; that grant and scholarship may not be offered next year; that mortgage and dealership flyer may not come in the mail again; the chance to travel may not happen again! Write that book on that topic before someone else does; record that song today; even go out on a limb and tell that person how you really feel about them, today! Are you getting this? Open doors of opportunity do not stay open indefinitely! So, find your courage, take heart and go for it! Take Initiative Now!

The Bible says this: “…Steep yourself in God-reality, GOD-INITIATIVE, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.” (Luke 12:29-32 MSG). However, please understand that you can only pray, plan and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH AND ACT! 

A Chinese Proverb says, “He who deliberates too long before taking a step, will spend his whole life on one leg.” What does that mean you ask? Well, your body was built with two legs for stability. And procrastination, or holding one foot in the air, however never actually taking the step, will forever cause you to, like the Chinese Proverb “…spend his whole life on one leg” which translates, unsteady and unstable! And what does the Bible have to say about that? James 1:5-8, “If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord,  being a double-minded man, UNSTABLE and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].” (MSG)

You Cannot Walk in the Promises of God On the Feet of Unsteady, Unstable, Wavering Faith!

So TODAY, DETERMINE TO WALK BY CONFIDENT FAITH AND PUT YOUR FOOT ON IT! WHY? BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD PROMISED: “That’s right. If you diligently keep all this commandment that I command you to obey—love God, your God, do what he tells you, stick close to him—God on his part will drive out all these nations that stand in your way. Yes, he’ll drive out nations much bigger and stronger than you. EVERY SQUARE INCH ON WHICH YOU PLACE YOUR FOOT WILL BE YOURS. Your borders will stretch from the wilderness to the mountains of Lebanon, from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand in your way. Everywhere you go, God-sent fear and trembling will precede you, JUST AS HE PROMISED.” (Deuteronomy 11:22-25 MSG).

SO PUT YOUR FOOT ON IT AND KEEP WALKING BY FAITH! TAKE SOME INITIATIVE, FOR THE PROMISE IS ALREADY YOURS!

Another reason we never get started is because we focus on tomorrow INSTEAD OF TODAY! But the only time over which you have any control is the present. James writes: “Look here, you people who say, ‘tomorrow we are going to a certain town…We will do business there and make profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:13-14 NLT).

Edgar Guest wrote: “The greatest of workers this man would have been—tomorrow. The world would have known him, had he ever seen—tomorrow. But the fact is he died and he faded from view, and all that he left here when living was through, was a mountain of things he intended to do—tomorrow.”

The idea of tomorrow can be very seductive, BUT THE PROMISE IT HOLDS IS OFTEN FALSE AND UNFLATTERING! SO NO MORE PROCRASTINATION ABOUT TOMORROW, TODAY TAKE SOME INITIATIVE!

Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, observed, “The greatest time wasted, is the time getting started.” If you think about it: The hardest part of writing a letter is penning the first line. The hardest part of making a tough phone call is picking up the receiver and dialing the number. So how do we overcome this difficulty? The Bible says, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG).  In other words, figure out what you’re supposed to do for God, AND THEN DO IT!

One of the last obstacles between Israel and the Promised Land was the River Jordan. But God had a plan. He told the priests carrying the Ark that when they stepped in the river, the waters would roll back.

There are 2 important lessons here for you:

1…NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU QUIT HOLDING BACK: You can’t wait for everything to be perfect! You can’t wait until all your fears subside! You must take the initiative now! Overcomers understand that Momentum is your friend! As soon as you start moving forward, certain things become clearer and easier. And when the momentum gets strong enough, many of the problems actually take care of themselves. Maybe you’ve heard the story of the tourist in a small town who asked an old man, “Can you tell me something this town is noted for?” After a moment’s hesitation he replied, “Well, you can start here and go anywhere in the world you want.” That’s true of you too. Where you finish in life isn’t determined so much by where you start, AS BY WHETHER YOU START! If you’re willing to get started, there’s no telling just how far you’ll go! SO STOP HOLDING BACK AND TAKE SOME INITIATIVE! You Can Start Right Here, And Go Anywhere! The priests had to carry the Ark and step into the water! In other words, They Had To Move Forward to Attain the Promise! YOU HAVE TO DO LIKEWISE! SO PICK YOURSELF UP AND GET TO STEPPING! YOUR PROMISE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

2…YOU MUST BE WILLING TO PERSEVERE: The Jordan River didn’t dry up the moment the priest stepped into it. God dried it up 26 MILES UPSTREAM, so they had to wait till all that water passed by (See Joshua 3:14-17). Why did God do it that way? Because He sees the big picture! God planned an opening wide enough for not just one or two, but for MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE TO CROSS! So trust God, and take the initiative! Just by your obedience to God and trust in Him, you never know the opening your initiative has set for many others to walk through as well! Your Perseverance Is Not Just For You! So take some initiative, and get to stepping, there’s a multitude waiting on you to make a move!

 TODAY, DETERMINE TO TAKE SOME INITIATIVE AND GET MOVING!

“Initiative is doing the right thing without being told.” (Victor Hugo)

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“A lot of people never use their initiative, because no one told them to.” (Banksy)

“Personal initiative is self starting and proactive; works independently of outside influence or control.”

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” (Arthur Ashe)

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” (Milton Bene)

“Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” (Sheryl Sandberg)

“Taking initiative is a form of self-empowerment.” (Stephen R. Covey)

“Your success is your responsibility. Take the initiative, do the work, and persist to the end.” (Lorii Myers)

“Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious or aggressive, but recognizing your responsibility to make things happen.” (Sameer Mathur)

“Genius is initiative on fire.” (Holbrook Jackson)

“Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.” (Seth Godin)

“It doesn’t matter if a million people tell you what you can’t do, or if ten million tell you no. If you get one yes from God, that’s all you need.” (Tyler Perry)

“Prolonged idleness paralyzes initiative.”

“I like to grasp the initiative and not give my opponet peace of mind.” (Mikhail Tal)

“Being proactive is more than taking initiative. It is recognizing that we are responsible for our own choices and have the freedom to choose based on principles and values rather than on moods or condition. Proactive people are agents of change and choose not to be victims, to be reactive, or to blame others.” (Stephen Covey)

“Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions.” (Bo Bennett)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Cholesterol 101, What Your Numbers Mean?”